The Chrysalids

A detailed Summary of The Chrysalids

Imagine living in a place where there seemed to be a sense of hate in the eyes of everyone, except David Strorm. This place was called Waknuk. Waknuk was a place where anything out of the "norm" was wrong and sinful and could even end in a consequence as serious as death. Life was good for those who believed and practised the Waknuk religion following the definition of man which was heard every Sunday of their lives:

"'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 should 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...'

'Then God created woman, also, and in the same image, but with these differences, according to her nature: her voice should be of higher pitch than man's: she should grow no beard: she should have two breasts'

Those who did not believe in the Waknuk religion found life to be hard and unfair. Throughout David's life in Waknuk, he was faced with many tools of hate such as prejudice, pride and deception. David painfully learned that prejudice causes individuals to be isolat

Pride for the Waknuk religion was in everyone. Everyone was so full of pride that they no longer made decisions with heart or compassion, instead, decisions were made through what history said. It started when David's Aunt Harriet came to Waknuk, he had not seen her much because she lived fifteen miles away in the Kentak direction. When she arrived at the Strorm residence, she quickly made it up to the nursery where David's mother lay with her new born, Petra. As she made her way upstairs, she was carrying a small white bundle. The small white bundle that Harriet carried was her daughter that she had given birth to a week earlier. There was a slight difference between Petra and Harriet's baby girl. Petra had a certificate of normalcy and Harriet's baby had not gotten one for the slightest flaw that her child had. Harriet asked for the help of her sister. When she asked her to switch babies for a couple of days until she got the certificate of normalcy, Emily was outraged and disgusted. When Joseph joined the conversation, he became so full of pride saying: "I do not understand how you dared to come here, to a God-fearing house, with such a suggestion. Worse still, you don't show an atom of shame or remorse." (page 72) that he did not hear Harriet's cry for help and for compassion. Joseph continued to taunt Harriet, by telling her that she should be ashamed for asking to do such a favour. He ended by saying that she should be greatly sorry for having to commit such a sing of bringing a child into the Strorm home. Joseph showed no remorse about what he said regarding Harriet and her baby. He and Emily's pride was far too great for Harriet, who ended up committing suicide. This showed that the evil of pride caused Joseph and Emily to mistreat Harriet, a family member whom they did care deeply for.

Throughout David's life in Waknuk, we have learned he had to live through much hardship and hatred. Hate was used as a tool in many of the situations he faced. He was faced wit

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Approximate Word count = 1350
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English