Throughout the novel "The Chrysalids", John Wyndham reveals what it is that encourages the people of Waknuk to act and behave as they do. Among many themes shown in the novel, the three prominent is: Intolerance, prejudice, and ignorance. Intolerance, by not being open to different ideas or for change, and that society should only one idea of what is right. Prejudice by discriminating who are different, for example, the people on the fringes. Finally, ignorance for being quick to judge those who are different. Through the novel, John Wyndham shows that in many ways the people of the Waknuk society are similar to today's society.
In order for a successful society to thrive in the future, the community must be susceptible to change. As the world is continuously changing and it is healthy for a community to find ways to adapt to that change, but the community of Waknuk was strongly against this. The Waknuk society was immensely stubborn and intolerant, therefore they never wanted to change and thought they were much safer staying the same as they were. David's Father, Joseph Storm would put up signs from the religious text The Nicholson's Repentances. For example one of them said, "WATCH THOU FOR THE MUTANT" (p.18). This shows how the Waknuk people would rebuke those who weren't perceived as looking 'normal'. Another example was when David made a joke and said, "I could have managed it all…if I'd had another hand" (p.21) and shortly after this made his father became incredibly angry, taking offense to the joke. His father's actions against the joke show how easily the Waknuk people would take offense to anything they saw as a disgrace to their faith, showing how faith can cause intolerance. Therefore revealing that the intolerance of the people of Waknuk was one reason that encouraged them to act as they do amongst others.
Prejudice is a recurring problem in today's society. Discrimination against others for being different is completely wrong and causes divisions amongst people. This is exactly what happened with the Waknuk people and the rest of those living in their world. Every society was divided, caused by each of their careless discrimination and ideas of how everyone should look and act. For example, when Harriet Storm had her third child it was born with a small mark which was perceived deviant. When she came to ask help from her sister, they ridiculed her saying "You have produced a defilement" (p.65) and that her baby would "breed… spreading pollution until all around us there would mutants and abominations" (p.65). This shows indefinitely the Waknuk people were easy to judge those who did not only not live up to their beliefs but also would severely discriminate those ...
