Fifth Case focuses on Dunstan Ramsay, a man struck by deep guilt that stems from a childhood accident. At only ten years old, he dodges a snowball aimed at him and which hits Mary Dempster, the pregnant young woman next door. As a result, her baby is born prematurely and she is left with a simple state of mind. As a result, Dunny's mother takes over the house and acts as the baby's mother. Dunny, in turn, builds a blossoming relationship with Mrs. Dempster. This complex relationship becomes a way for Dunny to eradicate his chronic guilt. This multi-layered relationship develops into its most extensive internal conflict, as Mrs. Dempster plays four roles in her world: a child, a wife, a mother, and a saint. The complexity of this relationship, along with Dunny's love for Mrs. Dempster, leads him to constantly feel inadequate, which only amplifies his guilt. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay Following the snowball incident, Mrs. Dempster is abandoned by her husband and son and ends up living with his aunt Bertha. For several years, Dunny has been visiting her, against Bertha's better judgment. After Bertha's death, Mrs. Dempster is truly left alone, leading Dunny to immediately come to her rescue. Due to his simple mindset, he treats her like a child by constantly caring for her and taking full responsibility. On page 150, just after Bertha's death, Dunny asks himself: "but what should I do with her?" This diction, particularly the phrase "dealing with her", highlights the fact that Dunny views her as a primary responsibility, similar to the responsibility a father feels towards his child. Additionally, he is insecure and unsure if he is providing the care Mrs. Dempster needs. From this inability to take care of her properly, he feels a sense of inadequacy which compounds his guilt. Finally, Dunny decides to send Mrs. Dempster to a state hospital for the insane. He does so with deep anguish and states on page 131: “I did not dare to look back and I felt more wicked than I have ever felt in my life. » The hyperbole: “I felt meaner than I have ever felt in my life,” highlights the profound difficulty Dunny experiences in leaving her in the hospital. He wants what is best for her, but considers himself fundamentally incapable of giving it to her: this is the crux of the internal conflict. He thinks he owes it to Mrs. Dempster to take care of her in all her needs and provide her with the most comfortable life, since he was the one who robbed her of a normal life. The use of hyperbole adds to Dunny's role as a father and, more importantly, Mrs. Dempster's role as a child, further amplifying her guilt. After Mrs. Dempster becomes simple, Dunny's mother spends a lot of time caring for and helping her. around the house. Afterwards, Dunny devoted the majority of his time to the Dempster household. The considerable amount of time Dunny spends with Mrs. Dempster causes him to fall in love with her and, in turn, increases his guilt as he cannot save her from her toxic marriage to Amasa. When Dunny turned 16, he enlisted in the army during the Great War. The idea of ​​"war fever" was particularly common at this time, and is illustrated when Dunny says goodbye to Mrs. Dempster just before leaving: "When I had to leave, she kissed me on both cheeks, something she had never done before. - and he said: “There is only one thing to remember; whatever happens, there's no point in being afraid.' »The mood created at this point in the book is one of passion which not only emphasizes the motif of war fever but also highlights Mrs. Dempster's role as wife. The proximity of death strengthens their feelings for each other and allows them to surface, revealing the truth about Dunny's feelings: he is in love with her. Because he is secretly in love with Mrs. Dempster, Dunny feels guilty about being trapped in a destructive marriage with Amasa, who prays to God every night to take Mary away from him. After Mrs. Dempster was caught with the tramp, crowds of people would show up at her front door and intimidate her. On page 42, when Amasa did absolutely nothing to stop them, Dunny says, "I wish I could record that Amasa Dempster came out and faced them, but he didn't." » The formal language used in this sentence implies that it is expected, and practically required, for Amasa to defend his defenseless wife. Using a word like "record" suggests that Dunny is counting the points between himself and Amasa, and that Dunny is winning. Additionally, by using Amasa's full name, he emphasizes his responsibility as Mrs. Dempster's husband and, therefore, emphasizes his inability and lack of desire to protect her. The internal conflict that arises from Dunny's romantic love for Mrs. Dempster is that he, once again, wants what is best for her and wants her to be treated well, but cannot save her from her cruel husband and the simulation of a marriage. This internal conflict makes him feel helpless, which then compounds his guilt, because, once again, he cannot reverse what happened that night with the snowball. In addition to a child and a wife, Dunny considers Mrs. Dempster a motherly figure. When Dunny's real mother practically abandons him for Mrs. Dempster's son and begins spending more time at the Dempsters' than hers, he becomes very vulnerable. These mommy issues, along with the time spent with the Dempsters, make it easy for Mrs. Dempster to take on the role of her mother. On page 55, after Mrs. Ramsay notices Dunny's childish affection for Mrs. Dempster, she "concludes by demanding that [Dunny] make a choice between her and 'that woman.' » The diction employed by Davies in this sentence, particularly the phrase "that woman" highlights Mrs. Ramsay's insecurity in her relationship with Dunny and emphasizes Mrs. Dempster's maternal position. As the feeling of hopelessness returns, Dunny reflects that he could have served Mrs. Dempster better in his role as son. After Mrs. Dempster's death, on page 230, Dunny says, "And then I asked for forgiveness for myself because, although I had done what I thought was my best, I had not not been loving enough, nor wise enough, nor generous enough in my relationships. with her. » The repetition of the word “enough” further emphasizes his inadequacy as a son to her. Although he acknowledges that he did his best, Dunny will not let go of the feeling that he could have done more, or even that she deserved someone better than him as a "son" and guardian. Mrs. Dempster's role as a mother creates an internal conflict with Dunny: he thinks she is too good for him and he cannot serve her well enough. This once again confirms his feeling of inadequacy. His guilt is increased because he feels that he is incapable of repaying her for her “simple-mindedness” that he caused. ***Mrs. Dempster's most important role is that of Dunny's saint. His life goal is to verify Mrs. Dempster's sanctity to justify her deep survivor's guilt. He can use his holiness for two things: an explanation of the unknown in his life and a justification of his folly. When Dunny fights on the battlefield, he is.