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<title> Happiness - by any means necessary </title>
There are probably many people who "deserve" to be happy. Still, a lot of them will end up miserable. That's because life isn't always fair. In Doris Lessing's chilling novel "The Fifth Child" the main characters, the rather old-fashioned couple Harriet and David Lovatt, aim at traditional happiness from the very day they meet - happiness in the form of a large family and a big beautiful house. But their dream of a perfect life eventually falls apart with the birth of their fifth child Ben. Even though they add all the "right" ingredients, life denies them happiness.
	In my opinion "The Fifth Child" has one obvious main theme: There is no fool-proof plan of reaching happiness.
	The setting of the novel is essential to the theme in several ways. And the house where the main events take place is a natural place to start.
The old but expensive house into which Harriet and David move at the beginning of the story is a very concrete symbol of the kind of happiness they long for. The beautiful, large house has all the right features: One room for every child to come, one big attic where the children can - and will - play, and last but not least; the ground floor, a spacious area where the family and its many relatives can join together in joyful activities. 
	To the Lovatts - and their relatives - the house is like a shield, a womb, a protection from the perils of the outside world. No matter what happens outside, the family can always be safe on the inside. As the house is described in the book: "... their fortress, their kingdom, in which three precious children were nurtured and where so many people came to immerse themselves in safety, comfort, kindness." (30)
	But as Ben, the fifth child, is born, everything is turned upside down. Instead of a place full of warmth and kindness their home becomes a place of distrust, hatred and sorrow. Quite the opposite of what the intentions were. The symbol of happiness turns into something intimidating.
	Not as concrete as the house, but equally important when it comes to Harriet's and David's values and search for happiness, is the specific period of time in which the events take place.
The late sixties and the seventies are in the eyes of the two main characters selfish, hard and violent. Their intentions to have six, or maybe even more, children are criticised by their families from the very beginning. Aiming for such big a family, when being a middle class couple, is regarded as unnatural during this period of time, especially in the Western civilisation.
	Nevertheless, the Lovatts know what they need to be happy - so they desperately hold on to their "outdated" traditional family values and for a while they seem to succeed: "Happiness. A happy family. The Lovatts were a happy family. It was what they had chosen and what they had deserved [...] It had been hard preserving their belief in themselves when the spirit of the times, the greedy and selfish sixties, had been so ready to condemn them..." (28-9)
	Finally their obstinacy brings them Ben, who rather ironically turns out to be a blow to their happiness, instead of being a part of it. The fact that Ben is different from other children doesn't make things easier for the Lovatts, considering the sometimes intolerant attitude towards handicapped children which was not totally uncommon during the sixties and seventies, an intolerance which we also get a glimpse of in Lovatt's house.
Harriet's attitude towards handicapped children can easily be criticised. Her negative attitude is revealed in her thoughts of Amy, her sister Sarah's baby, who was born with Down's syndrome: "... she did not believe it was bad luck: Sarah's and William's unhappiness, their quarelling, had probably attracted the mongol child - yes, yes, of course she knew one shouldn't call them mongol. But the little girl did look a bit like Gengis Khan, didn't she? [...] with her squashed little face and her slitty eyes?" (29)
	Harriet also seems to believe that parents of a handicapped child have themselves to blame - in this case Harriet is convinced that the lack of happiness and love in Sarah's marriage has affected Amy and attracted Down's syndrome. Even though her opinions aren't shared by David, if you read between the lines you understand that the picture of happiness according to the Lovatts doesn't include a handicapped child.
	As it turns out, Ben is more than "just handicapped". His mother sometimes thinks of him as an alien being. However, the mere fact that Ben was born "not normal" is in my opinion enough to destroy the plan David and Harriet have had since they bought their house.
Together, these aspects make "The Fifth Child" the thrilling novel it is. But if the story of the Lovatts was to be put in some other context, for instance in Africa in the nineties, the outcome and naturally the theme could be totally different. Although, since the story is indeed very scary you can understand that Lessing's choice of setting wasn't just a random choice.
	And even if you should choose to read "The Fifth Child" as "just" a horror story, I still think Lessing makes a clear statement: If you've reached happiness - fine. Enjoy yourself. But dedicate your life to chasing happiness and you probably will be miserable.
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