When reading a book or watch a movie, do you care about what happens? Most stories have characters, a setting, and a plot. However, there is one thing, in particular, every story must have in order to create interest in the audience, a conflict. A conflict in literature is defined as any struggle between opposing forces.
In the novel by John Wyndham The Chrysalids, the conflicts, and obstacles introduced point how the characters develop. The conflicts generate suspense to retain the reader entertained, and overwhelmed by the characters outcome. Over the course of conflicts occurring in the novel, such as how the where deviants, attempting to locate a different, and accepting environment to live in, as well as trying to adjust into the new society the character’s identity develops, in much the way they think, act, and so on an so forth. Focusing on some of the characters that have had a drastic change over the course of the novel, such as David Strorm, Petra Strorm, Roseland Morton, one would realize how important conflict is for character development. David is the main character and narrator of the novel. His ability to communicate telepathically, or through “thought pictures,” with others makes him abnormal within the town of Waknuk. As a result, David and the other telepathic Waknukians, he meets must flee Waknuk that sterilizes and banishes anyone who is different. Here is a quote… ‘Circumstances are beyond human control, but our conduct is in our own power.’ – Benjamin Disraeli. This relates to the book because it’s just by chance that the people in this book have ‘deviations.’ The people who have them can’t control the fact that they have something ‘wrong’ with them. It’s only the people’s opinion that having a deviation is wrong, they wouldn’t feel that way if it was them with the deviation. It’s how the people who deal with it, make it seem wrong or right. When david meets sophie, and later finds out about her extra toes, he keeps the secret and showed her kindness. ‘One who knows how to show and to accept kindness will be a friend better than any possession.’ – Sophocles
This shows how David was kind to Sophie when they first met, even when he knew about her deviation. He and Sophie ended up becoming very good friends because he was one of the only people who would of been nice to her, even when knowing about her deviation. The town could not tell that David was different but he knew his differences and that was hard for him to hide sometimes. The town eventually found out about David’s difference so he ran away to the Fringes. It was not easy for David to overcome the feeling of never being accepted in his own family. But Uncle axel help david find who he is and gave him valid information to escape from being executed. He told him this to help him… “The lands down there aren’t civilized. Mostly they don’t have any sense of sin there so they don’t stop Deviations; and where they do have a sense of sin, they’ve got it mixed up… There’s one tribe where both the men and women are hairless, and they think that hair is the devil’s mark… In one place they don’t think you’re properly human unless you have webbed fingers and toes…
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There are even said to be some islands where both the men and women would be passed as true images, if it weren’t that some strange deviation has turned them all completely black– though even that’s easier to believe than the one about a race of Deviations that has dwindled to two feet high, grown fur, and a tail, and taken to living in the trees. ” – Uncle Axel, p. 62 In the end when He had to adapt to a new culture he knew nothing about when he escaped to New Zealand. The sealand woman promised him this. “Knowing makes all the difference… It’s the difference between just trying to keep alive, and having something to live for” Petra is David’s youngest sister. She is thought to be a normal child, until she endangers the other telepathic Waknukians with her extraordinarily strong telepathic powers. She questions why they had to runaway… “Why should they be afraid of us? We aren’t hurting them,’ petra wondered. Petra’s personality became stronger and stronger. As she struggled to survive. As you read the book you will find out that she is one of the most powerful telepaths The Zealand women suspects that Petra is the most powerful telepath in the world, and she comes to rescue David, Rosalind, and Petra from the Fringes of Waknuk because of Petra’s powers.In hopes of starting a new world she said… “We do know that we can make a better world than the Old People did. They were only ingenious half-humans, little better than savages; all living shut off from one another, with only clumsy words to link them.” – The Sealand woman, p. 156 Rosalind is David’s half cousin, and later his girlfriend. Uncle Axel finds out about David’s secret ability when he hears him having a conversation with Rosalind, who can also communicate telepathically.
Rosalind’s ability is exposed when she and David run toward Petra’s silent calls for help, and she escapes with David and Petra when they are forced to flee Waknuk. She is kind, thoughtful, and a good planner. Rosalind seemed like a very strong woman in the beginning in the book but later on we can see her week side jumping in near the end. In the end, the conflicts generate suspense in the character’s personality to retain the reader entertained, and overwhelmed by the characters outcome. Through examples of David Strorm, Petra Strorm, Roseland Morton character revelation one would realize how important conflict is for character development. David Strorm, Petra Strorm, Roseland Morton character have developed to be more independent, as well as responsible and the conflict gave them a push to want to make change the way the world thinks with the help of the Zealanders.
