The Fifth Child Essay -- literary Analysis, Doris Lessing

The intricate complexity and astonishingly realistic descriptions of space in Doris Lessings The Fifth Child masterfully illuminates callers dire inability to cope with its imperfection. Society demands immaculate perfection, a world free of defect, and the lust to live in a unflawed utopia drives the identification and elimination of crude invalids. These desolate individuals be feared and deemed to be barbarous degenerates who must be placed beyond the boarders of functioning ships company to assure an undefiled world. Less desirable beings are cast into heterotopias or counter-sites while society denies their existence and feigns perfection. Lessings novel tears this enter down and hastily exposes societys despicable attempts to marginalize, blame, and exile those regarded as abnormal and dysfunctional in the supposedly immaculate world. In The Fifth Child the precisely executed heterotopia of the sanctuary draws on this theory of a parallel space as a capsule for undesired bodies and Harriet, the mother of a repugnant beast, is victim to societys brutality. Harriet is an outcast and her remarkably horrific interaction with the cruel knowledgeableness further alienates her from her family and miserably casts her into her own tumultuous heterotopia.Throughout the novel Harriets striking differences are juxtaposed against the societal trends of the time and she is commonly viewed as a misplaced oddity. Early descriptions in The Fifth Child define Harriet as abnormal and her image places her outside of the robust and transitional society in which she lives. Harriet is a curious misfit and she sometimes felt herself unfortunate and deficient in some way (10). This science of inexplicable peculiarities soon establishe... ...ly illuminates and exploits the despicable views and problems in society. The novel exemplifies societys elitist attitude and unjust marginalization of individuals who are regarded as degenerate, invalid and grotesque by Harriet. He r harrowing interactions with the magnificently developed and horrific institution highlights the pathetic attempts of society to displace individuals and dispose of them beyond their functioning boarders. In addition, Harriets parallels with the institution bear to her alienation from the world. She is regarded as grossly unnatural, criminalized, and left alone to raise her difficult son Ben. It is clear that Harriets unfortunate interaction and connection to the ghastly institution uncovers societys unforgiving demeanor and demonstrates the terrible and irreparable rift between misunderstood, peculiar individuals and the world.