Patriarchal Ideology In The Chrysalids

A patriarchal social system can be defined as a system where men hold all authority over women in all aspects of life. Men also have the most influence on society and the way it functions. When this kind of philosophy exists within a civilization, it can very well form the way each gender is treated. This is extremely clear in John Wyndham’s novel, The Chrysalids. I believe that the citizens of Waknuk hold a patriarchal ideology and that this ideology directly influences the way men and women are treated and represented in Wyndham’s novel.
One key aspect of a patriarchal society is that all positions of power and major influence are held by men. This is exactly the case in Waknuk. The two most powerful and influential people in Waknuk are Joseph Strorm, a religious leader, and The Inspector, the man who inspects newborn babies to see if they are deviations or not. These people being men leaves very little room for the opinions and input of women. Even Joseph’s wife, Emily Strorm, does not have much part in how the people of Waknuk think or behave like Joseph

does. The most influence she has on the women is “The perfect housewife that every woman aspires to be”. This continues the cycle of women submitting to their husbands instead of having leadership roles in their homes and in their community. When power is held exclusively by men and women are only represented as baby-making housewives, it can be very hard for a woman to get her voice heard, or for her to even consider speaking up.
We have all heard the saying, “with great power come great responsibility”.

To me, this responsibility means not taking advantage of your power in a way that favours only you or your group of people. Needless to say, the majority of the men of Waknuk, especially Joseph Strorm, misuse this unjustly granted power by emotionally abusing women and getting away with it. And as a consequence of the patriarchal ideology and social structure, this abuse is generally accepted and considered quite normal. Women in Waknuk can expect to be treated cruelly or disowned by their husbands for producing a deviant child, putting an extreme and unfair amount of pressure on them. Meanwhile, the father of the same child faces no consequences-- he can move on and find a new wife who will give him a “perfect child”. No one really seems to question this practice because it has become a customary part of the lives of the

Waknukians.
The patriarchy is also the father of gender roles. This dictates what people should do, how they should act in certain situations, and how much control and authority they are entitled to-- specifically as men and women. Because of gender roles, women in The Chrysalids don’t have much opportunity in terms of their life decisions. Since a man is expected to leave his wife if she can’t give birth to a perfect child, it can be inferred that women are only seen as objects who give birth to children, and, if proven faulty, aren’t worth very much. They can simply be discarded and sent to the Fringes. This does not give a woman very many options when choosing what to do with her life when the highest status is staying home and being a good wife and mother. The book also mentions that only men are soldiers while women stand on the sidelines with the children and watch their husbands go to war. This goes back to the patriarchal and sexist ideology that only men are strong and brave while women are simply there to be their cheerleaders.
After examining the evidence, it’s clear that the treatment of men and women in John Wyndham's novel is directly influenced by the patriarchal ideology held by the citizens of Waknuk. This ideology dictated people’s behavior and how they think, and it does little to nothing positive for the citizens of Waknuk. It only limits the potential of the citizens, particularly the women, and creates an creates an abusive and forceful nature within men. It’s the exact opposite of progression, and if Waknuk continues to keep these close-minded values, they will go nowhere as a civilization.