The Chrysalids by John Wyndham tells the story of a community where prejudice and intolerance is a way of life. The aim of this prejudice and intolerance is to protect the chosen from those who differ from legally-defined norm. However, the residents’ bigotry against mutants puts their personal safety at risk, and dooms them to a primitive mode of subsistence. Fear and suspicion permeate the lives of the villagers of Waknuk, turning parent against child. Moreover, the determination of community leaders to destroy ruthlessly any life form that deviates from the norm brings destruction upon the innocent and the guilty. The events of The Chrysalids suggest that a community governed by fear and intolerance is a world none are safe. The quest for purity inspired by the fear of Tribulation becomes
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The quest puts every newborn child at risk with necessity to conform to The Definition of Man as if the baby is not born in God’s perfect image they are banished but not only the child gets punished but the mother also. If the woman who had the deformed baby has already had two deformed babies making a total of three deformed babies, she is shunned and kicked out of the house and community. In Waknuk nothing is more believed than the true image of God and nobody apart of the community should question or think differently. “‘Well, every part of the definition is as important as any other; and if a child doesn’t come within it, the it isn’t human, and that means it doesn’t have a soul.’” (55.) Every little part of the Definition of Man is important to the people of Waknuk as they believe that this criterion is what makes them human. The Definition of Man is stated that God has created man in his own image, that every man and woman should have one body, one head, two arms: that should both be jointed in two spots, both ends with a hand that should have four fingers and one thumb which should all bear a flat-finger nail and two legs:
The quest puts every newborn child at risk with necessity to conform to The Definition of Man as if the baby is not born in God’s perfect image they are banished but not only the child gets punished but the mother also. If the woman who had the deformed baby has already had two deformed babies making a total of three deformed babies, she is shunned and kicked out of the house and community. In Waknuk nothing is more believed than the true image of God and nobody apart of the community should question or think differently. “‘Well, every part of the definition is as important as any other; and if a child doesn’t come within it, the it isn’t human, and that means it doesn’t have a soul.’” (55.) Every little part of the Definition of Man is important to the people of Waknuk as they believe that this criterion is what makes them human. The Definition of Man is stated that God has created man in his own image, that every man and woman should have one body, one head, two arms: that should both be jointed in two spots, both ends with a hand that should have four fingers and one thumb which should all bear a flat-finger nail and two legs: