The Fifth Child: analyse af familie og afvigelse

The story takes place in the sixties. ‘It’s about a couple, David and Harriet. Harriet and David live in a big house near London. They chose to buy a big house, because they want to have a lot of children. They get five children; Luke (1966), Helen (1968), Jane (1970), Paul (1973) and Ben (1974).

Both Harriet and David seek happiness in the “old” style; they believe in the family values. They can’t afford the big house so they need help from David’s father and practical help from Dorothy, Harriet’s mother. They are independent in their ideas, not always realistic. For example they want a lot of children and a huge house, but they can’t afford it.

The rest of the family, William and Sarah, Harriet’s sister, gets a child but they are not so happy about it, because the child, Amy, is handicapped.

Before Bens birth the rest of the family is skeptical about Harriet’s and David’s ‘dream’. They often criticize them and call them irresponsible, because they have so many children and they can’t afford it. But in reality everyone in the family has a problem with the other members of the family. They are jealous about the money (Sarah and William are poor), the relationship with Dorothy – they’re jealous of their happiness.