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<title> The Fifth Child - The End of Happiness </title>
The Fifth Child has many layers, and the interpretation of it surely varies a great deal from person to person, as subjective matters such as literature often tend to do. There are certainly quite a few possible themes intertwined throughout this book; but the overall impression I got from the novel made me come to the conclusion that the main theme, in my opinion, concerns the conflict between the pursuit of happiness and the consideration of others. I will expand on this as I discuss the setting.

What is the importance of the setting for this theme? The people that surround the Lovatts during the course of the book definitely have their place, and so does the ever-present house. These are the things I will look at in the remaining paragraphs.

There are some persons that greatly stand out in the novel, when one regards the theme I have chosen. Harriet's sister Sarah and her husband William, and their Down's Syndrome child Amy that has to be "covered up as not to upset everyone" (33), are in this category. This last quote is a good example of the sometimes ruthless aspect of the Lovatts' happy family life; everyone has to conform to the image of their vision, anything uncomfortable is not welcome. The stormy marriage of Sarah and William is put in stark contrast to the idyllic relationship between Harriet and David, and the latter pair looks down on the former for them not matching their own performance. They form the anti-thesis to the life the Lovatts intend to have. There is a tendency of an almost elitist mindset. They have achieved their position of joy because they are of the right material, have the right views. This is made clear by Harriet's fatalistic opinions on Amy, for example: "...she did not believe it was bad luck. Sarah's and William's unhappiness, their quarrelling, has probably attracted the mongol child - yes, yes, of course she knew one shouldn't call them mongol" (29). Theirs is a world of happiness. "Happiness. A happy family. The Lovatts were a happy family. It was what they had chosen and what they deserved" (28).

Dorothy, Harriet's mentally strong mother, also stands out. She is critical of the way her daughter rushes into the heavy responsibility and workload of having children, but stays to help them since she knows they would not manage without her. She puts the happiness of her daughter in the first place, even when it is obvious that they will not heed her advice. She does let her feelings be known at a few occasions: "And I can tell you that I didn't expect to end my days as your and Sarah's skivvy" (44). James, the rich father of David, is of equal importance to the building of their family; he provides the financial backing they need. His only sacrifice is monetary, but his motivation is, just like Dorothy's, the happiness of his child. These two characters are repeatedly required to give more and more to the Lovatts, who, even though they are aware of this, keep their eyes firmly set on their own goals. They find the subject of discussing their dependence on others uncomfortable, embarrassing, and therefore avoid it. It fits poorly with their image of themselves, and they know it. "Harriet moved distressfully in her chair, took Paul of her breast with a skill at concealing herself they all admired, and said, 'I don't want to have this conversation. It's a lovely morning...'" (39).

And then there is Ben. The unwanted. The destroyer of hope. Up till his arrival the Lovatts have been able to keep the changing world outside their house at bay, but now they have this monster child in their midst. His pure focus on his own well-being, happiness on his terms, and the cruelty he displays, is completely bereft of compassion. "'She is crying', he remarked, of his mother. He took a piece of bread off the table and went out" (89). The price others may pay is of no importance to him. He becomes a catalyst of conflict throughout the rest of the story. Harriet is finally forced to abandon her pursuit of her own happiness, to ease the life of the rest of the family, and to try to accept this stranger that is her fifth child. This choice drives her away from the rest of the family, and her decision to not let Ben die in the institution finally shatters the dream she has nurtured all her life. "David went up to the other room away from her. How she felt at this time was that she was shielding them from Ben while she re-educated him for family life. But how they felt it, she knew, was that she had turned her back on them all and chosen to go off into alien country, with Ben" (108).

The house has an important symbolic value in the novel. It symbolises the dream that David and Harriet share, and acts as their sanctuary from the world around them. It is the consistent node around which the story takes place. Its considerable size and warm atmosphere acts as a hopeful reminder to the Lovatts of the future joys of a great family with many children. Later in the book it turns into the last bitter symbol of what could have been, as the children have scattered and it stands almost empty: "They were alone in the big room where all the children but Ben had been born. Above them the emptiness of the upper floors, and the attic. Downstairs, the empty living-room and kitchen" (151).

The unnerving story, every parent's nightmare, and the strong focus on the character Ben, makes it easy to forget the underlying motivation of the story. The driving force is fear, no doubt; but also, as I have claimed, the conflict that exists in every human being; that between the desire to fulfil one's wishes, and the cost it may incur on the people around us.
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