THE FIFTH CHILD

INTRODUCTION “I hated writing it”, that’s what Doris Lessing said after writing The Fifth Child. Doris Lessing is a British author from the 20th century. She won the Nobel Prize in literature in 2007. She wrote many bestsellers such as The Golden Notebook, or The fifth Child, published in 1988. The fifth child is a minor classic. There is also a follow up of this book called Ben in the world. The first scene of this book introduces the characters, the setting and gives us some indications about what will happen in the future.
Here, the main characters are presented Harriet and David, a conventional couple in 1960’s England who already seem to go against the conventions of the times. In this extract they meet, are excluded but also alike. Wondering if those two misfits will find their place in this world, would be a relevant analysis of this first extract. We’ll first describe the love at first sight between those two. Then we’ll show in which ways David and Harriet’s values are reversal. And to conclude with, we’ll describe the kind of place that this couple wish to find.

Love at first sight: an introduction of the two main characters

a) Apartness: being out of the ordinary Loners: everyone dances except them; here they are eccentrics 9, 21, 34. Within the circle are dancers, it is a mating dance. Everyone at this party is astentatious 19, 20 “Look at me”. On the other hand, Harriet and David are observers 23. In fact, Harriet is trying to do her best not to be noticed “a pastel blur”. The author realizes a strange description “mundane”, “boring”. Yet, this particularity doesn’t mind to David, because they both seem to be attracted by each other.* b) The attraction between opposites: a joke 58. David is “reluctantly in love” with a girl from his office (here it is a oxymoron). She was his exact opposite “She was what he did not want”. In fact, both are relieved to see that hey have the same