48 pages • 1 hour read
The Fifth Child
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Essay Topics
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of ableism.
The novella employs literary devices often found in gothic horror and fairy tales, such as haunted buildings, supernatural beings, the doppelgänger, and an underlying tone of dread. How do these elements explore rigid gender roles and Harriet’s experiences as a wife and mother?
The omniscient third-person narrator is closely aligned with Harriet’s viewpoint, often using free indirect discourse. How does this technique affect interpretations of Harriet’s motivations and perceptions of Ben?
The Fifth Child has been interpreted as a metaphor of disability and its stigmatization. How does reading the novella through this lens enhance or problematize Ben’s depiction as an “other”?
