Discrimination In The Chrysalids

The Chrysalids by John Wyndham is a science fiction novel which takes place in the future but the society of Waknuk resembles the beginning of the eighteenth century. Years after a nuclear war, radiation still contaminates large areas of the world outside of Waknuk. Waknuk is a community that follows a very rigid code of morality and religious beliefs based on The Bible and another book called Nicholson’s Repentances. The story focuses on the lives of a group of kids who can communicate telepathically. One night, David Strorm, Petra Strorm, and Rosalind were forced to escape Waknuk due to the community finding out about what they believe are satanic abilities. They escape to The Fringes, home of the deviations, where they meet and are rescued
The people of Waknuk revolve around judging and looking down on others who do not meet the true image. Anyone that has a mutation would be frowned upon and a punishment would be awaiting them, such as being banished to the Fringes or being exiled. Their discrimination is not limited, rather a very common occurrence whether the deviation is an adult, baby, animal or crop. This is evident throughout the novel, such as, when David’s aunt Harriet had her third baby girl, but like the rest she was also born with a small deviation. Harriet visits her sister, Emily, pleading for help to protect her and her baby against the severe punishments of Waknuk, but Emily and Joseph refuse in
The people of Waknuk are restricted to forming their own opinions and do not have the luxury of freedom to believe and act the way they want too. They dedicate their lives to please God by following The Bible and Nicholson’s Repentances, which teaches them, ‘ “‘The Norm is the Image of God’” ‘ (27). Anyone who does not abide or resemble the rulings of these books is treated with severe punishments. For example when David gets hurt with splinter and goes to his mother to aid the splinter for him. In frustration of bothering his busy mom, David says that he could have bandaged it himself if he had a third hand. His father hears this and gives an extreme reaction to his comment: “ ‘Were you or were you not, expressing dissatisfaction with the form of the body God gave you – the form in His own image?’ “ (27). Joseph demonstrates his intolerance by accusing David of being a disbeliever. Joseph is also extremely intolerant towards anyone that looks different than the true image. An example of this is when he found out about Sophie Wender’s extra toe. Joseph went to such extreme lengths to find additional information about Sophie that he whipped his own son. After beating David, he took it upon himself to banish the Wender’s to The Fringes. The Chrysalids is