The Chrysalids: Character Analysis of David

The Chrysalids: Character Analysis of David Waknuk is a religious community that doesnt believe in individuality. Everything must, basically, be the same. Any differences or deviations are hateful in the sight of god. When faced with adversity, individuals are stretched to the limit and tend to show great achievements!   You must go through obstacles and adversity. Thats what provides endurance for the future. David had numerous challenges for him to overcome. The punishment of being a deviant is clearly stated throughout the chapter like sent to the fringes, a feeling of inhumanity and being discriminated which didnt allow him to express feelings or emotions. Being a deviant and having telepathic abilities has many negative effects like being isolated from your family and sent to the fringes but made David a stronger, succeeding person. Having a difference, you are not considered as humans and are sent away banished to the Fringes. These people are then left there to fend for themselves with no sympathy. The consequences of showing deviations from the wider population result in individuals being moved to the Fringes, on the edge of Waknuk. Due to the contaminated soil, there is a limited amount of food available. With the people of Waknuk being symbolic of God with their strict norms, those not fitting the population are considered outsiders and removed from the group. David, over time, gains many opponents because of his difference. Living in such a controlled community made David feel neglected because he encountered diversity due to his differences from the people of Waknuk. Being confronted by town officials, David struggled to fit in with the people of Waknuk as he faced constant hardships regarding his differences.   Recurring differences left David with no choice but to face his fears on a daily basis. To be any kind of deviant is to be hurt always. (Page 167). Waknuk functions under a set of laws and beliefs that discriminate against anyone or anything that does not look normal, ultimately being sent to the fringes. Those who look different in any way from the Image of God as set by the Definition of Man, are isolated from society, and sterilized so that they cannot produce more Deviations. This relates to the quote as they are afraid of the unknown and their differences. Being isolated from society had a positive effect on Davids identify. David was unfamiliar with the brave people of New Zealand, which made him feel inferior because he had to learn to adapt and overcome the feeling of never being accepted. With self-pride and bravery, there was a rise in strength that allowed David to overcome his obstacles, eventually succeeding. There are numerous challenges along with having a telepathic ability, one of them is having a feeling inhumanity. Inhumanity is characterized by cruelty as well as an unjustified behavior. This inhuman behavior results in catastrophic consequences, perhaps why it is not favored.   But, this is evident in the book. For example, The ways of the world were very puzzling David, (Page 9). There was no love and justice when it came to recognizing an individual unusual from the one kind of majority. Deviating features on an uncommon individual lead to victims of hatred crime. At the end of the day, we could all say that The Chrysalids definition of inhumanity is far beyond the normal standards. Assassination of an innocent being, and presentations of ignorance among family and friends are common in such a community. Waknuk can be a harsh place. For example, Anne had seen this just as well as the rest of us, but now she pretended to ignore it. She began to defy her difference by refu sing to respond to us, though whether she shut her mind off altogether, or continued to listen without taking part we could not tell. David, (Page 42). Not only does it show how people in their society behave but is telling us that something needs to change about us as a whole. This also shows how people fear change, David has a feeling of inhumanity changed the way of thinking and made him more closed minded as he was afraid of the consequences. David goes through these obstacles and events represents the skills David had to overcome this event. David let these events affect his behavior. In the Chrysalids, the people of Waknuk are bias contrary to anyone who does not live up to the true image. They will discriminate against anyone who looks or acts differently than the norm do. For example, there are signs all over Davids house saying things like WATCH FOR THOU MUTANT, (Page 2). On the other hand, Sophie has only one extra toe on each foot and she had to be sent away to the Fringes for being different. Also, Aunt Harriots baby has the smallest little mark on her but she was still labeled as a deviation. In Waknuk society, anyone deviating from the true image of God lead to persistent judgement.   For example, a plant devastation is burned, an animal deviations often slaughtered, and human with deferences or who are not the norm are sterilized so they cannot reproduce and sent out into the Fringes. If you are not the true image of God, you are considered unusual and not normal by society in Waknuk. For example, when Sophie is depicted as a deviant, she appears to elope along with her family to protect herself. David lives in constant fear that others will discover his secret of telepathy. Sophie, a character introduced in the first part of the book had to flee the village because she had an unusual number of toes. Having to hide about Sophies toe was a challenge for David as he couldnt express his emotions or opinions about one another which made him a more closed person keeping everything on the inside and not expressing it. In a time of trouble, the adversities David faced revealed his true character. David was isolated from his family, had a feeling of inhumanity, and being discriminated but all these adversities helped to improve Davids mental health and outlook on life, which contributes to strong character. Each adversity David overcomes, he gained invaluable knowledge while growing stronger. Are People Becoming Too Reliant on Technology? Are People Becoming Too Reliant on Technology? Smart phones, Facebook, Netflix, YouTube†¦. The world is living in an era of constant dynamic technological revolutions. Information Technology has become inextricable from everyday life. Information technology refers to combination of computing technology, such as networking, hardware, software, the Internet, and the people that work with these technologies. The main aim of T is to facilitate the life of each and every one, as Steve Ballmer said (brainyquotes.com). â€Å"The number one benefit of information technology is that it empowers people to do what they want to do. It lets people be creative. It lets people be productive. It lets people learn things they didnt think they could learn before, and so in a sense it is all about potential.† However, IT can be addictive and occupy a huge place in one’s life. IT has brought about a revolution in data processing and storage. Creating a document, editing and storing a document is a task any common individual with basic IT knowledge can achieve. Storing information has become easier and less bulky, for example; a considerable of amount of data, such as a company’s information about its employees can be stored on a computer or in a secondary storage device such as a pen drive, and does not require bulky filing cabinets. This has revolutionized businesses around the world. As Bill Gates said: (brainyquotes.com). â€Å"Information technology and business are becoming inextricably interwoven. I dont think anybody can talk meaningfully about one without the talking about the other.† Businessmen find it easier to check stock, demand, prices, and investment possibilities. There are dependent on this technology but only because it gives them the possibility to render their businesses more productive. Furthermore IT has allowed tremendous progress in the medical field. The research facilities set up have allowed to find the cure to several diseases and better understanding of many others, for example the use of the electron microscope has led to the understanding of the structure of the AIDS virus. Genetic Engineering has allowed to cure birth defects and treat other genetic diseases. â€Å"Im fascinated by the idea that genetics is digital. A gene is a long sequence of coded letters, like computer information. Modern biology is becoming very much a branch of information technology.† Richard Dawkins (brainyquotes.com). Machine assisted surgical operations are conducted all over the world to assist doctors in dangerous procedures and provide greater precision and reduce the risk of human error. Monitoring the heart rate, taking the Blood pressure and the amount of oxygen in the body are all machine assisted. People are dependent on IT but the latter allows many lives to be saved and helps to provide better medical assistance. IT has bestowed upon man a great favor: the internet. Man cannot fathom the kaleidoscope of facilities the internet gives him access to. People can learn whatever they want, ranging from astronomy to advanced linguistics while being comfortably seated at home. Access to education has been greatly facilitated as online courses are available to everyone and online degrees and diplomas can be obtained. In addition IT knowledge is a must as: â€Å"In todays knowledge-based economy, what you earn depends on what you learn. Jobs in the information technology sector, for example, pay 85 percent more than the private sector average.† William J. Clinton (brainyquotes.com). Furthermore, communication in itself has underwent an extraordinary transformation. As Peter Drucker said: (brainyquotes.com). â€Å"The new information technology Internet and e-mail have practically eliminated the physical costs of communications.† Skype and Facetime allow people to transcend barriers and saves them money as international calls are very expensive whereas these applications are free. Communication costs have been further reduce with the invention of Whatsapp and Viber. Teleconferences are held all over the world and the physical cost of travelling becomes inexistent. However, it is undeniable that IT has become a leech in some people’s lives, particularly youngsters. A recent survey proves that mobile users cant leave their phone alone for six minutes and check it up to 150 times a day. People make, receive or avoid 22 phone calls every day and send or receive messages 23 times a day. Dr James Roberts of Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business in Texas conducted research on the matter and said: (brainyquotes.com). â€Å"Mobile phones are a part of our consumer culture. They are not just a consumer tool, but are used as a status symbol. They’re also eroding our personal relationships.† With the advent of social media such as twitter and Facebook, people have been engulfed by IT. Youngsters feel the urge of posting everything they do and that happens to them on the internet. It seems to have caused attention deficit disorder outbreak as their self-esteem rises or falls according to the response they get on their posts. Teens all over the world have instagram, twitter, snap chat, etc. Rather than them focusing on school the only thing they care about is that everything on their social media accounts are perfect. It honestly makes no sense whatsoever. The teens are disregarding their school work and only care about those things, a lot of teens are anti-social. The only way they interact with people is through their phones. A lot of the time the people they are considering theyre friends online they have never even met. Teens do not even like to go places because they think their phones are more satisfying than having to actually go outside and do something with their lives other than going on their cell phones. So, yes we are way too dependent on technology. Health problems have also arisen due to overexposure to computers, for example; back pain, eye problems, joint problems, to name but a few. Online films and series have rendered people addicted to them, as they spend a lot of time glued t their monitor with the usual phrase â€Å"just one more episode†. Information Technology is becoming a crutch for humanity. The world is evolving to incorporate technology into every facet of human life. Because of this new reliance people are losing the ability to take care of themselves in an organic and all natural way, for example GPS systems have changed the way we travel. People cant even read a map anymore. To conclude, IT has become an inherent part of modern life. In most cases its use is vital. It facilitates tasks and allows people  to explore all possibilities and also to attain the paroxysm of his capabilities. However it should not be considered the solutions to all problems and an escape from reality. If ever IT is considered to be an evil, it definitely is a necessary one. 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