Fifth Business Part 5 Liesl. Title: Liesl Liesl is Dunny’s third and perhaps greatest “wise man” Liesl is Dunny’s third and perhaps greatest “wise man”

Fifth Business Part 5Fifth Business Part 5

LieslLiesl

Title: LieslTitle: Liesl

Liesl is Dunny’s third and perhaps greatest Liesl is Dunny’s third and perhaps greatest “wise man”“wise man”

This section begins This section begins with Dunny on a quest with Dunny on a quest to understand Mary to understand Mary Dempster, saints, etc. Dempster, saints, etc. and ends with Dunny and ends with Dunny beginning to beginning to understand himself.understand himself.

Until now, the shift in understanding Until now, the shift in understanding about the two realities (factual and about the two realities (factual and psychological) has been largely psychological) has been largely external: he has tried to understand external: he has tried to understand others’ roles in his lifeothers’ roles in his life

Now he learns that he has to make Now he learns that he has to make those work internally as wellthose work internally as well

he must learn his own archetypes, his he must learn his own archetypes, his own role in his own lifeown role in his own life

Remember Jung’s Remember Jung’s “Collective Unconscious”:“Collective Unconscious”:

• Common to all humans• Works in each of us as archetypes which

sometimes erupt in our consciousness• We see archetypal images in dreams,

myths, legends, fairy tales, art and religious symbols

• If we look, we can recognize how these archetypal roles play out in our own lives

Two RealitiesTwo Realities

He continues his He continues his saint quest (the saint quest (the physical, factual physical, factual journey)journey)

Takes him to Guadeloupe, MexicoTakes him to Guadeloupe, Mexico

Presentation 15 : Religious ShrinesPresentation 15 : Religious Shrines

Again, sees the picture, examines it and Again, sees the picture, examines it and gets the factsgets the facts

• ““I examined the picture through a I examined the picture through a powerful little pocket telescope. Certainly powerful little pocket telescope. Certainly it was painted on cloth of a very coarse it was painted on cloth of a very coarse weave, with a seam up the middle of it weave, with a seam up the middle of it that deviated from the straight just that deviated from the straight just enough to avoid the Virgin’s face…. The enough to avoid the Virgin’s face…. The Virgin, a peasant girl of about fifteen, Virgin, a peasant girl of about fifteen, stood on a crescent moon. The painting stood on a crescent moon. The painting was skilled, and the face beautiful (201).was skilled, and the face beautiful (201).

But the kneeling petitioners are of real But the kneeling petitioners are of real interestinterest

““The picture was not my chief concern, however. My The picture was not my chief concern, however. My eyes were on the kneeling petitioners, whose faces eyes were on the kneeling petitioners, whose faces had the beauty virtually every face reveals in the had the beauty virtually every face reveals in the presence of the goddess of mercy, the Holy Mother, presence of the goddess of mercy, the Holy Mother, the figure of divine compassion. Very different, the figure of divine compassion. Very different, these, from the squinnying, lip-biting, calculating these, from the squinnying, lip-biting, calculating faces of the art lovers one sees looking at Madonnas faces of the art lovers one sees looking at Madonnas in galleries. These petitioners had no conception of in galleries. These petitioners had no conception of art; to them a picture was a symbol of something art; to them a picture was a symbol of something else, and very readily the symbol became reality…. else, and very readily the symbol became reality…. American bustle would soon free them from belief in American bustle would soon free them from belief in miracles and holy likenesses. But where, I ask miracles and holy likenesses. But where, I ask myself, will mercy and divine compassion come from myself, will mercy and divine compassion come from then? Or are such things necessary to people who then? Or are such things necessary to people who are well fed and kn ow the wonders that lie are well fed and kn ow the wonders that lie concealed in an atom? (202).concealed in an atom? (202).

Sees the modern Western world’s Sees the modern Western world’s attempts to “demythologize” everything attempts to “demythologize” everything “wonderful” as destructive (201)“wonderful” as destructive (201)

Humanity needs the irrationalHumanity needs the irrational

““Why do people all over the world, and at all times, Why do people all over the world, and at all times, want marvels that defy all verifiable fact? And all want marvels that defy all verifiable fact? And all the marvels brought into being by their desire, or is the marvels brought into being by their desire, or is their desire an assurance rising from some deep their desire an assurance rising from some deep knowledge, not to be directly experienced and knowledge, not to be directly experienced and questioned, that the marvellous is indeed an aspect questioned, that the marvellous is indeed an aspect of the real?...of the real?...

All I managed by the time I found myself sitting in the All I managed by the time I found myself sitting in the basilica of Guadalupe was a certainty that faith was basilica of Guadalupe was a certainty that faith was a psychological reality, and that where it was not a psychological reality, and that where it was not invited to fasten itself on things unseen, it invaded invited to fasten itself on things unseen, it invaded and raised bloody hell with things seen. Or in other and raised bloody hell with things seen. Or in other words, the irrational will have its say, perhaps words, the irrational will have its say, perhaps because “irrational” is the wrong word for it” (202).because “irrational” is the wrong word for it” (202).

Religious wonderment is a Religious wonderment is a psychological necessity for most people psychological necessity for most people (202)(202)

Encounter with magiciansEncounter with magicians

Presentation 16: Magic, Illusion and OraclesPresentation 16: Magic, Illusion and Oracles

Magic as secular mysticismMagic as secular mysticism

We want to wonder (211)We want to wonder (211)Eisengrim says they want “to be Eisengrim says they want “to be

wondered at… People want to marvel at wondered at… People want to marvel at something, and the whole spirit of our something, and the whole spirit of our time is not to let them do it… What we time is not to let them do it… What we offer is innocent—just an entertainment offer is innocent—just an entertainment in which a hungry part of the spirit is in which a hungry part of the spirit is fed” )fed” )

Biography as myth-Biography as myth-makingmaking

Eisengrim wants Dunny to write his Eisengrim wants Dunny to write his biography: “The book would have to biography: “The book would have to be fiction. I presume you don’t think be fiction. I presume you don’t think the world will swallow a courtier of the world will swallow a courtier of polished manner if he is shown to be polished manner if he is shown to be the son of a Baptist parson in rural the son of a Baptist parson in rural Canada—” (213)Canada—” (213)

ArchetypesArchetypes

We love to have archetypes We love to have archetypes reinforcedreinforcedMidas (206)Midas (206)The Vision of Dr. Faustus (207)The Vision of Dr. Faustus (207)

Midas (206)Midas (206)

Faustus Faustus (207)(207)

Two Realities-Internal RolesTwo Realities-Internal Roles

Dunny needs to understand Dunny needs to understand himselfhimself

becomes a member of Eisengrim’s becomes a member of Eisengrim’s entourage (210)entourage (210)

The cost of getting to know oneself – it is The cost of getting to know oneself – it is not without bumps along the waynot without bumps along the way

Becoming a fool; his shadow eruptsBecoming a fool; his shadow erupts

Becoming known (221)Becoming known (221)

Liesl as confidanteLiesl as confidante

Dunny as a talker (vs. Dunny as secret-Dunny as a talker (vs. Dunny as secret-keeper)keeper)

He is both!He is both!

Dunny as Fifth Business (225)Dunny as Fifth Business (225)

Revenge of the unlived life (Faustina) Revenge of the unlived life (Faustina) (229-230)(229-230)

Not the hero of his own story. Who is? Not the hero of his own story. Who is? (230-231)(230-231)