Student Essay on Themes in Chrysalids

Themes in Chrysalids

Essay

The first conflict that we will talk about is a Person vs. Self conflict in which Sophie must battle with her conscience on whether or not to tell David about her deviation of 6 toes. Sophie is hurt and must remove her shoe to stop the swelling but in that case she would have to let someone know that she is a Blasphemy, something she has so carefully hidden all her life. In letting David in on her secret, she gains a friend and David learns that people who are different are not really disgusting and evil, something he has been brought up to believe.

The second conflict is a Person vs. Society. The shape-thinkers are found out and two have been captured. The community of Waknuk realizes that people have been living with a Deviation in their community all their lives and are frightened because they could not control these people. David, Rosalind, Petra, Michael and the others must fight against these prejudice ideas-some must run away while others must live a false existance, pretending to be someone they are not.

The third conflict is a Person vs. Person conflict when the Fringe people battle those from Waknuk. The people from Waknuk are trying to overtake the Fringe people who continue to invade their "perfect" community. The Waknuk people are also aware that the Fringe people are hiding David, Rosalind, and Petra who are on the communitiy's "Most Wanted List." The Fringe people are trying to protect themselves and fight against those who have exiled them. In a variety of locations the two parties clash resulting many Fringe casulties. While the Waknuk people and Fringe people are fighting, the Sealand people come to rescue the shape-thinkers. The Sealanders send down special plastic threads that kill everyone. The consequences of this battle are that "supernatural" forces may arrive to save the worthy ones (in this case the shape-thinkers) and destroy those who are not.