“Doris Lessing was born in Iran in 1919 and grew up in a British family。 Her father was a soldier in WWI but lost his leg in the war。 Therefore, after the war, her father had changed a lot which also led to her family to go through a tough and unhappy life in the small farm。”(Wang studying 3-9) Lessing’s Childhood was miserable in some degree。 When She was 14 years old, she dropped out of her school because she had an eye disease。 Then she started her study by herself by reading many novels in different languages such as French, English and so so。 In 1938, she started to be an officer and wrote some novels at the first time。 At the age of 20, she got married。 When she was 23, Lessing became a member of Communist Party。 After that, she chose to leave her family, including her two children。 Then she had a second marriage which let her have another son。 In a conclusion, Lessing failed in her own marriage because she married twice。 However, Her two marriage both ended in failure。 In 1949, she moved to England with her youngest kid and finished the manuscript of her first novel The Grass Is Singing。

     Lessing had written a lot of stories, plays, essays, poems and reviews after she arrived in England。 The following are her main works: The Old Chief’s Country(1951), Children of Violence Series(1952-1969), The Golden Notebook(1962), A Man and Two Women(1963) and Briefing for a Descent into Hell(1971)。

     Doris Lessing’s novels are mainly concerned with female survival and strong desire for the rights of equality and identity。 She was a unique writer in her times。 Although many works are in a controversial situation, she still keeps her own style。 As Joyce Carol Oates reviewed in her book, “i[I] think the true situation is that the impact that brought by our Great writers came late and even need us to spend years really understanding what is it。 Doris Lessing is capable of perceiving something in a unique way。” (Joyce 40)。   论文网

     Entering the 21st century, Lessing continued her writing and finished a list of works: The Sweetest Dream(2001), The Story of General Dann and Mara’s Daughter, Griot and Snow Dog(2005), The Cleft(2007), Alfred and Emily(2008) and so on。 In a word, Doris Lessing can be seen a productive and high-quality writer in the field of literature。

1。2 Main characters in the book and the study significance 

     In the book The Fifth Child, people represents those who come from different classes。 First of all, the upper-class like David’s (Ben’s father) father James and his stepmother Jessica。 James is a ship owner and has his own industry at home and abroad。 Also, Jessica is a lady of quality who doesn’t care about money。 Both James and Jessica are generous to David and his wife Harriet。 They not only pay off David’s house mortgage but also aid financially to help David’s kids to go to school。 “This eases with money characterized their life together。”(Lessing eases 20)。 From time to time, they will offer help when David’s family are in need of。 They represent for people who try to control everything by themselves by the means of economy。 

     The second class is middle class who are represented by David’s mother Molly and her second husband Frederick who was an academic and historian taught in Oxford University。 This kind of people is indifference and keeps a good distance from others。 At the same time, they are fond of commenting on others’ words and deeds。 They play roles in criticizing the problems occurred in the society with their knowledge and their theories。 These people stick up for conservative British conventions。

     David’s mother-in-law, also Harriet’s mother Dorothy who was a widow living alone in the countryside。 She belongs to the third class。 She is hard-working and passionate。What’s more, she is also willing to help David’s couple to do the housework and look after their kids without any complaint 。 She is the symbol of a good wife and a loving mother。