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<title> The fifth child, a reflection of inner transformation </title>
In today's society, people have to struggle in order not to succumb to other people's demands and opinions on how we should live. Other people influence our view of the world and even of ourselves in such a gradual way that, sometimes, we are not even aware of the fact that we have changed, which creates a feeling of alienation towards ourselves. Doris Lessing's novel The Fifth Child (1988) deals with this feeling of not recognizing oneself in a very tangible way, which is reflected not only in the protagonist's thoughts and actions, but also in the setting of the novel. In this paper, I would like to discuss how this main theme of internal metamorphosis is conveyed to the readers in terms of setting, by dealing with the atmosphere of the house prior to the birth of the fifth child, after its arrival, and lastly by focusing on Harriet's feelings of alienation towards herself. The edition I have chosen to use is the first edition, published in 1988 by Jonathan Cape Ltd. All quotations and references will be indicated by page number only, referring to this edition.

David and Harriet Lovatt, the happy couple, move into a grand Victorian house a bit outside London in the early sixties, which reflects their new-found happiness and their wish to expand this bliss by having lots of children, quite contrarily to the general opinions of the decade. It is a three-storeyed house with lots of rooms, a large attic and a big garden, which seems perfect for raising children, as it has "all the perspectives of pleasant suburbia" (9). In fact, the first four children are all born in the house, which is filled with the tripping of tiny feet, and their home is also ideal for family reunions. This makes the house absolutely full at Christmas and Easter from the year that their first baby is born until their fourth child comes along (18-23). Everyone has a wonderful time in the Lovatts' cosy place, and their motto seems to be "the more, the merrier". However, when Harriet suddenly is irritable and constantly tired, after having had her fourth child, David and her resolve to wait a couple of years before having another child. Their home is now "their fortress, their kingdom, [...] where so many people came to immerse themselves in safety, comfort, kindness" (22).

The big change comes when Harriet, unexpectedly, is pregnant again. It is a difficult pregnancy, and she therefore decides to have it in the hospital, which is the first sign of this child being different from the rest. This fifth child, Ben, affects the atmosphere of the house in a strange way, as he seems to dominate the family completely. Just by looking at someone, he can make them stop talking, and there is always a painful awareness of his presence, which contributes to the change of the house (60-61). Therefore, there are gradually fewer guests during the holidays, because people start avoiding this environment, that has gone from hospitable to hostile (62). The fact that everything slowly goes back to normal when the family goes to France, leaving Ben at home with his grandmother (64), and when Ben is put into an institution (76-77) indicates that Ben's arrival has created this awkward environment.

This change of the atmosphere, as remarked earlier on, has already been signaled during the pregnancy, but it is when Ben has just been born that we get the actual evidence that things are different: when Harriet offers the new-born child her breast, there is "none of the atmosphere of festival, of achievement, no champagne; on the contrary, there was a strain in everyone, apprehension" (49). Then, when Ben starts walking, he has to be constantly watched, because otherwise he runs right into the street. One time when he does so, Harriet, the usually totally devoted mother, actually thinks: "Oh, do run him over, do, yes, please" (63). She has eventually succumb to the evil tongues of the sixties condemning her and David's choice to have a big family, but without noticing it. The remarks of her mother and her parents-in-law on happy families have finally sunk in, but she has not realized it. This change of mind takes place after the birth of her fourth child, which explains Ben's malice, as he is not a wanted child. In the same way that Sarah and William's unhappiness has made their child Down's syndrome (22), Harriet's change has attracted Ben's cold-heartedness. As she desperately clings to her old role as the heart of the house, despite the fact that she no longer desires to expand that role, this feeling of no longer recognizing herself occurs, slowly dragging her down.

To sum up, the theme of having lost one's own identity in Doris Lessing's The Fifth Child is very much reflected in the change of the setting. The cosy, hospitable Victorian house is transformed into a cold and hostile place at the arrival of the fifth child, which is the result of the influence of the prevailing opinions on how they should live. Ben is the living proof of the harm that the expectations of other people can do if we do not stand up for what we believe.
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