The Fifth Child

by

Doris Lessing

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Fifth Child makes teaching easy.

Dorothy Character Analysis

Dorothy, a widow, is Harriet’s mother and she is Harriet and David’s primary source of childcare throughout the novel, as the couple has more children than they can handle on their own. Though she maintains an apartment of her own in London, there’s no question that she will come live with Harriet and David when they begin having children, as family is of the utmost importance to her. Dorothy is a voice of pragmatism, often recommending to Harriet and David that they think more carefully about the decisions they’re making and whether they can handle the responsibility. When the extended family descends upon the Lovatt home for holidays three times a year, it is Dorothy who takes on the bulk of the work hosting them, and on multiple occasions she calls out the fact that Harriet and David treat her as though she is a servant, receiving little thanks for her labor. Though she wants to provide help, her other daughters are jealous of the assistance she gives to Harriet and David and eventually Dorothy absents herself from the Lovatt household to help care for her other grandchildren, taking in their daughter Jane when Jane can no longer tolerate life at home.

Dorothy Quotes in The Fifth Child

The The Fifth Child quotes below are all either spoken by Dorothy or refer to Dorothy. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Nature vs. Nurture Theme Icon
).
Pages 3 – 33 Quotes

“You want things both ways. The aristocracy—yes, they can have children like rabbits, and expect to, but they have the money for it. And poor people can have children, and half of them die, and expect to. But people like us, in the middle, we have to be careful about the children we have so we can look after them.”

Related Characters: Dorothy (speaker), Harriet Lovatt, David Lovatt
Page Number: 16
Explanation and Analysis:
Pages 33 – 74 Quotes

“All right, all right—the genes have come up with something special this time.”

“But what, that’s the point,” said Harriet. “What is he?”

The other three said nothing—or, rather, said by their silence that they would rather not face the implications of it.

Related Characters: Harriet Lovatt, David Lovatt, Dorothy
Page Number: 53
Explanation and Analysis:
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Dorothy Quotes in The Fifth Child

The The Fifth Child quotes below are all either spoken by Dorothy or refer to Dorothy. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Nature vs. Nurture Theme Icon
).
Pages 3 – 33 Quotes

“You want things both ways. The aristocracy—yes, they can have children like rabbits, and expect to, but they have the money for it. And poor people can have children, and half of them die, and expect to. But people like us, in the middle, we have to be careful about the children we have so we can look after them.”

Related Characters: Dorothy (speaker), Harriet Lovatt, David Lovatt
Page Number: 16
Explanation and Analysis:
Pages 33 – 74 Quotes

“All right, all right—the genes have come up with something special this time.”

“But what, that’s the point,” said Harriet. “What is he?”

The other three said nothing—or, rather, said by their silence that they would rather not face the implications of it.

Related Characters: Harriet Lovatt, David Lovatt, Dorothy
Page Number: 53
Explanation and Analysis: