Chrysalids Essay, Research Paper

The novel, The Chrysalids, is a book based on the despair of our society in the

past, present, and future. Throughout the story, we are discouraged by the way

in which man treats his own kind. Before the story begins, their society

originated from a nuclear war in which most of the world’s population was

destroyed. The people now refer this to "Tribulation". This

effectively summarizes man’s eternal fight with himself. Man does not know where

to stop, even if it means almost destroying the earth. Much of this has to do

with differences. And many of these differences are just physical or even

spiritual. Any difference than what you are use to, often brings out a

destructive side of humans. We often only want to accept "normal"

people into our own society. The Chrysalids is a story that has much to do with

this despicable, but commonly seen nature of humans. "And god created man

in his own image. And God decreed that man should have one body, one head, two

arms and two legs; that each arm be jointed in two places and end in one hand;

that each hand should have four fingers and one thumb; that each finger should

bear a flat finger-nail?" and so on went the affirmation that all heard

every Sunday at church. Any difference from this was an abomination and a

blasphemy before God who had fashioned man in his own image and must be dealt

with immediately before the evil could spread. David, the main character, soon

learned to what extent his society would go in these cases. In most cases, these

blasphemes would be sterilized and sent into the fringes, a desolate place where

nothing seemed normal. This showed just how much mankind could not handle any

difference in appearance. David’s best friend Sophie had just one extra toe.

David could not see the harm in one extra toe, and that lead him to doubt his

societies laws and beliefs. When Sophie gets sent into the fringes, near the

beginning of the novel, the reader starts to question the justification that

Waknuk has to do this. This leads the reader to compare the book with our

society. Throughout the ages man has been at war with himself. As technology

advanced, people abused its powers, and disregarded its consequences. Here in

The Chrsysalids, humans went too far, and destroyed much of the earth. This all

comes about from people hating any difference from themselves. Even after the

Tribulation occurred, people soon forgot what happened, and they started the

abusive behavior anew. The Waknukians did not learn. They did not accept

anything different from each other, and banished any difference. If the people

of Waknuk had learned from humanity’s mistakes after the nuclear war, they might

have had a chance of survival. But their arrogance had blinded them. They

believe that they are superior to all others, and this arrogance will keep

building, on and on, until one day something terrible will happen, like a

nuclear war. People need to learn from past mistakes in order to survive in the

future. The people from Waknuk did not, but the telepathic society, across the

barren uninhabitable landscape, might have a chance at succeeding. They need to

continue on considering future possibilities, and always thinking ahead to the

long run. This really proves the destructive tendencies of mankind. It also

shows that the future look of this book, is one of despair. If we do not learn

from our mistakes, we will go on and on and eventually destroy our selves, and

the Earth.