The Fifth Child Essay -- literary Analysis, Doris Lessing

The intricate complexity and astonishingly living descriptions of space in Doris Lessings The twenty percent Child masterfully illuminates alliances dire inability to cope with its imperfection. Society demands innocuous perfection, a world free of defect, and the lust to live in a flawless utopia drives the identification and elimination of crude hampers. These desolate individuals are feared and deemed to be barbarous degenerates who must be placed beyond the boarders of functioning indian lodge to assure an uncorrupted world. Less desirable beings are cast into heterotopias or counter-sites while ordering denies their existence and feigns perfection. Lessings novel tears this characterization d birth and hastily exposes societys despicable attempts to marginalize, blame, and exile those regarded as abnormal and dysfunctional in the supposedly immaculate world. In The Fifth Child the precisely executed heterotopia of the knowledgeability draws on this theory of a parallel space as a capsule for undesired bodies and Harriet, the engender of a repugnant beast, is victim to societys brutality. Harriet is an outcast and her outstandingly horrific interaction with the cruel institution further alienates her from her family and miserably casts her into her own tumultuous heterotopia.Throughout the novel Harriets striking differences are juxtaposed against the societal trends of the time and she is commonly viewed as a misplaced oddity. untimely descriptions in The Fifth Child define Harriet as abnormal and her regard places her outside of the robust and transitional society in which she lives. Harriet is a suspect misfit and she sometimes felt herself ill-fated and deficient in some demeanor (10). This recognition of inexplicable peculiarities soon establishe... ...ly illuminates and exploits the despicable views and problems in society. The novel exemplifies societys elitist attitude and unjust marginalization of individuals who are regarded as d egenerate, invalid and grotesque through Harriet. Her harrowing interactions with the magnificently developed and horrific institution highlights the pathetic attempts of society to displace individuals and dispose of them beyond their functioning boarders. In addition, Harriets parallels with the institution lead to her alienation from the world. She is regarded as grossly unnatural, criminalized, and left field alone to raise her difficult son Ben. It is clear that Harriets unfortunate interaction and connection to the ghastly institution uncovers societys relentless demeanor and demonstrates the terrible and irreparable rift between misunderstood, peculiar individuals and the world.