The Chrysalids - the Power of Fear

    The driven state of fear gives humans the power to destroy. “The Chrysalids” by John Wyndham and the historical event of African American slavery demonstrate the consequences of the power of fear. Differences within human beings create fear that makes people discriminate against those that are different. Misconnections of religious values within human beings allow people to torture others. Defending a discrepancy within the human race create anxiety that makes people kill others. By examining prejudice, torture and death, it is proven that consequences lie within the power of fear.  

    Human beings who are different from normal humans become a suspect of prejudice. In The Chrysalids, the people of Waknuk endlessly strive to purify the “True Image of God”. The Waknukians, on the other hand, fear deviations that are sent by the devil to show impurity in God’s creation of Man. Consequently, if someone in Waknuk were to be caught with a deviation or a blasphemed body, they would be harshly punished. For example, when David first met Sophie, he discovered that Sophie has 6 toes and is considered a blasphemy. Afterwards, Sophie’s mom finds out that David discovered Sophie’s secret. She explained that ““If anyone were to find out, they’d – they’d be terribly unkind to her.” (Wyndham 12). This reveals that the society in which David lives in fears deviations or any person who does not fit the Definition of Man. In contrast to the history of African American slavery, African Americans were considered a threat to the United States of America because of their skin color. They were deprived of their civil rights and discriminated against the Whites, in the workplace, in school, in the social community, and in sports. African Americans were known as slaves during this time, doing hard labor jobs for very little income and very low quality of life. The discrimination that the African Americans faced shows the power of fear that generated among the White citizens...