The Chrysalids Argumentative Essay

Cognition

“There is nothing new in the world except for the history you do not know.” Harry S. Truman. Throughout John Wyndhams novel The Chrysalids, powerful errors occur through ignorance of the past. Unawareness of history leads to flawed judgment in the present. When David made a seemingly harmless remark about his body, he did not understand the history of such occurrences creating shock and anger within his father. As was said in the novel, any mother who produced a surplus of two deviational children could be exiled by her husband. While Emily’s third child was a deviation, such was unknown to Emily and Joseph. Judging by Joseph’s exceptionally religious stances and views, it would be safe to assume regret, after him learning of his

He investigated, and when he had collected evidence that it had not simply lost its tail in some way, but had never possessed one, he condemned it, and, in his capacity as a magistrate, ordered the inspector to make out a warrant for its destruction as an Offence. The inspector had done so, with reluctance, whereupon Dakers promptly entered an appeal. Such shilly-shallying in an obvious case outraged my father's principles, and he personally attended to the demise of the Dakers' cat while the matter was still sub judice. His position, when a notification subsequently arrived stating that there was a recognized breed of tailless cats with a well-authenticated history, was awkward, and somewhat expensive. It had been with very bad grace that he had chosen to make a public apology rather than resign his magistracy. (Wyndham 37 )

Using the events listed, it is safe to say that Joseph had a consistency for anger within situations considered trivial through other characters, for example, the inspector, and the Dakers. Also conjectured is that despite the events that occurred even before David’s hand incident, he was unaware that even very minor things could anger his father. Both David and Joseph were forced into confusion, shock, and fright, leading to rue and regret for time to