The Manticore
Encyclopedia
The Manticore is the second novel in Robertson Davies
' Deptford Trilogy
.
Published in 1972
by Macmillan of Canada
, it deals with the aftermath of the mysterious death of Percy Boyd "Boy" Staunton retold during a series of conversations between Staunton's son and a Jungian psychoanalyst.
The title refers to elements of the subconscious which unfold through the story and are eventually manifested as a fantastic mythical creature: a manticore
.
The Manticore won the Governor-General's Literary Award
in the English language fiction category
in 1972. Many believe that this selection was due in part to the fact that Davies did not win in 1970
for his novel Fifth Business
.
Robertson Davies
William Robertson Davies, CC, OOnt, FRSC, FRSL was a Canadian novelist, playwright, critic, journalist, and professor. He was one of Canada's best-known and most popular authors, and one of its most distinguished "men of letters", a term Davies is variously said to have gladly accepted for himself...
' Deptford Trilogy
The Deptford Trilogy
The Deptford Trilogy is a novel trilogy by Canadian novelist Robertson Davies.-Overview:The trilogy consists of Fifth Business , The Manticore , and World of Wonders...
.
Published in 1972
1972 in literature
The year 1972 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Fiction:*Richard Adams - Watership Down*Jorge Amado - Teresa Batista Cansada da Guerra *Martin Amis - The Rachel Papers...
by Macmillan of Canada
Macmillan of Canada
Macmillan of Canada was a Canadian publishing house.The company was founded in 1905 as the Canadian arm of the English publisher Macmillan. At that time it was known as the "Macmillan Company of Canada Ltd." In the course of its existence the name changed to "Macmillan of Canada" and "Macmillan...
, it deals with the aftermath of the mysterious death of Percy Boyd "Boy" Staunton retold during a series of conversations between Staunton's son and a Jungian psychoanalyst.
The title refers to elements of the subconscious which unfold through the story and are eventually manifested as a fantastic mythical creature: a manticore
Manticore
The manticore is a legendary creature similar to the Egyptian sphinx. It has the body of a red lion, a human head with three rows of sharp teeth , and a trumpet-like voice. Other aspects of the creature vary from story to story. It may be horned, winged, or both...
.
The Manticore won the Governor-General's Literary Award
Governor General's Award
The Governor General's Awards are a collection of awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, marking distinction in a number of academic, artistic and social fields. The first was conceived in 1937 by Lord Tweedsmuir, a prolific author of fiction and non-fiction who created the Governor...
in the English language fiction category
Governor General's Award for English language fiction
This is a list of recipients of the Governor General's Award for English language fiction.-1930s:*1936: Bertram Brooker, Think of the Earth*1937: Laura Salverson, The Dark Weaver*1938: Gwethalyn Graham, Swiss Sonata...
in 1972. Many believe that this selection was due in part to the fact that Davies did not win in 1970
1970 in literature
The year 1970 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Deliverance by American poet James Dickey published...
for his novel Fifth Business
Fifth Business
Fifth Business is a 1970 novel by Canadian novelist, playwright, critic, journalist, and professor Robertson Davies. It is the first installment of the Deptford Trilogy and is a story of the life of the narrator, Dunstan Ramsay...
.
Principal characters
- David Staunton — Son of the billionaire Boy Staunton, he is the narrator of the novel. After a psychotic episode in Toronto he seeks out the help of Jungian psychoanalysts in Zurich. He is a famous barristerBarristerA barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
, an alcoholic, and a keen patron of the arts, with a heightened sense of morality and a hero worship for his father mixed with filial defiance.
- Johanna Von Haller — David Staunton's Jungian analyst in Zurich. More clever than Staunton in debate, she guides him through the multiple phases of Jungian analysis, being the subject of his projections of the shadow, the friend, and the anima. She warns Staunton that theirs is only the first phase of analysis. She has helped him discover WHO he is. The next phase would help him discover WHAT he is (an allusion to the quest to discover the collective unconscious in oneself).
- Dunstan Ramsay — The narrator of the novel Fifth BusinessFifth BusinessFifth Business is a 1970 novel by Canadian novelist, playwright, critic, journalist, and professor Robertson Davies. It is the first installment of the Deptford Trilogy and is a story of the life of the narrator, Dunstan Ramsay...
. Born at the turn of the 20th century he is maimed in WWI, wins a Victoria Cross, and devotes his life to the study of saints and myth. He watched over David Staunton during his youth while his father is absent and is a fixation for David who believes him to possibly be his father through the alleged cuckolding of his mother.
- Boy Staunton — David Staunton's father. Through his immense business skills he becomes a billionaire in the sugar processing business in Canada. He has almost no insight into himself but is a charming man with an immense need for sexual gratification. David Staunton idealizes his father at the start of the novel, and his narrative can be seen as an extended effort to know who his father really was.
- Leola Staunton — David Staunton's mother and the ravishing wife of Boy Staunton and first love of Dunstan Ramsay. A sometimes weak, sometimes strong woman who cannot live up to her ambitious husband's expectations.
- Lieselotte Naegeli — Daughter of a millionaire Swiss watchmaker who assists Magnus EisengrimMagnus EisengrimMagnus Eisengrim is one of the major characters in The Deptford Trilogy, written by Robertson Davies.Magnus is one of the names taken on by Paul Dempster. Like several of the main characters in Davies' novel Paul undergoes a symbolic rebirth which is accompanied by a name change...
in his travelling magic show. She is bisexual, and the victim of an early adolescent affliction (never specified but possibly acromegalyAcromegalyAcromegaly is a syndrome that results when the anterior pituitary gland produces excess growth hormone after epiphyseal plate closure at puberty...
) which leaves her unusually tall and with large features. After David's analysis she tries to shock him into understanding the nature of the collective unconsciousCollective unconsciousCollective unconscious is a term of analytical psychology, coined by Carl Jung. It is proposed to be a part of the unconscious mind, expressed in humanity and all life forms with nervous systems, and describes how the structure of the psyche autonomously organizes experience...
.
- Magnus EisengrimMagnus EisengrimMagnus Eisengrim is one of the major characters in The Deptford Trilogy, written by Robertson Davies.Magnus is one of the names taken on by Paul Dempster. Like several of the main characters in Davies' novel Paul undergoes a symbolic rebirth which is accompanied by a name change...
— Master magician and illusionist, he is a permanent guest at the Swiss mountain retreat of Lieselotte Naegeli and much despised initially by David Staunton for his presumed role in his father's death. During an extended Christmas holiday at the Naegeli mansion, Staunton comes to a grudging acceptance and perhaps even admiration of Eisengrim. His ability to accept Eisengrim symbolizes the last step in Staunton's evolution towards a "whole" human who can take or leave others without upset.