Stephen Bentley

In the short story “The Mother of the Child in Question” by Doris Lessing, Stephen Bentley is a social worker assigned to Shireen Khan’s case. He carries his credentials along with a file with Shireen’s name on the front. His lack of outer characterization could suggest that he is intended to be seen as a typical representative of the system. His name suggests that he might be white British.

Stephen Bentley is mostly an observer. We are told little about his own thoughts and feelings, except as they relate to the case he is working on. However, we can get a few ideas about his personality from his thoughts and interactions with the family.

He is superficial and patronizing when he observes the Kahn family. He tends to focus on physical characteristics, such as Hassan’s “white teeth (which) dazzled” (p. 150, l. 14-15). Mrs Khan, and even Shireen who is 10 years old, are described in terms of their attractiveness: Mrs Khan is “a plump, pretty lady” (p. 150, ...