The Role of Change in The Chrysalids

Change, the essential of life, it can be tranquility or turbulence, change has no set goal, it occurs all around us without us knowing. In the novel, The Chrysalids, by John Wyndham, change is the major problem in the society even though it is hidden in different aspects of life. To the society, change is their enemy, but it is themselves who are their enemies without knowing it. A society that fails to realize the inevitability of change will indubitably agonize.

The people of Waknuk do not utilize the advantages of permitting deviations and blasphemies to be a part of the society, consequently this decision troubles the society. First, the society does not let deviations that are beneficial to the society live amongst them. When Uncle Axel explains to David about how the churchgoers would not accept spices that had come from a foreign land because the spices could be a deviation, then Uncle Axel concludes, “Whatever they were, they are profitable enough now for ships to sail south again” (61). The rejection of the spices by the churchgoers was to their own disadvantage to exploit the profitability of the spices. Second, due to the high deviation rate families are force to destroy their crops and livestock. David asks Angus Morton what is troubling him and Angus replies, “Weeks of work gone up in smoke, pigs, sheep and cows gobbling up good food just to produce ’bominations” (87). Since the society does not accept deviations, therefore Angus Morton’s hard work is profitless. Finally, the attacks by the Fringes people are a vexation to the inhabitants of Waknuk. The sentimentalists in Rigo outlaw the burning of blasphemies, which allows blasphemies to live in the Fringes and Angus Morton fiercely says, “You get more Fringes dwell...

... middle of paper ...

...ng to hunt the deviations and fail, the decisions the society make are calamitous to them and the ones they love and the norms try to eliminate change, but instead they eliminate themselves and their society.

Bad tidings are what are to expect for the people that try to annihilate change. Some deviations are favourable for the society, but the society does not use it, they are not sure if their crops and livestock are going to be permissible to the society, so there long hours of labour might not pay off, and their enemies always causing harm to them for they, the norms, the society also will not accept the Fringes people’s differences. They chase deviations and they fail, also norms that go against change and depressingly and the society ravage themselves trying to exterminate the blasphemies. Change is the essence of life; if you stop change then you stop life.