A Study Of “Marginal Man” In Doris Lessing’s The Fifth Child

Doris Lessing is an epochal but controversial female author whose literary works depict the panorama of 20^th-century England with complex but profound meanings.Her early life experiences in Africa help Lessing witness the reality and race relations among British families who had immigrated to Africa.Living in the colonial territory,Lessing never yields to national concepts and rigid rules and regulations.The influences and the mixture of multiple cultures help her form a huge knowledge background and broad vision.As a literature work in the late period of Lessing’s writing,The Fifth Child develops around Ben’s growth,with his existence as the starting point to illustrate the plights of “marginal man”.Based on related theoretical discussions of “marginal man”,the thesis mainly aims to analyze the marginality process of main characters—Harriet,David and Ben.Due to distinct disparities of social classes in 20^thcentury Britain,between the working class and the upper class—David and Harriet,there exists a great gap in economic condition,family education and thoughts.Meanwhile,Harriet,the female protagonist,is restricted by traditions and power mechanism in modern society so that she loses her right of speech.Hence Harriet remains low status and identity in capitalist society and is marginalized by mainstream thoughts.Besides,under the circumstance,males become vulnerable and are likely to be gradually marginalized by the majority and the whole society.Last but not least,the contradictions and ironic meanings of“marginal man”in Lessing’s writing offer a comprehensive depiction of protagonists’inner struggles and their tough situation.In the light of the theory of“marginal man”,it’s apparent that“marginal man”is trapped in the dilemma,whose values are challenged and ignored by the majority.The factors,including social status,traditions,economic background and education level will lead to the loss of one’s identity and cause the denial of the character’s value.Lessing uses vivid depictions to reveal their uneasy state of existence,advocates that the society should absorb new ideas,and discards prejudices against“marginal man”,which can fully expresses her humanistic care to“marginal man”.