Fifth Business

The term comes from an opera convention where there is a quintessential character who is neither the hero, heroine, villain, nor confidante, but is essential to the plot. The narrator, Dunstan Ramsay, assumes this role as the catalyst whose actions alter the lives of the main characters.

Yes, "Fifth Business" is the first book in Robertson Davies's Deptford Trilogy, followed by "The Manticore" and "World of Wonders." Reading them in publication order is highly recommended to understand the overarching narrative of the snowball incident's consequences.

The novel is set in motion when a young Percy Boyd Staunton throws a snowball with a hidden stone inside it at the narrator. The snowball misses Dunstan Ramsay but hits the pregnant Mary Dempster, causing her to go into premature labor and altering the trajectory of all three lives.

The 1970 novel deeply explores themes of psychology, sainthood, and myth as seen through the life of a retired Canadian schoolmaster. It heavily utilizes Carl Jung's psychological theories to unpack the life-long guilt of its protagonist.