The Chrysalids

Waknuk is David’s hometown in the story “The Chrysalids”. The village is located in central Labrador. It is a small agricultural community which lies in the west of Labrador. They have a maritime climate, being remotely tropical, without extreme heat. There tends to be a vast amount of forest cover with many fields making up majority of the landscape. The people of Newf and Labrador are the only humans who retained the pre-Tribulation phenotype. The only other known civilizations are vague and coloured by religious dogma. The Theocracy run government follows the Bible and the Repentances as a means of guidelines. Run off of the fear of God Himself, the people survive by keeping their race in the True Image. They do this by having inspectors which approve newly born children and give them a Normalcy Certificate. Any child that does not…

It’s hard to tell who is right and wrong during the aftermath of a supposed nuclear holocaust. The Chrysalids, which is a book written by John Wyndham in 1955, tells a story that is unique, because throughout the tale, it can be unclear who the reader should be rooting for. Waknuk and Sealand seem to be the most civilized communities thriving after the Tribulations, but their views differ in many ways. Both communities could potentially be the cause of a second nuclear holocaust, but it is more…

Perspective, an attitude toward or way of regarding something, is abstract; many individuals have their own beliefs and will often go to great lengths to maintain and pass on these ideals. Perspective is made up of what a person has learned and experienced within their lifetime, making it difficult to change beliefs and values. This can cause complications, as an individual will often become possessed with proving their own convictions correct. In John Wyndham’s novel The Chrysalids, the…

The Chrysalids by John Wyndham - Utmost Faithful Beliefs As a glimpse into a possible near future, The Chrysalids by John Wyndham provides the reader with a dramatic sci-fi experience in a cruel, merciless world that experienced nuclear devastation. Being a post-atomic society, the citizens are left to pick up the pieces and start over. The little town of Waknuk consists of arrogant, narrow-minded, and paranoid people who believe that every person who does fit the true image of God, is the…

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…

The Chrysalids by John Wyndham had lots of conflict in it, but there is a specific conflict that is quiet ironic and it was to conflict towards the end of the book between Sophie and Rosalind. The two met in the Fringes were Sophie was in love with spider man, but also had feeling for David. The main conflict was that spider man and David both preferred Rosalind over Sophie. Sophie knew she couldn’t compete with Rosalind. The strong connections and feeling in the book between each other got the…

Sophie Wender is a significant character in The Chrysalids as she is used to introduce the concept of mutations into the story. This purpose alone would explain her significance, but her growth also communicates some of the themes in the story. At first, Sophie strikes the appearance of a fearing, curious and obedient child. She is in her own chrysalid, so to speak. As she comes to age, her transformation develops her convictions as well as it does to change her behaviour. Sophie turns from a…

Chrysalids Essay A hero is someone who is admired for their acts of courage and bravery. Although David is the main character of the novel, The Chrysalids true hero is Michael. This is demonstrated by his composure and bravery during times of trouble, his willingness to make sacrifices, and his leadership skills. For these reasons and the examples that follow Michael proves himself to be the hero of the novel time and time again. In The Chrysalids Michael is part of a group of people who…

A New Critical Approach to The Chrysalids However old, New Criticism provides a unique lens that allows for patterns and similarities to be reviled. A post-apocalyptic, science fiction narrative, The Chrysalids, by John Wyndham, contains many universal complexities. As the name of the genre implies, science fiction generally entails technological marvels and invention. Further, science and faith rarely coincide peacefully, yet The Chrysalids uniquely blends both. Specifically, that extreme…

The City of Waknuk and it’s Intolerance towards Deviations - The Chrysalids Waknuk is a very intolerant society that does not approve of people who do not fit in with the Nicholson’s Repentances rules. In the novel The Chrysalids by John Wyndham, it is proven that Waknuk is a prejudice society and, it’s people are very faithful to God just because they are afraid of him causing another Tribulation. Citizens of Waknuk strongly dislike Blasphemies and Offences because, they think that the…