reviewben

REVIEW
BEN, IN THE WORLD

INTRODUCTION

In "The Fifth Child" Doris Lessing introduces us to Ben Lovatt. Ben is different: strange; quite unlike any other child; a miss-creation. The middle-class family into which he is born is left reeling from the shock that Ben is not of an accepted order. It is a harrowing story of Ben's catastrophic effect upon the lives fo those to whom he is closest.

"Ben, in the World" is the sequel to "The Fifth Child". Ben, now of age has been forced to make his own way through life. Alone and vulnerable he seeks shelter where he can, always aware of his differentness. The novel charts his journey through a series of chance meetings which take him from England to the Continent and eventually to South America.

DISCUSSION

is eighteen although he looks forty. Unnaturally strong and inhumanly made he presents a frightening picture to those he encounters. Anxious and alert, in unfamiliar surroundings he exhibits bizarre behaviours. With an animal - like instinct he is aware of threat and danger. An outsider, he takes refuge wherever he can, often seeking out others who do not conform to society.

There are those, however, who are able to see beyond the threatening exterior he presents. One is a frail old woman with whom Ben is living when the novel opens. Vulnerable herself, she has an innate perception which recognises the frightened child within. We learn how in the past Ben has been betrayed; how his innocence and physical strength have been exploited. It is heartbreaking to enter Ben's world, a jumble of sense impressions, as he valiantly tries to make connections.

The book is essentially a series of encounters which grow ever more extravagant. One irony is that despite the depths of his own wretchedness Ben brings happiness to those who befriend him. The lives of a petty criminal, a young prostitute and a beautiful Brazilian girl are all enriched through meeting Ben.

What keeps Ben going is the search for an identity; the belief that one day he will find someone like himself so that he can be accepted for who he is. Through Ben the author expresses that need wish is deep within the human soul to be accepted and loved.

The conclusion of the novel excites and stuns as it reaches its climax set high in the remote Brazilian Andes. Before Ben reaches his final destination, however, a new and more deadly danger threatens in the guise of two unscrupulous scientists. Like so many before they plan to use Ben for their own gain: a quick fix to fame and fortune.

In "Ben, in the World" Doris Lessing asks how we recognise and react to vulnerable members of society. Is the way in which we respond a measure of our own humanity? We are asked to consider what it is to be human and the value we place upon individual members of mankind.

At times "Ben, in the World" lacks cohesion; the links in Ben's travels are contrived. It read more like a series of vignettes. The latter third of the novel is dominated by Ben's life in Brazil. Here, Theresa's story is told in such detail that it is the account of her life which dominates Always the master of the short story, did Doris Lessing intend the story of Ben and Theresa to stand alone?

The novel's triumph, though, is its tribute to those who are different. This is an unsettling book and the questions it poses linger long in the mind.

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