55 pages • 1 hour read
John WyndhamThe Chrysalids
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1955A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Mutations/Deviations
Mutations, known as Deviations or Blasphemies to the people of Waknuk, are the result of nuclear fallout (or, in their view, Tribulation and God’s punishment). Mutations range from minor to severe, including Sophie’s extra toe, Gordon’s elongated arms and legs, and enormous or strangely-shaped crops. Deviations in crops and animals are dealt with by destroying them, but human Deviations are sent to live in the Fringes to absolve the people of Waknuk of their guilt. They are seen as inhuman abominations and are not to be empathized with. Since Deviations appear human, it feels wrong to kill them, but that does not stop Waknuk from banishing and sterilizing them. David is warned against “mutants” from the time he is a small child, with warnings like “WATCH THOU FOR THE MUTANT! [...] THE NORM IS THE WILL OF GOD” (18). For a long time, he accepts this as the truth, but when he meets Sophie and sees how harmless her mutated toes are, he cannot see the logic anymore: “Clearly there must be a mistake somewhere. Surely having one very small toe extra […] couldn’t be enough to make her ‘hateful in the sight of God…’? The ways of the world were very puzzling” (14). By meeting Sophie and seeing how her family is treated, David realizes not only is the doctrine inherently wrong but he, too, is in danger of being harmed.
The people of Waknuk are driven by a deep fear of another Tribulation and will do anything to avoid it. Since they believe that maintaining purity is the way to do that, they are willing to sacrifice even their own children. Even Uncle Axel, whose views are more enlightened than most, still views people who look different as abominations. Since David is considered a Mutant once he and the others are discovered, he is forced to take Petra and escape with Rosalind to the Fringes to survive. Fortunately, their mutation is seen as a positive by the Sealand people, who come to rescue them in the end.
Dreams
Dreams are a recurring motif in the novel that foreshadow plot points, illuminate David’s character, and demonstrate the emotional impact that the doctrine has on him. David begins his recollections with a description of a dream he had when he was young:
I would sometimes dream of a city—which was strange because it began before I even knew what a city was. But this city, clustered on the curve of a big blue bay, would come into my mind. I could see the streets, and the buildings that lined them, the waterfront even boats in the harbour; yet, waking, I had never seen the sea, or a boat (5).
David’s city dreams repeat, though the city sometimes looks different, implying that David is seeing it in real-time.
These dreams are the first introduction to David’s abilities and what sets him apart from most of the people of Waknuk. He not only communicates telepathically but is able to see other places and events in his dreams. David also dreams about Sophie being sacrificed, which does not occur but shows his deep concern for her and his disillusionment with the doctrine he was raised with. It also foreshadows her banishment and eventual death in battle. Similarly, when Harriet is murdered, David dreams of her death and is haunted by it. He knows he could one day suffer the same fate. In the novel’s conclusion, David’s dream of the great city comes true as the Sealand people rescue him, Rosalind, and Petra. He finds that the city is not only real, but the people within it are all able to think-together, just like him and those he loves.
Horses
Horses are a recurring symbol in the novel that represent Waknuk’s resistance to change. They also symbolize the potential freedom that comes with escaping Waknuk. When Sophie and her parents attempt to escape after being discovered, they do so on horseback but do not get far. Harriet similarly attempts to leave on horseback but is soon caught and killed. By contrast, when David, Rosalind, and Petra escape, they are able to outrun the pursuit due to the great-horses that Rosalind borrowed from her father. The horses’ size and power, different from regular horses, are key to their escape; without them, they would have surely been captured. Waknuk is trapped in an old way of living, due to living so close to the nuclear blast, the majority’s lack of ability to communicate telepathically, and the fact that they intentionally isolate themselves from the world and resist all forms of change. Rather than using cars like the people in Sealand, the people of Waknuk do not know that cars exist, instead relying on horseback.
