An%20Ideological%20Reading%20on%20Doris%20Lessing

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An Ideological Reading on Doris Lessings The
Fifth Child

• Sophia Hsu
• 2002/11/5

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An Ideological Reading on Doris Lessings The
Fifth Child

• Problems David and Harriet face
• Different aspects of lives represented
• When Victorian ideology encounters Capitalist
  ideology
• Conclusion

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Problems David and Harriet face

• Living in a Victorian house
• Having a lot of children
• Feeling criticized as criminals by their families

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Problems David and Harriet Face

• Living in a Victorian house
• They are not able to pay for the mortgage
• How are we going to pay for it all if I am
  pregnant? (p.16)
• James and Jessica would be asked for help
• I shall assume responsibility for the mortgage
  (p.20)
• The maintenance of the household

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Problems David and Harriet Face

• Having a lot of children
• The cost of raising children
• Childrenno one who hasnt had them knows what
  work they make. (p.18)
• She knew the cost, in every way, of a family,
  even a small one. (p.21)
• Their education

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Problems David and Harriet face

• Feeling criticized as criminals by their families
• For at such times, when material support is not
  enough, it is as if we are being judged Harriet
  and David seemed to themselves meagre and
  inadequate, with nothing to hold on to but
  stubborn beliefs other people had always judged
  as wrong-headed. (p,17)
• We arent made to feel criminals. (p,22)

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Different aspects of lives represented

• Molly and Frederick
• James and Jessica
• Dorothy
• David and Harriet

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Different aspects of lives represented Molly and
Frederick

• Davids mother and step-father his English
  parents
• Had little money, being unambitious academics
  (p,17)
• Aiming, like all their kinds, at an appearance
  of unconformity, they were in face the essence of
  convention, and disliked any manifestation of the
  spirit of exaggeration, of excess. (p,18)
• They represent most judging English people.

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Different aspects of lives represented James and
Jessica

• Davids father and step-mother
• See everything materially
• The house is a good investment. (p,19)
• This ease with money characterized their life
  together, which David had sampled and rejected
  fiercely. (p,20)
• Flash and too easy, that was the life of the
  rich. (p,20)

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Different aspects of lives represented Dorothy

• Harriets mother a widow, having three daughters
• Represents the conservative family life
• She had not found it easy bringing up three
  girls. She knew the cost, in every way, of a
  family, even a small one. (p, 21)

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Different aspects of lives represented David and
Harriet

• Reckless young couple, trying to live a life they
  cant afford. Seemed to represent the spirit of
  exaggeration and excess.
• They long for a real family life
• Harriet and David seemed to themselves meagre
  and inadequate, with nothing to hold on to but
  stubborn beliefs other people had always judged
  as wrong-headed. (p,17)
• When facing Molly and Frederick, they feel
  themselves even more preposterously eccentric,
  and much too young. (p,17)
• They are going to be beholden to the life of the
  rich. (p,20)
• You two go on as if you believe if you dont
  grab everything, then youll lose it. (p,22)

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When Victorian ideology encounters Capitalist
ideology

• Victorian Ideology
• Capitalist Ideology

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Victorian Ideology represented by David and
Harriet

• David and Harriet seem to represent the aspect of
  life against common ideology.
• Seemingly retreat to Victorian/Capitalist value
• They think they shouldve been born into another
  country having six children would be normal,
  nothing shocking about they arent made to feel
  criminals. They want to have children while they
  can. (p,22,23)
• They think they are the ones who are abnormal in
  Europe. (p.22)
• They want things both ways. (p.23)

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Capitalist ideology represented by people in the
middle

• Money determines everything qualified parents,
  decent life, good education
• The aristocracy can have children like rabbits,
  and expect to, but they have the money for it.
  (p,23)
• Poor people can have children, and half of them
  die, and expect to. (p,23)
• People like us, in the middle, we have to be
  careful about the children we have so we can look
  after them. (p,23)

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Questions and Conclusion

• Which ideology is better/correct?
• Can people simply retreat to one ideology against
  another one?
• Is the belief/ideology David and Harriet hold on
  to coming from the rejection to common
  belief/ideology?
• Ideology is the production of production