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<title> Creating Your Own Destiny </title>
In the novel "The fifth child" by Doris Lessing, which is set up in England in the late 1960's, Harriet and David Lovatt challenge the greedy and selfish spirit of the times with their version of tradition and normalcy. They want a large family of high standards that opens its home to relatives and friends. In this novel the setting is very important. All is at first idyllic - but things radically change when Harriet becomes pregnant with their fifth child. As we see in this novel, happiness cannot be taken for granted. The main theme of the book is that you cannot fully create your own destiny and I will try to give some examples on how the setting is important for that theme.
One important aspect of the setting is the atmosphere. Harriet and David were made for each other. Despite economic problems they buy a big house, with financial help from David's father James, to raise several children in a happy environment. The first four children are born one after another and the Lovatt's are a big happy family. They invite their relatives and friends to join the festivities around Christmas and Easter. There is an atmosphere of joy surrounding the Lovatt's mansion. Although the guests may not agree with the style of which the Lovatt's choose to live their lives, they find great joy in occasionally being a part of it. This is happiness in the old style and even as violence is increasing in England they use their big house as a shield from the outside world. And although the days' events turn darker the Lovatt's stick to their belief - nothing is going to destroy their happiness. This is what they themselves have created and their irrepressible smiles seem not to be erasable.
Doris Lessing describes their life like this in her book; "Happiness. A happy family. The Lovatts were a happy family. It was what they had chosen and what they deserved." (28) But you cannot fully create your own destiny, some things you are not in control of. Everything has another side to it, a darker side more difficult to accept. This is portrayed in the novel when Ben is born and difficulties follow. The Lovatts see that you cannot lock yourself out from the outside world. The Lovatt's big residence contributes to a feeling of security but someday reality will come knocking on your door and you will have to try and cope with it.
During the sixties the world turned to the worse for everyone. The social morals changed. This is portrayed in the novel; "Brutal incidents and crimes, once shocking everyone, were now commonplace." (29) This is an important aspect, which contributes to the ideals of that time, and affects our way of looking at the novel. You experienced violence in everyday life. But the Lovatt's defied this and stayed within their fortress. They wanted what everyone wants: a happy and satisfying life. But when your fate turns out to be something different from what you expect, you try to find explanations for it. Like Harriet who comes to the conclusion that they are being punished; "For thinking we could be happy. Happy because we decided we would be." (141)
It is, as mentioned, when Ben is born that the Lovatt's idyll starts to fall apart - with his abnormality they know that he will not be accepted in their world. Although parents supposedly have unconditional love for their children, Harriet and David experience a confusion of emotions for Ben and are not able to love him. The fifth child invaded on their ordinariness and happiness. His presence wrecks their dream of a perfect family - he does not fit in. They send him away, but Harriet cannot solve the matter like that, she has to bring him back. Although Ben destroys the family idyll - he is a part of it. A part that cannot be ignored strictly because you think normality is the true happiness.
The Lovatts cannot accept Ben for what he is, and society also shows an unwillingness to confront and name its own difficult aspect. This is the social issue of the novel. Constantly doctors and teachers claim that Ben is normal for his age although we, the readers, follow Harriet's struggle to get recognition for his abnormality - she does not want the problem to be just as simple as the fact that she cannot love him. But it is like Dr Gilly says: "We can't choose what will turn up in the lottery - and that is what having a baby is." (125) 
Life does not always turn out as we expect and you should try to make the best of what you have got. Abnormality does not mean unhappiness. This novel shows the true struggle of life, to be aware of the fact that anything can happen and adapt when your own planned fate does not turn out the way you wanted it to. The setting is very important for the theme, it helps us to see it from a certain time and the ideals of that time. It is among other things telling us that you cannot plan everything in your life but you can certainly influence it. As long as one remembers never to take anything for granted.
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