Name that Chapter

Name that Chapter

1. Childhood (Mrs. Dempster)

Summary: The novel starts with the snowball event, in which Mrs. Dempster gets hit in the head and as a result, gives birth to Paul Dempster prematurely. Mary Dempster also performs two of her miracles in this chapter, the first is the transformation of the tramp, and the latter is the act of bringing Willie back to life. The chapter ends with Dunstan enlisting himself as a soldier in WWI.

Hypothesis: This chapter is about the young Dunstan, and the important things that happened to him or around him before he became an adult. It is significant because these events shaped him to become who he is later in life. And symbolically, this chapter shows how two people, Dunstan and Boy, confront the same issue, the snowball incident, differently. And later on, the readers would find out how this different approach to the mistake that they made together affected them as an adult.

2. Transformation (I Am Born Again)

Summary: Dunstan enters WWI, he lost his left leg and was send to coma for six months. During this time, he was taken care of by Diana and she gave him the new name “Dunstan”. After he fully recovered, he returned to Canada and received a very warm welcome by the citizens of Deptford. The chapter ends with him physically leaving Deptford.

Hypothesis: This is when Dunstan truly grows up to be an adult. It is a significant chapter because this chapter marks the changes he went through, how he transformed to be a new person. This is marked by the fact that he obtained a new name.

3. Saint Adventures (My Fool-Saint)

Summary: Dunstan enters University of Toronto and earns a MA in History. Boy then starts to become a successful business man, and changed his name to “Boy”. Dunstan gets a job as a school master in an all boys school. He then found Mrs. Dempster in Toronto. He starts to study saints and became an expert in hagiology. Dunstan travels around the world to learn about saints, and in Austria he meets the now older Paul Dempster who works in a circus.

Hypothesis: This chapter is significant because, in the previous chapter he is no longer connected or involved with Mrs. Dempster. But it is in this chapter that he once again, continues his life-long involvement with Mrs. Dempster. He cannot be away from her and subconsciously, he cannot get over the guilt he felt towards her about the snowball incident.

4. Lost Romance (Gyges and King Candaules)

Summary: Boy becomes more successful as a person, but his wife, Leola, stayed the same as the girl she was while growing up in Deptford. Their differences cause their marriage to deteriorate. Mrs. Dempster’s aunt died, passing on the responsibility of taking care of the simple Mrs. Dempster to Dunstan. Dunstan traveled to meet the Bollandists. On Christmas Boy gets devastated over the fact that his beloved prince did not become the King of England, and Leola is left out. She attempts suicide, but fails.

Hypothesis: This chapter shows the important differences between Dunstan and Boy. Dunstan became more and more involved with religion and saints. But Boy became more and more secular and interested in the physical world.

5. Epiphany (Liesl)

Summary: Leola eventually dies. Dunstan travels to Mexico to learn about saints, and meets the now “Magnus Eisengrim”, whose Paul, there as a great magician. Under the encouragement of Liesl, Paul’s funder and manager, Dunstan ghost writes an autobiography for Paul. One day, Dunstan had a long chat with Liesl and she suggests to him that he is “Fifth Business”.

Hypothesis: This chapter marks the realization and insight for Dunstan about his role in the lives of people around him.

6. Totality of Life (The Soiree of Illusions)

Summary: Dunstan comes back to Canada, accidentally tells Mrs. Dempster about Paul, causing her health to decline, and eventually dies in a few years. Boy decided to enter politics and he got remarried. Boy is later found mysteriously dead, drowned in a car with a stone in his mouth. Dunstan then reveals the events that happened before Boy’s death. The most important being the chat between Paul (who came to Toronto to perform a magic show), Dunstan, and Boy.

Hypothesis: This is the most important chapter in the book. It marks the end of Dunstan’s involvement with both Boy and Mrs. Dempster. It shows how the two different approach that Boy and Dunstan took into confronting the snowball incident, lead them to have different endings. Dunstan was able to repent for what he did and get over his own guilt. Boy was not able to do that and was eventually swallowed up by the guilt and died.