Examples Of Prejudice In The Chrysalids

Prejudice: A Perpetual Cycle

Prejudice is an inherent human trait, cannot be fully wiped away from society as the oppressing party can only switch sides. In his science fiction novel The Chrysalids, John Wyndham in 1955, David Strorm’s origins in an oppressive society force the developing and clueless mutant to go from the hunter to the hunted. The concept of prejudice cannot die out, only transferring from one party to the next as David’s transformation from the oppressor to the prejudiced, since fear of other groups lead to one hating such. Prejudice stems from the fear of the unknown and the difference between groups such as Waknuk along with Sealand oppressing one another. This allows for one to oppress even though one may not realise.

The fear of the unknown fuels prejudice as Waknuk influences its citizens into fearing and thus hating the mutated. Furthermore, David was taught to “WATCH THOU FOR THE MUTANT!” (Wyndham 18) throughout his entire childhood by his obsessively religious and abusive father, fearing them. This turns into hate, as said mutants were different and all humans have a need to belong in a group. Belonging to a group provides safety and a sense of security, and when an external force threatens the separation of that group, that group will fear and hate the possible threat. Waknuk hates all mutants because they fear their differences and possible threats. Joseph Strorm, doesn’t only show pure hatred for the mutants, he also explicitly displays that any person no matter their affiliation is caught helping any mutant

Not only does David’s perspective of the mutants change, his entire belief is questioned the second he meets the first catalyst of David changing groups, Sophie. On the way back home, David realises that Sophie is a mutant, asking himself that “surely [it] couldn’t be enough to make her ‘hateful in the sight of God’ (14). This sets him off on the path that leads to him realising that Waknuk utilises propaganda to brainwash their own people into nice people such as Sophie. David, still under Waknuk’s spell, wishes for his gift of telepathy to be gone, hating himself and then later accepting it and finding a new group to belong to. Catalysts are greatly important to one leaving or joining a group, as found as Sophie and Uncle Axel propel David into questioning his beliefs and then leaving to find a new family. Uncle Axel had been a mentor and an advisor to David, guiding him on his journey and acting as a kinder father figure, and provided David with a fresh perspective on Waknuk and the Fringes. One of the final catalysts to launch David to complete the switch of sides was Anne. She had wanted to conform to Waknuk, by marrying Alan, the blacksmith’s son that Sophie and David had beaten to escape capture. Her suicide due to Axel killing Alan threw David and his telepathic group to physically leave and run away from Waknuk to wherever they could find freedom. This final catalyst to the