Gordon Strorm In The Chrysalids
How does Wyndham make Gordon an important and memorable character in the novel, the Chrysalids?
An important character is one that makes an impact on the novel, be it in a character’s life, or in bringing across a theme that the author is trying to convey. On the other hand, a memorable character is one that makes an impact on the reader, igniting feelings that do not allow the reader to forget the character.
Gordon Strorm is made an important character through his being a leader of the Fringes, ensuring the survival of the Fringes people. Gordon, a leader of the Fringes, would lead the Fringes people in raids for food. Since very little is available in the Fringes, ‘they’ve got nothing there—not even enough food.’, it is not easy to live in the Fringes and ‘some years, they got very hungry.’ When he was caught, he was one of the ‘captured Fringes leaders’. David had earlier said that ‘Fringes …show more content…
people found leaders who could provide an organized invasion’, that allowed the Fringes people to gain more ground. Given that Gordon is one of these leaders, we see that he plays an important role in helping the Fringes people survive, by leading them to fight for food. His role is crucial for it gives the many people in Fringes a chance to live, having a vital impact on such a large group of people that has been cast out from Waknuk society.
However, his role as the leader does not simply have an impact on the Fringes people only.
Instead, it takes on a larger spectrum, since his role as a leader also impacts the posse from Waknuk in the search for David. His leadership poses challenges to the Waknuk society, since it is under leaders like him that Waknuk faces difficulties against the Fringes people. For one, it is under his leadership that Waknuk is threatened. Under leaders like himself, ‘[The Fringes people] were able to push forward on a broad front, mopping up little bands of our militia here and there, and looting as they liked’ and this poses threats to Waknuk, where initially, ‘nobody took much notice of them as a rule’,. Furthermore, he leads the resistance forces from the Fringes against the posse from Waknuk, for Sophie says ‘He’s gone away—where the fighting is.’ The Waknuk people no longer succeed as easily as before in battles against the Fringes people as the people at the Fringes now under Gordon’s leadership are able to put up a good fight and pose a big threat to the army from
Waknuk.
Through Gordon, Wyndham exemplifies the theme of intolerance because he is considered a deviant. He had longer limbs, ‘they were monstrously long and thin, and his arms were long and thin, too’. Because of his deviation and society’s intolerance of anything that is not in the image of God, Gordon loses everything he possesses. Before he was discovered, Gordon was well-loved, ‘His mother loved him. His nurse was fond of him, too.’ Furthermore, he had a high status, being the heir of Waknuk, for he was the son of Elias Strorm, ‘Waknuk should be mine.’ Thus, the way he is treated due to his deviation exemplifies that no mutant is an exception in Waknuk. The intolerance of Waknuk is so great that no one, no matter how influential, no matter how well loved, is exempt from this intolerance if they were a deviant. The punishment for those who were different in the eyes of society was harsh and cruel. Gordon’s sad and unfortunate life after being discovered was the perfect example of society’s intolerance of anything that did not follow the norm.
Gordon is also made important through his contribution to Joseph’s high status in Waknuk society. Gordon is ‘The eldest son. The heir.’ Being the first born, he had the birth right to inherit Elias’ Strorm’s wealth, which when handed down to Joseph, makes him ‘the largest land owner’, the right to be the magistrate, as Joseph now was. Gordon’s absence after his deviation is discovered, entitles Joseph to all the influence and wealth that belonged to Gordon. This makes Gordon important because it is only due to his deviation and the intolerance of society that Joseph would hold such high respect in Waknuk. Effectively, Joseph owes his reputation and riches to Gordon.
At the same time, Gordon is incredibly memorable because Wyndham makes him so outstanding. He is outstanding because of his appearance, ‘He stood some eighteen inches taller than anyone else’, ‘[his legs] were monstrously long and thin, and his arms were long and thin’, making him ‘look half-man, half-spider.’ This is quite unlike any other of the mutants as his appearance is so different from the rest, making him easy to remember.
Furthermore, Gordon is outstanding because of how determined and striking he is. Gordon is the only one who stands up for himself. This is seen from the way he asks David, ‘You’ve not the guts to fight for what’s yours by right?’, seeming to show how Gordon is willing to fight for what he feels is his by right. He takes a stand against Joseph, when he was captured, intimidating the most powerful man in Waknuk, even while he is the prisoner, imprisoning Joseph instead with fear to the point that Joseph’s ‘colour drained away.’ David describes that ‘[He] had never seen hatred naked before, the lines cut deep, the eyes glittering, the teeth suddenly looking like a savage animal’s’. He is so memorable because he is the only man in the entire novel that intimidates Joseph and strikes fear in him. This makes him really striking as he is unaffected by the years at the Fringes and still remains so strong and resolute at all times.
Gordon is also memorable because he removes the thorn from David’s life. David had been gripped by his father’s cruelty, and was unsure if killing his father would be the right approach, ‘What kind of man?’, referring to Joseph. However, Gordon solves this for David, ‘His bow came up like a flash, bent to its full. He loosed. The shaft took my father in the left of his chest.’, killing Joseph. He removed David’s dilemma, and the oppressive figure in David’s life, that had so long imprisoned David. Being the solution to David’s problems, he is memorable because he is the one who finally sets David free from his own father.
Gordon serves as a good comparison to Joseph Strorm. In many superficial ways, they are similar. Gordon and Joseph are both leaders in their respective societies, both influential men in their societies. Both are brothers, sons of Elias Strorm. However, in every other respect, they are different. Joseph is feared in Waknuk, rather than respected, for the Inspector refers to him as a ‘[fool] and [bigot].’ And even his own son doesn’t respect him, but rather fears him. On the other hand, Gordon Strorm is charismatic, having the support and respect of the Fringes people, though it is not by appointment or inheritance. While Joseph is extremely legalistic, ‘any suggestion that we were more afflicted with Offences than other people hurt and angered him.’, Gordon is himself a mutant, the very thing that Joseph fears. The direct contrast between Joseph and Gordon is so evident, it makes Gordon so memorable because it is simply so ironic that though he is Joseph’s brother, he is in fact the stark opposite of Joseph.
Gordon is memorable because he stirs up feelings in Sophie which in turn allows the readers to experience the hurt and disappointment within Sophie. On one hand, he is a source of comfort to Sophie, ‘He’s kind to me, David. He’s fond of me. You’ve got to have as little as I have to know how much that means.’, providing Sophie with a little love, that she is so need of in the Fringes, where she feels so alone. However, Gordon makes her feel insecure and unhappy with herself. ‘I’d have given him babies gladly, if I could…’. Gordon’s hold on Sophie’s emotions make him very memorable because the reader is able to feel for Sophie and empathize with her over her intense desperation for Gordon’s affection and heart. The reader is able to feel what she’s feeling, her turmoil of emotions for him. This feeling remains with the reader, not allowing the reader to forget Gordon, the reason for Sophie’s rollercoaster emotions.
An important character is one that makes an impact on the novel, be it in a character’s life, or in bringing across a theme that the author is trying to convey. On the other hand, a memorable character is one that makes an impact on the reader, igniting feelings that do not allow the reader to forget the character.
Gordon Strorm is made an important character through his being a leader of the Fringes, ensuring the survival of the Fringes people. Gordon, a leader of the Fringes, would lead the Fringes people in raids for food. Since very little is available in the Fringes, ‘they’ve got nothing there—not even enough food.’, it is not easy to live in the Fringes and ‘some years, they got very hungry.’ When he was caught, he was one of the ‘captured Fringes leaders’. David had earlier said that ‘Fringes …show more content…
people found leaders who could provide an organized invasion’, that allowed the Fringes people to gain more ground. Given that Gordon is one of these leaders, we see that he plays an important role in helping the Fringes people survive, by leading them to fight for food. His role is crucial for it gives the many people in Fringes a chance to live, having a vital impact on such a large group of people that has been cast out from Waknuk society.
However, his role as the leader does not simply have an impact on the Fringes people only.
Instead, it takes on a larger spectrum, since his role as a leader also impacts the posse from Waknuk in the search for David. His leadership poses challenges to the Waknuk society, since it is under leaders like him that Waknuk faces difficulties against the Fringes people. For one, it is under his leadership that Waknuk is threatened. Under leaders like himself, ‘[The Fringes people] were able to push forward on a broad front, mopping up little bands of our militia here and there, and looting as they liked’ and this poses threats to Waknuk, where initially, ‘nobody took much notice of them as a rule’,. Furthermore, he leads the resistance forces from the Fringes against the posse from Waknuk, for Sophie says ‘He’s gone away—where the fighting is.’ The Waknuk people no longer succeed as easily as before in battles against the Fringes people as the people at the Fringes now under Gordon’s leadership are able to put up a good fight and pose a big threat to the army from
Waknuk.
Through Gordon, Wyndham exemplifies the theme of intolerance because he is considered a deviant. He had longer limbs, ‘they were monstrously long and thin, and his arms were long and thin, too’. Because of his deviation and society’s intolerance of anything that is not in the image of God, Gordon loses everything he possesses. Before he was discovered, Gordon was well-loved, ‘His mother loved him. His nurse was fond of him, too.’ Furthermore, he had a high status, being the heir of Waknuk, for he was the son of Elias Strorm, ‘Waknuk should be mine.’ Thus, the way he is treated due to his deviation exemplifies that no mutant is an exception in Waknuk. The intolerance of Waknuk is so great that no one, no matter how influential, no matter how well loved, is exempt from this intolerance if they were a deviant. The punishment for those who were different in the eyes of society was harsh and cruel. Gordon’s sad and unfortunate life after being discovered was the perfect example of society’s intolerance of anything that did not follow the norm.
Gordon is also made important through his contribution to Joseph’s high status in Waknuk society. Gordon is ‘The eldest son. The heir.’ Being the first born, he had the birth right to inherit Elias’ Strorm’s wealth, which when handed down to Joseph, makes him ‘the largest land owner’, the right to be the magistrate, as Joseph now was. Gordon’s absence after his deviation is discovered, entitles Joseph to all the influence and wealth that belonged to Gordon. This makes Gordon important because it is only due to his deviation and the intolerance of society that Joseph would hold such high respect in Waknuk. Effectively, Joseph owes his reputation and riches to Gordon.
At the same time, Gordon is incredibly memorable because Wyndham makes him so outstanding. He is outstanding because of his appearance, ‘He stood some eighteen inches taller than anyone else’, ‘[his legs] were monstrously long and thin, and his arms were long and thin’, making him ‘look half-man, half-spider.’ This is quite unlike any other of the mutants as his appearance is so different from the rest, making him easy to remember.
Furthermore, Gordon is outstanding because of how determined and striking he is. Gordon is the only one who stands up for himself. This is seen from the way he asks David, ‘You’ve not the guts to fight for what’s yours by right?’, seeming to show how Gordon is willing to fight for what he feels is his by right. He takes a stand against Joseph, when he was captured, intimidating the most powerful man in Waknuk, even while he is the prisoner, imprisoning Joseph instead with fear to the point that Joseph’s ‘colour drained away.’ David describes that ‘[He] had never seen hatred naked before, the lines cut deep, the eyes glittering, the teeth suddenly looking like a savage animal’s’. He is so memorable because he is the only man in the entire novel that intimidates Joseph and strikes fear in him. This makes him really striking as he is unaffected by the years at the Fringes and still remains so strong and resolute at all times.
Gordon is also memorable because he removes the thorn from David’s life. David had been gripped by his father’s cruelty, and was unsure if killing his father would be the right approach, ‘What kind of man?’, referring to Joseph. However, Gordon solves this for David, ‘His bow came up like a flash, bent to its full. He loosed. The shaft took my father in the left of his chest.’, killing Joseph. He removed David’s dilemma, and the oppressive figure in David’s life, that had so long imprisoned David. Being the solution to David’s problems, he is memorable because he is the one who finally sets David free from his own father.
Gordon serves as a good comparison to Joseph Strorm. In many superficial ways, they are similar. Gordon and Joseph are both leaders in their respective societies, both influential men in their societies. Both are brothers, sons of Elias Strorm. However, in every other respect, they are different. Joseph is feared in Waknuk, rather than respected, for the Inspector refers to him as a ‘[fool] and [bigot].’ And even his own son doesn’t respect him, but rather fears him. On the other hand, Gordon Strorm is charismatic, having the support and respect of the Fringes people, though it is not by appointment or inheritance. While Joseph is extremely legalistic, ‘any suggestion that we were more afflicted with Offences than other people hurt and angered him.’, Gordon is himself a mutant, the very thing that Joseph fears. The direct contrast between Joseph and Gordon is so evident, it makes Gordon so memorable because it is simply so ironic that though he is Joseph’s brother, he is in fact the stark opposite of Joseph.
Gordon is memorable because he stirs up feelings in Sophie which in turn allows the readers to experience the hurt and disappointment within Sophie. On one hand, he is a source of comfort to Sophie, ‘He’s kind to me, David. He’s fond of me. You’ve got to have as little as I have to know how much that means.’, providing Sophie with a little love, that she is so need of in the Fringes, where she feels so alone. However, Gordon makes her feel insecure and unhappy with herself. ‘I’d have given him babies gladly, if I could…’. Gordon’s hold on Sophie’s emotions make him very memorable because the reader is able to feel for Sophie and empathize with her over her intense desperation for Gordon’s affection and heart. The reader is able to feel what she’s feeling, her turmoil of emotions for him. This feeling remains with the reader, not allowing the reader to forget Gordon, the reason for Sophie’s rollercoaster emotions.