The Chrysalids by John Wyndham
**Overview of "The Chrysalids"**
"The Chrysalids," originally published in Great Britain under this title and in the United States as "Re-Birth," is a post-apocalyptic novel set in a dystopian society that has emerged after a cataclysmic event known as Tribulation, believed to be a nuclear holocaust. The narrative unfolds in a rural community where strict adherence to Old Testament principles governs daily life, resulting in the persecution of those who exhibit physical or genetic mutations. The protagonist, David Strorm, along with his half-cousin Rosalind and other children, harbors a secret ability to communicate telepathically, marking them as potential threats to the community's norm.
As David grapples with his identity and the oppressive societal norms dictated by his fanatical father, he encounters Sophie, a girl deemed a mutant due to her six toes. The novel explores themes of fear, prejudice, and the struggle for acceptance, culminating in a series of events that put the young telepaths in danger. When David's sister Petra manifests extraordinary powers, the group's existence is further jeopardized, leading to a dramatic confrontation with both their own community and the ruthless mutants of the Fringes. Ultimately, the story concludes with the arrival of a rescue from Sealand, offering hope for a new beginning in a world that values diversity over conformity.
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The Chrysalids
First published: 1955
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Science fiction—post-holocaust
Time of work: c.e. 4000-5000
Locale: Waknuk, Labrador, Canada
The Plot
The Chrysalids was published in Great Britain under that title and in the United States as Re-Birth. The novel takes place after Tribulation, a cataclysmic event (probably a nuclear holocaust that devastated the world thousands of years earlier) attributed to God’s anger in the tradition of Eden and the Flood. The agrarian folk, technologically backward and beset by fear and prejudice, obey a strict interpretation of the Old Testament, eradicating all crop and animal mutations. Stern commandments and proclamations hang on their walls, telling them that “blessed is the norm” and to “keep pure the stock of the Lord” and “watch thou for the mutant!” Humans “made in God’s image” reside in communities throughout Labrador, and deviations from the norm are ritualistically “purified” (exterminated) or exiled to the Fringes, the abnormal territories, where they forage for food and eke out an existence.
David Strorm, the narrator, has a deep secret. For years, he, his half-cousin Rosalind, and several other youngsters have been communicating telepathically. Although by appearance they are “norms,” they are mutants within and a potential threat to the existing order. Instinctively, they have never revealed their abilities to anyone except for David’s kind and protective Uncle Axel.
David’s life changes forever when, at the age of ten, he meets Sophie, a girl with six toes. Her parents are terrified of her being discovered by David’s intractable father, Joseph Strorm, Waknuk’s fanatical patriarch. Joseph has destroyed some of his own children and relatives as blasphemies, and his deformed brother, nicknamed Spider, leads a ragtag group of marauding mutants of the Fringes. Sophie’s secret is exposed, and Jo-seph whips David until he admits where Sophie has gone. Sophie’s family disappears into the Fringes. Following the birth of David’s sister Petra, a child with incredible powers, six years pass without further incident.
The adolescents are betrayed when one marries a “norm” only to commit suicide after confiding in her unsympathetic spouse. Uncle Axel murders the callous husband, but Petra’s awakened and uncontrolled powers send psychic blasts that paralyze the others, arouse suspicion and a witch hunt, and draw telepathic responses from Sealand (New Zealand), which sends an aircraft to rescue them. Pursued by Joseph Strorm and his troops, David, Petra, and Rosalind battle their way to the Fringes, where David’s banished uncle, Spider, captures them. Spider brutally beats David and leaves him to die, having announced his carnal designs on Rosalind. Sophie, her innocence corrupted, conceals David and murders the albino guarding Rosalind. As the posse descends for the kill, the Sealanders arrive, annihilating everyone except the young telepaths, whom they transport to Sealand to help build the world anew.