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<title> IN SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS-An analysis of the main theme and setting of The Fifth Child </title>
"But another layer of thoughts, or feelings, ran deeper. She said to David, 'We are being punished, that's all.' 'What for?' he demanded, already on guard because there was a tone in her voice that he hated. 'For presuming. For thinking we could be happy. Happy because we decided we would be' (141).
In the novel The Fifth Child, written by Doris Lessing, we follow David and Harriets persistent strive to become happy. They look upon happiness as something almost tangible and decide to become happy, as if happiness is something that can be fixed as long as you make sure to have the right ingredients.
Although so eager to reach this happiness, they fail. This is, in my opinion the main theme of the novel: "You can't decide to become happy ". With this essay I will point to the main theme and discuss the importance that the setting has considering this theme.
One ingredient Harriet and David consider as necessary for their happiness, is the house that they buy and move in to. This is not the ideal house for them, it's too big, it's too expensive and it's far away from David's job. Still, they decide to buy it because it fits in with their picture of perfectness. The house is the centre of the story and where almost everything is taking place. It becomes their fortress and a place where they can nurture their happiness; where they can shut out the rest of the world; where they exclude unhappiness: 
The young Lovatts made themselves read the papers, and watch the News on television, though their instinct was to do neither. At least they ought to know what went on outside 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).
Here we can really sense the emphasis they put into guarding their happiness. This is perhaps working in the beginning, but you can not escape reality forever. The house, which in the beginning is their haven, later becomes their prison. They keep their shame of Ben and their unhappiness over this fifth child inside their house. The guests no longer want to come and visit them and the children lock them selves in their rooms at night; excluding love, shutting out happiness.
Not only is the house where most of the story takes place important but also the fact that this is taking place during the 60s and 70s. This was a time when you weren't supposed to marry and live the conventional family life. Instead people were expected to explore their sexuality and try new lifestyles. Both David and Harriet resents this, it is not their picture of how happiness is created. Perhaps this is something that unites them, but it is also something that isolates them from the rest of the world. "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, to isolate, to diminish their best selves" (29). David and Harriet become the outsiders and this make them struggle even harder for their family idyll. It's them against the others, the only focus is to achieve their aim. They believe that as long as they continue living their life, according to their rules no bad can happen. This makes them unprepared for the fact that bad things also can happen to them. The time period is essential, but the social environment that is existing is also of much importance.
One part of the social environment is the fact that the story is taking place in a western society. Although it is during the sixties, Harriet and David are clearly influenced by Western materialistic ideals and values. But having as many children as they are having is not anything usual. Therefore Harriet and David are considered as oddballs. This would have been completely different in some African country for example. Another important aspect of the social environment is the values and moral that our society in general inhibits. Retarded and different children are (although even more during the sixties) seen as something shameful and something that should be hidden away. Of particular importance is Harriet's opinion of these children. Her view of them is that they are something almost disgusting. This is reflected by the way she regards Sarah and William's baby: "Sarah 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" (29)? Having this way on looking upon these children, it is perhaps not so strange that Harriet's and also David's world is shattered when Ben arrives. This wasn't part of their plan and they more and more start to realise that happiness in fact cannot be planned.
 	To sum up, the main theme "you can't decide to become happy", is throughout the novel integrating with the setting. The house where the story takes place is a symbol for David and Harriet's strive for happiness. This house that in the beginning is the centre of happiness, later becomes a place where unhappiness is hidden. The time is also of importance; David and Harriet are seen as strange wanting this family life during the sixties. Another fact is that this story is taking place in a Western country where it is seen as odd having many children. The values of our society and the way we look upon "different" children as something shameful is also part of the social environment. Harriet regards these children as something ugly, therefore, the chock when Ben is born is obvious. Would it not have been for the House, the time period and the social environment, we would have had a very different story.
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