The Chrysalids by John Wyndham

In John Wyndham's The Chrysalids, the repercussions of the static community of Waknuk and the community that the Zealanders built, that is willing to change, are derived from the influence of the Old People. After the tribulations, the people of Waknuk did not accept change they felt as though the Old People's ways were best. Their goal was to reach the same standard of civilization, but that was only achievable if they lived exactly how the Old People did. However the Zealanders believed that change was necessary in order to live life. This choice that both communities made affected their growth as a society. The Waknuk community remained static whereas the Zealanders advanced their society in respect to technology.

The people of Waknuk are not accustomed to change. The Old People and the people of Waknuk "stamp on any change: they close the way and keep the type fixed because they've got the arrogance to think themselves perfect" (Wyndham 154). The Waknuk people believed that by living like the Old People, life would be perfect. In order for the Waknuk to do so they referred to Nicholson's Repentances, as it was the only place the true image was described that "And each leg shall be jointed twice and shall have one foot and each foot 5 toes. And any creature that shall seem to be human, but is not formed thus, is not human" (Wyndham 13) and the book that they turned to for guidance. The true image is based on the description given by God, and was believed that if a person was not created in the true image of God they were against God's will as well as not deemed fit to be human. They did not accept deviants because they were not considered pure, and existed due to the radiation from the nuclear apocalypse. Accepting the mutant...

... middle of paper ...

...ccept change simply because they believed that the ways of the Old People were best, however the Zealanders believed that the Old People were wrong, they used the Tribulation as a learning experience and changed their ways. They saw themselves as the New People ready to lead the world into the future. The repercussions of believing this had an effect on how each society lived and functioned. Waknuk had not developed and were making no progress; they stayed with farming for food and relied on horses for transportation. The Zealanders accepted change and therefore developed their society structurally and technologically. Because of this philosophy the Zealanders triumphed over the people of Waknuk. This makes one question if a society is weakened by following in the footsteps of its elders.

Works Cited

Wyndham, John. The Chrysalids. London: Penguin, 1958. Print.