Summary Of The Fifth Child By Doris Lessing. - "The Fifth Child" By Doris May Lessing

ASM - Literature and Poetry

11 Jun 202310:56

Summary

TLDRIn 'The Fifth Child' by Doris Lessing, Harriet and David, a young couple, decide to have a large family and move to a large house outside London. Their fifth child, Ben, is born with a mysterious and violent nature, causing distress and forcing them to consider institutionalizing him. As Ben grows, the family struggles with his behavior, seeking help from experts and trying to integrate him into society.

Takeaways

💑 David and Harriet fall in love and decide to marry, with a surprising goal of having a large family.
🏠 They find a large house outside London, but it requires financial support from family and a delay in starting their family.
👶 Harriet becomes pregnant with their first child, Luke, and they rely on family for financial and childcare support.
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The family grows with the births of Helen, Jane, Paul, and Amy, each event marked by family gatherings and tensions.
🤰 Harriet's fifth pregnancy is unusually difficult, leading to the birth of Ben, a child unlike any other in the family.
👶 Ben's behavior is cruel and violent from an early age, causing distress and fear within the family.
🏥 Harriet seeks medical help for Ben, but the doctors are unable to provide a clear diagnosis or solution.
👪 The family dynamics change as Harriet and David struggle with Ben's presence, affecting their relationships with other family members.
🏡 Ben's presence leads to a decrease in family visits and a sense of isolation for Harriet and David.
🚑 After a difficult decision, Ben is placed in an institution, but Harriet's guilt leads her to bring him back home.
👦 As Ben grows older, he forms a group of friends, but his behavior continues to be a concern for the family.
🏆 Author Doris Lessing's life was marked by activism and a prolific writing career, including winning the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Q & A

How did David and Harriet meet and what was their initial plan after marriage?
-David and Harriet met at their office Christmas party and fell in love. After deciding to get married, they planned to look for a house outside of London to settle down and start a family, with a surprising goal of having up to 10 children.
What financial challenges did David and Harriet face when purchasing their house?
-The house they found was huge and exactly what they wanted, but it was also expensive. They faced the challenge of needing to wait a few years before they could afford to start a family, which would allow them to have a double income until David's income increased at his design firm.
How did the family dynamics change with the arrival of Harriet and David's children?
-The family dynamics changed significantly with the arrival of their children. Family visits became more frequent, and there were various tensions and support systems in place, such as asking for financial help from David's father and Harriet's mother for childcare.
What was the significance of Amy's birth and how did it impact the family's perspective on Harriet and David's decision to have more children?
-Amy's birth was significant because she was born with Down Syndrome. This led the family, including Williams, to suggest that Harriet and David should stop having children, but Harriet insisted on waiting three more years before having more.
How did Harriet's pregnancy with the fifth child differ from her previous pregnancies?
-Harriet's fifth pregnancy was notably different as it was especially hard for her. The child was unusually active in the womb, moving around a lot and seemingly trying to tear its way out of her stomach.
What was unique about Ben, the fifth child, and how did his behavior affect the family?
-Ben was unique in that he was born with extraordinary strength, looked like a caveman, and was cruel in his actions. His behavior was a source of concern and fear for the family, leading to a decrease in family visits and causing Harriet and David to consider institutionalizing him.
Why did Harriet and David consider institutionalizing Ben and what was Harriet's reaction to the idea?
-They considered institutionalizing Ben due to his violent and unpredictable behavior, which was a danger to others and a source of distress for the family. Harriet was initially against the idea, fearing that Ben wouldn't survive long in such a place.
What was the turning point for Harriet regarding her feelings towards Ben and how did she change her approach?
-The turning point for Harriet was when she saw Ben in a hospital, restrained and neglected, which made her realize she had to bring him home. She changed her approach by threatening to send him back to the hospital, which helped curb his behavior.
How did the family's attitude towards Ben evolve over time and what were some of the consequences?
-The family's attitude towards Ben evolved from initial concern and fear to a desire to distance themselves from him. The consequences included the other children wanting to go to boarding school, and family members like Molly and Frederick not forgiving Harriet for bringing Ben back from the hospital.
What was the impact of Ben's presence on Harriet and David's relationship and family life?
-Ben's presence had a significant impact on Harriet and David's relationship and family life. It led to increased stress, disagreements about how to handle Ben, and a decrease in the quality of family interactions, with other children locking themselves in their room to avoid Ben.
What was the outcome of seeking professional help for Ben and how did it affect Harriet?
-The outcome of seeking professional help was not as expected. Dr. Gilly, an expert, suggested that the problem was that Harriet didn't like Ben very much, which was a distressing revelation for Harriet and did not provide a clear solution to Ben's issues.

Outlines

00:00

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The Unusual Family Dynamics of 'The Fifth Child'

Doris Lessing's 'The Fifth Child' tells the story of David and Harriet, who fall in love and marry with the dream of a large family. They find a perfect house outside London but face financial challenges, delaying their family plans. Harriet's unexpected pregnancy brings Luke into the world, and despite seeking help from family, the couple struggles with the subsequent births of Helen, Jane, Paul, and Amy, who is diagnosed with Down Syndrome. The narrative takes a dark turn with the birth of their fifth child, Ben, who exhibits violent and unnatural behavior, causing distress within the family and leading to discussions about his nature. Harriet's addiction to sedatives and the family's inability to connect with Ben create a tense atmosphere, culminating in Ben being institutionalized and later returned home, where his presence continues to disrupt family life.

05:01

🏥 The Struggle with Ben's Unruly Behavior and Institutionalization

This section delves into the family's ongoing battle with Ben's uncontrollable and often violent behavior. Harriet's visit to see Ben in a hospital reveals the harsh reality of his treatment, prompting her to bring him home. The family dynamics are further strained as Harriet and David grapple with how to handle Ben. John, a young man helping with yard work, becomes a positive influence on Ben, and Harriet suggests John take care of him. As the family deals with the repercussions of Ben's actions, they also face the challenges of their other children's needs, including Jane and Helen's desire for boarding school and Paul's mental health issues. Ben's eventual schooling and interactions with a group of friends raise concerns about his influence and the family's future.

10:02

📚 Doris Lessing's Life and Literary Legacy

The final paragraph provides a brief overview of Doris Lessing's life and her significant contributions to literature. Born in Iran to British parents, Lessing moved to Southern Rhodesia and later to London, where she became involved in various social and political movements. Her most famous work, 'The Golden Notebook,' is a feminist classic that explores themes of mental and social breakdown. Lessing wrote over 50 books and received numerous literary awards, including the Nobel Prize in Literature. However, she declined the title of 'Dame' due to her complex relationship with the British Empire. Her life and work were marked by her commitment to social justice and her exploration of human nature.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Fifth Child

The term 'Fifth Child' refers to the central character of the novel, Ben, who is the fifth child of Harriet and David. He is depicted as a mysterious and violent child, unlike his siblings, and his presence significantly impacts the family dynamics. The concept is central to the video's theme, exploring the idea of an atypical child and the challenges he brings to the family.

💡Family Dynamics

Family Dynamics refers to the interactions and relationships within a family unit. In the video, the Lessings' family dynamics are significantly altered by the birth of Ben, the fifth child, whose unusual behavior creates tension and fear among family members, leading to changes in their interactions and the way they perceive each other.

💡Down Syndrome

Down Syndrome is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of an extra copy of chromosome 21. In the script, Amy, the fourth child, is born with Down Syndrome. This concept is important as it introduces a theme of genetic differences and the family's response to it, contrasting with the reactions to Ben's more enigmatic and troubling behavior.

💡Institutionalization

Institutionalization refers to the practice of placing individuals who have certain conditions or behaviors in an institution for long-term care or treatment. The script mentions the idea of sending Ben to an institution due to his violent tendencies and the strain he puts on the family, highlighting the difficult decisions parents may face when dealing with a child who is a danger to others.

💡Mental Health

Mental Health is the state of an individual's psychological and emotional well-being. Harriet's struggle with her feelings towards Ben and her subsequent actions to manage her stress and anxiety are indicative of the mental health challenges faced by the characters in the video, particularly in relation to their ability to cope with the unusual circumstances surrounding Ben.

💡Addiction

Addiction is a compulsive, often uncontrollable dependence on a substance or behavior. Harriet's reliance on sedatives to cope with her fears and anxieties about her pregnancy and Ben's behavior is an example of addiction within the script, illustrating the lengths to which a character might go to escape their reality.

💡Violence

Violence in the script is depicted through Ben's actions, who from a young age exhibits aggressive and harmful behavior towards others, including family pets and eventually other children. This keyword is crucial to understanding the threat Ben poses to his family and the community, and the moral dilemmas it creates.

💡Goblin, Dwarf, Troll, Changeling, Gnome

These terms are used by the family to describe Ben's unusual nature, as they struggle to understand his behavior and origins. They represent mythical creatures often associated with strange or supernatural phenomena. In the script, these terms reflect the family's desperate attempt to make sense of Ben's abnormality and their inability to categorize him within a conventional framework.

💡Boarding School

A boarding school is an institution where students live on the premises, usually away from their families. In the script, the idea of sending Luke and Helen to boarding school is presented as a potential solution to the family's struggles with Ben, indicating the extent to which the family's life is disrupted and the measures they consider to regain normalcy.

💡Mental Problems

Mental Problems refer to a range of psychological issues or disorders. The script suggests that Paul, one of Harriet and David's children, develops mental problems due to the lack of care and attention resulting from the focus on Ben. This keyword highlights the broader impact of Ben's presence on the family's well-being.

💡Social Isolation

Social Isolation refers to the state of being separated from social interactions or the broader community. The script describes how the Lessings' social life is affected by Ben's behavior, with people becoming scared to visit their house and the family eventually considering moving to escape the situation, illustrating the social consequences of having a child like Ben.

Highlights

David and Harriet fall in love at their office Christmas party and decide to get married.

They plan to settle down outside of London and aim to have a large family of up to 10 kids.

They find a huge house that meets their expectations but is expensive, requiring them to wait to start their family.

Harriet gets pregnant almost immediately after moving in, giving birth to Luke in 1966.

They ask for financial help from David's father and childcare assistance from Harriet's mother, Dorothy.

Harriet gets pregnant again the same year, with Helen being born shortly after.

The family faces tension as Sarah, Harriet's sister, fights with her husband William, who doesn't want a fourth child due to the risk of Down Syndrome.

Harriet and David's third and fourth children, Jane and Paul, are born, adding to their growing family.

Family members express concern that Harriet and David should stop having children, but Harriet wants to wait three more years.

Harriet becomes pregnant with her fifth child, experiencing a difficult pregnancy with an unusually active fetus.

Harriet seeks medical help but is told there is nothing unusual about her pregnancy.

She hides her sedative addiction from David by asking friends for more pills.

Harriet gives birth to Ben, a baby who is unusually strong, large, and exhibits violent behavior.

Ben's behavior is so concerning that family members whisper words like 'goblin' and 'troll' to describe him.

Harriet and David's relationship is strained as they fear having another child like Ben.

Ben is eventually placed in an institution, causing Harriet great distress.

Harriet insists on bringing Ben back home after seeing the poor conditions at the institution.

Ben starts to speak and mimic his peers but struggles to understand social interactions.

The family dynamics change as Harriet focuses on Ben, and the other children seek more stability elsewhere.

Harriet and David consider moving to escape the influence of Ben's violent tendencies.

Ben befriends a group of boys, leading to increased local crime and concern for the family's safety.

Harriet seeks professional help to understand Ben's behavior, but experts suggest the problem lies with her relationship with Ben.

Doris Lessing's personal life and political activism influenced her writing, including themes in 'The Fifth Child'.

Lessing won numerous literary awards, including the Nobel Prize in Literature, but declined a British honor due to her views on the empire.