The Best Cover

The Fifth Child is best represented by the cover with the mysterious blue child. Several key characterists of Ben are depicted. The first thing that catches your eye will be the alien physical appearance of the child. His blue skin certainly will be of glaring interest to the audience. In conjunction with the skin, the strange yellow eyes almost sends a shock of fright down your spine. Ben, in the novel, is often described as being something foreign. "'Well, you saw him, didn't you? How do we know what kinds of people--races, I mean-- creatures different from us, haved lived on this planet?" (Lessing 105) Here his mother Harriet is trying to convince Dr. Gilly that Ben is a throwback of some sort; possibly a goblin. This cover is a great represenation of that idea. Also, the demeanor of the character on the cover is parallel to that of Ben's throughout the novel, confused. You can tell through his expression that he is struggling to find acceptance in this world. This is a key point in the book.