The Chrysalids - Fear essay

“The Chrysalids” by John Wyndham is a science fiction novel which takes place in the future, years after a nuclear holocaust has devastated large areas of the world. The story focuses on the lives of a group of telepathic children, who are forced to flee to “The Fringes, a place where whoever is not the “True Image of God”, is a mutant. The text is written in first person and narrated by David Strorm, one of the telepathic children. It follows David’s life and the events he encounters. “The Chrysalids” shows the distinct separation between what is normal and what is abnormal. Wyndham explores many themes throughout the text, the main one being fear. “Most people are motivated by fear”, in “The Chrysalids.” This essay will explore the theme of fear with the different groups and important characters, shaping the theme of fear present in the text. These groups are the ‘Waknuk Community’, who believe they are the “true image of God.” The ‘Telepathic children’, who runaway or risk their abilities being found out and ‘The Fringes’ people, known as the ‘Mutants’, who are the one’s with deviations.
Waknuk is a society of the future with a setting from the past. It is one of the few places, which have survived Tribulation but it is a primitive society, where people reject change and difference in belief that that is how the ‘Old People’ lived. Waknuk is dominated by a religion, which is obsessed by perfection. “And any creature that shall seem to be human…it is a Blasphemy against the trueimage of God, and hateful in the sight of God.” (13) They believe they are the “True image of God”, and anyone or anything different is a ‘Mutant’. That is what they fear, ‘mutants’. Joseph Strorm is a strong believer in what is right and what is wrong. This fear has motivated him to capture, kill or banish the Blasphemies to ‘The Fringes’. Him and the other ‘norms’, have a fear of difference and change. “Accursed is the mutant in the sight of God and man.” (76) Joseph sent Aunt Harriet