Normalcy as a Social Construct: A Study of Human Relations in Doris Lessing’s The Fifth Child

Abstract

he Fifth Child,a novel by Doris Lessing raises a host of questions about human relation and its societal treatment.The tyranny of the visualin the stablishment of normalcy and social power; constructedness of the normal and the deviant, defective, or abnormal; and the gap between professional diagnoses and family realities.This research is concentrated on the attitude of Ben’s family and relative’s behavior towards him. Ben’s activities are always observed through the eyes which are shaped by traditional assumption of normalcy. Harriet behaves with Ben differently, because of the societal norms of normalcy. The brutality of the concept of normalcy and its psychological effect has been presented in this research with reference of Lessing' novel The Fifth Child. The research has been divided in to four different chapters. The first chapter is introduction of the thesis and methodology is mentioned in the second chapter. The third chapter is textual analysis in the sub topic normalcy as a social construct: of human relation in novel and forth chapter is conclusion.