Power doesn’t corrupt people. People corrupt power. This saying is relevant in the novel, The Chrysalids, because when power is given to an individual, it only takes one step for the person to take advantage of it and corrupt it, but the concept of power never corrupts anything. In The Chrysalids, the theme of power is strongly seen through religion, discrimination, and mutants.
In The Chrysalids, the theme of power is demonstrated through religion because of the Strorms’ history and religious influence in Waknuk, the strict religious society, and the severity of punishment for not obeying the religion.
David’s grandfather discovered Waknuk, creating the deeply religious society, and passing the responsibility to David’s father. This can …show more content…
This is seen when Emily Strorm’s sister, Aunt Harriet, comes to her in aid of saving her mutant baby from death and banishment and Emily replies with, “‘Nothing much!’ snapped my mother. ‘You have the effrontery to bring that monster into my house and tell me it’s nothing much! (Wyndham pg.70).” This quote is highly important because when Aunt Harriet comes in search of help from her own sister, Emily shuts her down, referring to Aunt Harriet’s baby as a monster and not caring if the baby dies because it is a mutant. This shows how powerful hatred towards the mutants are in Waknuk.
In addition, discrimination was also taught to the Waknuk people at a very young age, and they were raised to hate and discriminate against the Fringes people. This can be seen particularly in the quote, “They’ve always taught us that it’s the Devil that rules in the Fringes (Wyndham pg.153).” This quote proves that discrimination was taught to the Waknuk people from a young age and they truly believe that the Fringes people really are terrible, and that instead of God ruling purely there, the Devil causes havoc. This belief fueled the powerful hatred and discrimination against the Fringes
In The Chrysalids, the theme of power is demonstrated through religion because of the Strorms’ history and religious influence in Waknuk, the strict religious society, and the severity of punishment for not obeying the religion.
David’s grandfather discovered Waknuk, creating the deeply religious society, and passing the responsibility to David’s father. This can …show more content…
This is seen when Emily Strorm’s sister, Aunt Harriet, comes to her in aid of saving her mutant baby from death and banishment and Emily replies with, “‘Nothing much!’ snapped my mother. ‘You have the effrontery to bring that monster into my house and tell me it’s nothing much! (Wyndham pg.70).” This quote is highly important because when Aunt Harriet comes in search of help from her own sister, Emily shuts her down, referring to Aunt Harriet’s baby as a monster and not caring if the baby dies because it is a mutant. This shows how powerful hatred towards the mutants are in Waknuk.
In addition, discrimination was also taught to the Waknuk people at a very young age, and they were raised to hate and discriminate against the Fringes people. This can be seen particularly in the quote, “They’ve always taught us that it’s the Devil that rules in the Fringes (Wyndham pg.153).” This quote proves that discrimination was taught to the Waknuk people from a young age and they truly believe that the Fringes people really are terrible, and that instead of God ruling purely there, the Devil causes havoc. This belief fueled the powerful hatred and discrimination against the Fringes