Quotes

• "You two go on as if you believe if you don't grab everything, then you'll lose it...You'll regret it. in my view" (pg. 15) - This quote is like a foreshadow.Dorothy says since they're rushing into getting everything they want, they'll eventually lose it. It comes true because after Ben is born the family loses their happiness.
  
• "He knew what he wanted, and the kind of woman he needed. If Harriet had seen her future in the old way, the man would hand her the keys to his kingdom." (pg. 8) - This quote informs us about how Harriet and David wanted and old style life. They would not except anything different than that, like Ben.
• " Sarah and Williams unhappiness, their quarreling, had probably attracted that mongol child." (pg. 22) - Harriet said that Amy is a mongol and Sarah is unlucky to have a child like her. This foreshadows how Harriet will have a child worse then Amy, Ben.
• "This afflicted Harriet with remorse: poor Ben, whom no one could love. She certainly could not! And David, the good father, hardly touched him." (pg. 22) - Harriet and David did not love Ben showing they were bad parents. Although Harriet claimed she did not love Ben she did try to connect with him and teach him things. Whereas on the other hand David made no effort at all, failing as a father.
• "No he's not," David said finally."Well, he certainly is not mine." (pg.74) - In the beginning of the novel David is portrayed as a good, loving father. This quote shows us how David was not what they showed him as in the beginning. If he did not get something his way he would not accept it. David was stubborn.
• "Her heart was hurting as it would for one of her own." (pg. 83)- This quote proves that although Harriet claimed she did not love Ben she truly did. She could not stop herself from going back to the institution to save Ben.
• " In that case I shall assume the responsibility for the mortgage." (pg. 14)- David's father, James, financially supported Harriet and David. Without him they would not have been able to afford anything. It also shows us that even if they could not afford having kids they still would have had them because they were both stubborn and urging for an old style life.
• "It's because you don't want to. It's not you who is carrying this----" She cut off monster." (pg. 47)- Harriet did not love Ben from the start because he acted different in her womb then her previous kids. She refuses to believe he is normal just because it's not the way she expected her pregnancies to turn out. This quote shows us how Harriet was not willing to accept that Ben might be normal because of the movements he made inside her stomach.
• " He sat shivering, like a wet, cold dog, in spasms, and he went through a series of movements, unconsciously, the vestiges of reactions from that time. A hand went up to shield his face, and he looked through the spread fingers as if this hand could protect him." (pg. 102)- The author describes Ben like this after Harriet threatens to take him back to the institution. Although Ben was a strong person he was scared of that place, being away from his home, his family. I believe Ben does love his family even though they mistreat him.
• "Now, whenever she heard of a break-in, or a mugging, or a rape anywhere, she blamed them." (pg. 128)- This quote tells us that Harriet always wants to see the bad side in Ben. She's always watching television or reading the paper to see if Ben had done something wrong. It shows us that she has no faith that Ben can do something good.
  

Symbols

Symbols

The Victorian House
Family Gatherings
Amy and Ben
Institution
Money

Characters

David- Harriet's husband; was old fashioned and wanted many kids; an architect
Harriet- Ben's wife; wanted the same thing Ben wanted; worked in sales department
Luke- 1st child
Helen- 2nd child
Jane- 3rd child
Paul- 4th child
Ben- 5th child
Molly- David's mother
Fredrick- David's step father; an academic/historian; married to Molly
James- David's father; boat builder; rich man
Jessica- David's step mother; married to James
Deborah- David's sister
Dorothy- Harriet's mother
Angela- Harriet's sister
Sarah- Harriet's sister
William- Sarah's husband
Amy- William and Sarah's daughter; she has down syndrome
Alice- Fredrick's cousin; she helped Harriet with her children and house
Bridget- David's cousin; school girl
John- Hired to take care of Ben; was very close to Ben but leaves
Derek- Ben's gang mate; always with Ben after they met
Dr. Brett- Harriet's doctor

Themes and Motifs

Themes

• Gothic Novel - The Fifth Child would be considered a Gothic novel because of its suspense, mysterious, and supernatural doings. For instance, Ben would be considered supernatural because he is so strong at such a young age.
• Childhood Development- This novel would have a theme of childhood development because it shows us the growth of David's and Harriet's children. Particularly it focuses on Ben but it also shows us how the other kids were raised.
• Nuclear Family- This would be an important theme because Harriet and David wanted a nuclear family - them two with a lot of kids-. If kept focusing on how their strive to be a nuclear family ultimately leads to the break down in their family relationships due to Ben.
• Difficulties of Pregnancy- Throughout the novel they always mentioned something about Harriet's pregnancies. She faced the most difficulties when she was pregnant with Ben.
• Treatment of Disabled Children- In the novel both Amy and Ben are treated as if they are monsters just because they weren't normal teenagers. They show us how Amy and Ben are mistreated by their relatives because of their genetic disorders or problems.

Motifs

• Paranoia - Throughout the novel Harriet seems to be paranoid because of Ben. She doesn't want to accept the fact that he is normal in a different society other then theirs.
• Perfection- David and Harriet ultimately always strive for a perfect family. No matter how much they tried they were always drifted away by Ben because David would not accept the fact that he is his son.

Summary: page 116-end

Harriet told David maybe it was just their longing for pursuit of happiness that seemed to ruin their family. David got frustrated and refused to believe it. Paul wanted to go to boarding school, away from Ben just like his brothers and sisters. David felt proud to say he would pay for Paul's school fees.
During the holidays the whole family got together . Helen seemed to hate her mom for how she raised them because of Ben. Molly suggested that Harriet and David sell the house. Although David agreed, Harriet was not ready to let it go. She was afraid of being in a smaller house with Ben. At his new school Ben made another gang with Derek, Billy, Elvis, and Vic. He seemed attached to them like he was with John. Ben was the leader of this group, whether they knew it or not.
Harriet read the new and tried to compare the descriptions of the robbers and rapists to anyone in Ben's group but failed. The gang was at the house almost everyday. David told them they should sell the house so the group doesn't come over any more, but they didn't. Ben barely came home, he was always with his gang. Harriet would always watch the news to see if Ben was in any trouble but he wasn't. She still believed he was a different creature from the rest. Also, she believed she was left alone by her family because she rescued him. Harriet believes when the day will come when Ben and his gang get caught for stealing or any other bad things.

Summary: page 98-115

Ben is five and is being sent to school by Harriet. He refuses to go so Harriet calls John and makes him persuade Ben into going to school. Ben seems to be coming home later and later, going to school then hanging out with John and his friends. Harriet feels as if the family has fallen apart, with Luke and Helen at boarding school and Jane and Paul in higher classed excluding them from seeing Ben at all during school. The teacher said Ben was trying hard but was still an odd ball. It took more effort to teach Ben then the whole class combined. During his first quarter in school he did fine.
It was the second quarter that was the problem. Bed had hurt a girl on the playground and then bite her. Harriet told him if he ever hurt anyone again he would be sent back to the institution. He was taken to a doctor to be examined again. When the doctor said Ben was completely normal Harriet started to freak out. She kept telling the doctor that there is something wrong with him and everyone blames her for it. She suggests that Ben might be a creature different from everyone else but the doctor just laughs about it.
Although Ben was difficult to handle Paul was worse. He seemed to be a disturbed child. Luke and Helen rarely came home, they usually went to their grandparents for holidays. Jane started living with Dorothy and Aunt Sarah, coming home only on special occasions. John decided it was time for him and his gang to move so they did. This left Ben feeling lonely. Harriet discovered that she could teach Ben thing through Paul. Ben often repeated what he would say bout would forget within minutes. He was not capable of memorizing a full story but just parts.

Summary: page 86-97

When Harriet arrived at home with Ben all the children were scared. David seemed to be furious but Harriet kept telling him if she did not bring him home they would have killed Ben. Ben seemed to have pure hate in his eyes when Harriet would look at him. Whenever she would try to talk or wash him she noticed the terror in his eyes and body. He had unlearned all the basic social skills that it had been so hard to teach him. Harriet had to re-teach him everything but he got the hang of it after a while.
Ben did not trust his father, he never trusted him again. Harriet had hired a guy name John to help her with gardening. Ben could not be parted from John and would follow him everywhere. She hired John to watch Ben since he trusted him. Ben had become part of the group of young employed with John. Harriet and David went on vacation after a long time. She mentioned having more kids but David got very angry at the thought. Ben was barely home now, he would come home at bedtime. Harriet stopped closing Ben's room. In a result of that the other children started locking their doors causing Harriet to feel excluded.
Luke and Helen decided they wanted to go to boarding school, where they would be away from Ben. Harriet gave up on teaching Ben because he simply did not know how to learn.

Summary: page 66-85

Dorothy tells Harriet that Ben should go into an institution but Harriet believes Ben is normal. Harriet was determined not to let him go. She believed if he left it would destroy her and her family even more. Eager to celebrate another real Christmas Harriet told everyone Ben was much better. Sarah was going to bring Amy since Ben was sort of like er. Harriet just wanted to get this Christmas over with because it was a strain on her watching both Amy and Ben. Although they were not able to prove that Ben had killed the dog and cat the whole family was afraid of Ben.
Paul was sent to a little nursery to get him away from Ben. He wanted Harriet's attention so much that he started having fits of tears or of rage, or battering Harriet's knee's. Harriet always wanted to teach Ben many things but he never seemed to be paying attention. Ben started talking in a very heavy and uncertain way for the first time. He would watch the other children, but ignored Paul altogether. Harriet seemed to think life became easier , along with Ben. David and his family did not agree and believed Ben should be sent to the institution. David pleaded to Harriet and she agreed to send him, but she was very sad.
David refused to believe Ben was his child and didn't mind seeing him being sent away. The children were glad Ben was sent away but Harriet couldn't stop thinking about him. She went to the institution to see what they were doing to Ben. When she reached there she saw Ben naked, drugged, and unconscious. After seeing this she decides to take Ben home, where he belonged.

Summary: page 47-65

Harriet was enduring to much pain from the baby. She couldn't stand it so she asked her doctor to induce her at eight months. No one believed Harriet when she claimed the unborn child was a monster. For the first time Harriet had insisted giving birth in a hospital, everyone was surprised. Ben was not a pretty baby. He had a heavy shouldered hunched look, his forehead slapped from his eyebrows to his crown and he had greenish-yellowish eyes. Harriet was not interested in holding Ben after he was born.
David did not see Ben as ordinary. He would get mad at Harriet when she could not control Ben. Harriet only breast fed Ben for few weeks because he started biting her, giving her bruises. He ate two time more than a baby his age would. When his siblings tried to play with him he would just ignore them. Ben was very, very strong.
Harriet did not love Ben and David, the good father, hardly touched him. She tried playing with him everyday but Ben usually just hurt her with his strength. Their family didn't seem to like Ben either. One day Paul went into Ben's room alone and put his hand through the crib bars. Ben had grabbed his hands and pulled Paul hard against the bars, bending them backwards. Paul's arms were badly sprained. Ben was starting to destroy their family life and was now kept in his room like a prisoner.
Ben was a year old now and still wasn't able to speak. One day Harriet walked into the kitchen finding the dog dead on the floor. She blames Ben for it although he was in his crib. Couple months later the cat had been found dead just like the dog, strangled to death. Couple of weeks later Dorothy got a bad bruise on her arm. She refused to tell anyone what had happened and decided it was time to talk to Harriet and David about Ben.

Summary: page 29-46

The family was feeling very happy. James helped Harriet and David a lot financially. He paid their mortgages and children's school fees. Harriet tried to hold off having any children sooner but got pregnant again. She felt much, much more ill this and claimed the fetus was poisoning her. Paul would lay whimpering in his crib, ignored. The family needed Dorothy's help, without it Harriet would start crying. This year Christmas was not the same. Everyone saw what the fetus was doing to Harriet and left early.
The family was getting more and more unhappy because of the child. Harriet isolated herself in her room most of the time suffering the pain the monstrous child was giving her. David stopped comforting Harriet and rarely touched her stomach like he us to do with the other kids. The baby kicked and jabbed so much inside her she portrayed him as an enemy. On the other hand, Paul always seemed to want attention but barely got any from Harriet. Her family had fallen apart; she drifted away from her children and David. The unborn fetus was doing more damage to her then anything else in the world.

Summary: page 11-28

Harriet got pregnant with her first child before they had expected. David knew they could not afford the house and the child. His father, James, agreed to help him pay off the mortgage for the house. Although David disliked asking his father for help he had no other choice. James wanted to help David because they have already helped Deborah, David's sister, much more and feel they owe David the same. Dorothy, Harriet's mom, believes they are rushing into having a family and will lost everything if they try to have a family to fast.
Harriet's first baby, Luke, was born. He was . He was an easy baby, bringing happiness to both his parents. When Luke turned three months old Harriet was pregnant again. Her second child, Helen, was born in the same room Luke was born in bring more joy to the family. Dorothy helped Harriet all the time by looking after the kids or cooking. When Harriet's sister, Sarah, gave birth to a baby with down syndrome Dorothy would go and help Sarah most often.
When Helen turned two Jane was born normal, just like the other two. Harriet blamed Sarah's "mongol child" for causing the bad luck and unhappiness in her sisters life. The fourth baby, Paul, was born 3 years after Jane. Harriet was not very well; her pregnancies had continued uncomfortable and full of minor problems- nothing serious, but she was tired. Everyone started telling her she needed to give having more babies a rest.

Summary: page 1-10

Harriet and David meet at an office party. He is an architect where as she worked in the sales department. Davids ex-love was also there, blowing kisses at him, throughout the party. Both, Harriet and David, seemed to be outcasts standing on the sides away from the others. Harriet was an old school girl and believed in being a virgin. All her friends, even her sisters, made fun of her for that.
After they met they both feel madly in love, Harriet moved into David's flat.They believed they were made for each other and planned their wedding for that spring. Harriet's parents had everything they had possibly asked for. On the other hand, David's parents got divorced when he was 7. Both his parents had remarried. Harriet and David looked for a house in a smallish town, away from London. Soon they found a perfect Victorian house in an overgrown garden.
The house was very big and expensive but they decided they would manage. Harriet would work the first two years then settle down for good with kids. They wanted six to ten children. She wanted to put off having sex so she could prevent having kids the first couple years but they could not resist each other. Both of them constantly made love.