The Chrysalids Character Analysis

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“When I was quite small I would sometimes dream of a city - which was strange because it began before I even knew what a city was.” (5). From the very beginning, John Wyndham starts off The Chrysalids on an interesting note. David, the main character, has had this dream of a city for years. In this society, named Waknuk, there are no cities. He explains to the reader, “People in our district had a very sharp eye for the odd, or the unusual, so that even my left-handedness caused slight disapproval.” (5). The only thing is, David is different. He is telepathic. He explains to his uncle, “There are - well, sort of shapes - and if you use words you make them clearer so that they’re easier to understand.” (31). When David gets older, he realizes that his ability could be the death of him. He prays to God, “...let me be like other people. I don’t want to be different. Won’t you make it so that when I wake…show more content…
They are a community that Petra has contact with because of her ability to send and receive messages from far distances. “ ‘The somebody else who’s making think-pictures all mixed up with yours,’ ” says Petra (134). The reader may find that they seem to almost come out of nowhere, like Wyndam just wanted an excuse to end his own story. The Sealand people have a totally different perspective than that of the Waknuk people. John Wyndham notes, “ ‘The essential quality of life is living; the essential quality of living is change; change is evolution: and we are part of it.’ ” (196). The Sealand nation is one of the only society/people the reader does not have any background information about. These people are trying to save the telepaths. Petra tells the rest of the group, “ ‘The Sealand people are coming to help. They’re not so far away as they were, now.’ ” (155). John Wyndham’s only purpose for them was to end the book which does not make it an enjoyable

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