The Chrysalids David essay

In what ways does Wyndham change your impression of David?

Firstly, my impression of David changed in his actions and behavior. In the beginning of the book, I used to think David was a responsible boy. I admired him because of his ability to keep promises and look after the people he was close to, especially Sophie and Petra. When Sophie’s foot was stuck and had no choice but to expose her “illegal” six toes, she made David promise to “Never, ever tell!”. Sophie’s mom pleaded for David to keep the secret and emphasized the word “nobody”, telling David that no one in Waknuk should ever know. Even though David thought that it was “so heavy a promise”, he agreed to keep the secret to himself for Sophie’s sake. Despite his status as Joseph Strorm’s son, he was willing to not share it to anyone in order to protect Sophie. Moreover, when Petra was in trouble in the deep water against the steep bank, David immediately responded to her call without a second thought. He risked his own life and gave his all, showing how strong his brotherly instinct is. These incidents show how admirable David is by being mature and understanding for his age. However, Wyndham changed my impression of David to be unreliable and not as responsible as he was in the beginning. When the thought shapers were planning their escape, David was planning what to pack in his head like “spare clothes and boots and other things that would be useful”. He planned a lot but did not actually carry them out and fell asleep instead. This shows that he was not a responsible and prepared leader. He was not meticulous in his planning, although the escape was something very serious for everyone. Even the thought shapers were “trying our (their) damnedest to reach you (David)” on the day they were to escape. This shows how irresponsible David was, as shown from his actions. He did not keep up with his tasks and was not even aware of the calls from the thought shapers. Thus, Wyndham changed my impression of