nly thing that drove him was his obsession to find the Madonna.Canadian history plays a large role in the novel. Due to events in history, Dunny goes through several changes or rebirths in the novel. Boys’ wealth is also largely based on history due to the stock market and World War I. Historical events are used to drive the plot of the novel so that the novels characters are able to fully develop and feed the very existence of which they live upon. In Boys’ case his very existence was based on capitalism, without the stock market or World War I, he would not have been able to construct such a hefty fortune. World War I largely shaped Dunny; he had encountered the Madonna that would send him through a spiritual trip of enlightenment through Europe. Canadian history in Fifth Business is a fifth business to the novel itself. History assists bringing the characters together, where they find fulfillment from one another. An example would be Boy helping Dunny with the stock market since he had always felt guilty for the snowball incident. Without history playing a role as a fifth business to the characters, the novel would only be left with the bookends. In fact, if the war and stock market crash were to never occur, all that would transpire would be a crazy lady getting hit by a snowball and a boy who would go to her house to care for her....
