In today's society, people are automatically placed into an existing hierarchy of power. This placement will almost always put them under the direct control or influence of another person. Almost without exception, this hierarchy grows more and more corrupt the farther up. In the story The Chrysalids by John Wyndham, this corruption is very prevalent in the storyline and can be seen almost everywhere in the world they live. From the nuclear war that created the Badlands, to the town of Waknuk where the main character David lives, and even to the groups rescuers, the Sealanders. When people are given power over others, this power will, eventually, corrupt them.
The first signs of corruption are shown to have happened before the story even takes place. Before a time called Tribulation. Tribulation is what the people of David's world call the fallout from a nuclear war that destroyed most of North America and had worldwide effects. The Sealanders say "There was the power of gods in the hands of children" (179 Wyndham). This was them saying that the Old People had immense power, but this power was misused, causing great destruction. The destruction is so great, in fact, that it is impossible to inhabit the affected area. Entering the Badlands is very vividly described as "going over the rim of the world, into the outskirts of hell" (179). Much would have had to be done to create such a nightmarish landscape for them to describe it as such. It is described further with "the mountains are cinders and the plains are black glass-still, after centuries!" (179). The destruction to this area of the world is irreparable and all because the power of absolute destruction was given to those with a thirst for absolute control.
The corruption of power that is closest to David throughout most of the book is the corruption is home town, Waknuk. David's grandfather and father, Elias and Joseph, respectively, had a pivotal role in the development of Waknuk and managed to gain copious amounts of power by acting as the town's magistrate and preacher.
The Chrysalids was a better story. ... The Chrysalids is set in Labrador. ... The theme of The Chrysalids is the evil that humans possess. ... The best story is The Chrysalids. ... The plot of The Chrysalids was also a lot more elaborate. ...
The Chrysalids Essay Topic #1 One of the things I really enjoyed about the Chrysalids fantasy was the telepathic ability of the main characters. ... Let's think of telepathy the way it was in the Chrysalids, where people can think collectively and communicate through long distances. ...
The Chrysalids- Philosophies in the Novel "And God created man in His own image. ... They were Chrysalids. ... (Wyndham, 162) The Sealanders are not Chrysalids. ... (Wyndham, 196) The Waknuk people are referred to as chrysalids, hence the title of the novel. ... Chrysalids, those who cannot, and will not accept change, bring grief to all. ...
The Chrysalids is a science fictional book of suspense, irony and pathos. ... David has the power to communicate with his mind and it is called thought-shapes. ... He can only communicate with people who have telepathic power. ... In the story, he shows anti-intellectualism because he wants to keep his power in Waknuk. ... John Wyndham creates many characters in The Chrysalids. ...
Book Review The Chrysalids is a fictional novel written by John Wyndham. The Chrysalids is a very well formatted book. ... The end of the Chrysalids is also very good because it answers any quesitons the reader might have and also has some action and suspense mixed in with it. ... The Chrysalids is a very well written book and I would recommend any one of all ages to read this book. ... The Chrysalids is a book that could give hope to some people. ...
The Chrysalid's is a novel based on the despair of our own society in the past, present, and future. John Wyndham's give the opportunity to see mankind not in the ideal way as most would like, but in a quite realistic way. The story takes place hundreds maybe even thousands of years after an atom...
"John Wyndham has given us a good story with The Chrysalids but he has given us much to think about." In the novel "The Chrysalids" there are many important issues that John Wyndham has brought up including child and sexual abuse, racism and discrimination. ...
"John Wyndham has given us a good story with The Chrysalids but he has given us much to think about." In the novel "The Chrysalids" there are many important issues that John Wyndham has brought up including child and sexual abuse, racism and discrimination. ...
