The Chrysalids by John Wyndham

The Chrysalids have been captured. David awakes to a signal that the others are nearby, and he and Rosalind set out to escape. They ride horses in an uncharted region to escape from the hunters. Michael warns them that they are being watched, but Rosalind kills a man who threatens their surreptitiousness. They travel only at night, and they are discovered by Katherine’s cries.

Characters

“The Chrysalids” is an intriguing dystopian novel that is both engrossing and highly educational. The novel follows David, a boy with a different ability to think in thought shapes. He also meets eight other children like him. David’s uncle, Axel, is very familiar with his gift and helps David understand his difference. Sophie, David’s sister, also has telepathy, though it is limited.

Setting

Set in the future, The Chrysalids is a dystopian novel about the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly. It’s a coming of age story that explores what happens when humankind loses its sense of self and our world falls into chaos. As the title suggests, the plot is based around a dystopian society, but there are elements of a modern society mixed in as well.

Religion

In the novel The Chrysalids, David lives in a society based on rigid laws and strict religion. Deviations from this system bring harsh consequences and are punished in a variety of ways. This society was created with influences from The Bible and Nicholson’s Repentances, and aims to prevent the Tribulation from happening again. The resulting fear and resentment has created generations of characters who are unable to accept each other’s differences.

Blasphemy

John Wyndham’s The Chrysalids is a novel that explores blasphemy and the varying attitudes toward it. This novel has two worlds with radically different cultures and views of what constitutes blasphemy. Despite the differences in cultures, the characters in the novel respond to blasphemy in different ways.

Defining themes

John Wyndham’s science fiction novel The Chrysalids is filled with conflicting themes and images. Isolation is a defining theme throughout the book and is seen through the geographical, psychological, and social aspects. Xenophobia is one factor in social isolation. This is made clear through the separation of “Norm” people from the mutants. This social isolation is heightened by the Waknukian mind, which has a very strict view of God.