Major characters in 'The Chrysalids'
Beryl Clarke, Contributor

The rungs of the ladder of success are not meant to be rested on, but to support us until we are able to climb higher.

We will now spend some time discussing the major characters in The Chrysalids. It should come as no surprise that we will first consider our narrator, David. When our story begins, David is still a child. He is not happy and does not feel comfortable in his own home. It is for this reason, plus the fact that the sister nearest in age to him was five years older, that he finds places to be alone. We can see too, that like some children, he tries to avoid work.

From the very first sentence of the novel we learn that there is something 'different' about him. I am sure you know that here I am referring to his dreams about a place that may have existed at one time and about which his eldest sister, Mary, warned him not to speak. Then, soon after, he informs us of the 'understanding' he has with his cousin, Rosalind. This, of course, concerns their telepathic ability.

What sort of child was he? He says of himself that he "was a normal little boy, growing up the normal way, taking the ways of the world about me for granted". He seems normal when he meets and plays with Sophie, warm, playful and kind, but, according to the rules of his society, he was not behaving as required. He related to her without prejudice, disregarding her extra toes. He demonstrated care and concern for a fellow person when Sophie was hurt and did not seek to report her for something over which she had no control.

David - a hero

We find out much about David through his interaction with Sophie. In fact, he proves to be a hero in the following ways:

• He treats Sophie like a normal human being, making her his friend and keeping her secret.
• He tries to protect her from Alan. He tries to wipe out the prints made by her feet and goes so far as to attack Alan to give her time to get away, and this he does in spite of the fact that he knows that he cannot beat Alan.
• He sleeps at the Wender home alone, even though he is afraid. He does this so that Sophie and her parents could escape from Waknuk.
• Although, he "felt sick with fright", he does not willingly reveal anything about Sophie. His father beat him savagely to extract the information the 'norms' wanted.

Please do not believe that he is a coward because he fears his father. From our reading of The Chrysalids, we know that Mr Strorm was a rigid, harsh, cold individual and father. David's heroism is made obvious when, despite his fear, he does not act traitorously. His courage is later displayed when he tries to protect Rosalind from his uncle. Think of the risk he runs when he attacks the man who is leader of the Fringe people. His concern for Rosalind, who breaks down before Gordon, is so strong that he discounts the danger to himself. Remember, too, that although he is threatened with death if he dares to return after he is thrown out of the village, he does re-enter and gets a beating.

David is a loving child who receives little love in his home. His father exhibits no paternal consideration, his mother seems too afraid to protect him and what comfort he receives in his home comes from his sister, Mary. What he knows about love in a family is from observing the Wenders. Yet, he does love Petra and Rosalind. He shares a deep and very special relationship with Rosalind and is prepared to protect her and Petra.

Sense of responsibility

His sense of responsibility is also admirable. We see it in operation in his friendship with Sophie and his interaction with his fellow telepaths. He agrees with Michael that it might become necessary to kill Petra and Rosalind as a duty, something that only he could do to save them both from a bitter future.

You should have finished your second reading of this text by now. Please ensure that you keep a record of the information in these lessons. I suggest, too, that you write down the pages on which you can find supporting evidence about the characters and other aspects of the work as we discuss them.

God bless and have a great week!

Christopher Smith (left, front), the captain of Cornwall College, accepts the KFC Under-16 basketball title from Monica McIntyre (third from right), the chairman of basketball at ISSA and principal of Ocho Rios, after his team's win over Spot Valley at the Montego Bay Cricket Club courts recently. Looking on are Charles Stephenson (second right), president of the Western Basketball Association; Al Remekie (right), the national coordinator for basketball, and members of the victorious team. - Photo by Adrian Frater

Beryl Clarke teaches at Glenmuir High School.