Fifth Business Essay Outline

To what extent does a character's obsession lead to his/her success or failure in Fifth Business?

Introduction:

The life of Boy Staunton revolves around his single sought out goal in life; his internal desire for wealth, a perfect family, and public recognition. Boy Staunton’s character goes after these superficial and external objects which ultimately leads to his failure and eventual demise.

Paragraph One:

Boy’s thirst for success and recognition was driven by the effects of his childhood surroundings. Being raised in an upper-class family gave him higher standards for life and his achievements to come.

P1:Brought up in Deptford with a rich/powerful family. Instilled with lack of moral values and little respect for others.

P1:Boy’s attitude towards life was to get hold of as much pleasure as he could...to live only looking out for his best interest. He sought fulfillment and monetary related items.

P3: Boy also sought the public stature of being known as a person of high power and social class.

Boy’s ego, largely due to his childhood environment, is a factor affecting his sense of morality and overall view of the world at large. This ignorance contributes to his eventual downfall.

Paragraph Two:

Boy’s father was a very successful man. It gave Boy a big set of shoes to fill in his accomplishments and goals set for his lifetime.

P1: Boy took his father’s example of an overall attitude of success for life and made it the focus of his own. Boy was implanted with his fathers ego which contributed to his un-fulfilling individuation.

P2: Boy admired his father's success and hoped to amass to what his father did.

P3: Boy's father gave Boy morals of greed and desire that only contributed to Boy's downfall.

Boy's main frame of reference in life was his father and this greatly affected his perception of life; especially when dealing with riches and happiness. Boy's life goals and attitude on this earth were greatly influenced, in a mostly negative way, by his father.

Paragraph Three:

Boy had an idealistic image of a perfect family in his mind and he wanted nothing more than to see that ideal image come to life.

P1: Boy wed the beautiful Leola Cruikshank in high hopes of realizing his 'ideal family dream' and would do anything to achieve it

P2: Boy tried to force Leola to be exactly who he wanted and saw as an ideal mate. He cheated on her and showed no remorse at the time. He consistently pushed Leola from her boundaries which eventually led to her untimely death.

P3: In a last effort to see his family dream realized, Boy marries Denyse who seems promising as a perfect fit in Boy's life. This however isn't the case.

Boy needed to have the perfect family and did everything he could to try and realize that goal. His consistent effort to be something he wasn't with his family is what caused his lack of success and happiness in his love life.

Conclusion:

The desire of external objects of the superficial nature is what stifled Boy Staunton of the happy and fulfilling life he always desired. Ironically enough, his one true desire is what prevented him from realizing his ultimate goal in life. His deep rooted desires for public recognition, power and wealth, and a picture perfect family are what drove his life haywire ending in his eventual demise.