The setting in The Chrysalids is important for a few reasons. The setting is in a town called Waknuk. The reason that this setting is important is because of the savage people known as the Fringe's. These people "had very little" (Wyndham 20) which meant they had to go out and raid in "large, organized bands and [do] a lot of damage" (Wyndham 20) just to get what they needed to survive. So the Fringe's are only savage because the land they live on can't provide them with food. If the setting was different then the Fringe's may have land that they could grow food on so they wouldn't be as big of a worry. Also that could mean that the people of Waknuk may not live on land that could be farmed so they may have to become savage people. If the time changed I don't believe it would affect the story. Although if you consider that the story is after the world has ended then it could be said that these people would be better off if this had happened much earlier in time. I say that because the story takes place after an apocalypse in the world but before it the world was advanced and people were a lot less dependent on getting food for them selves. But around the 1600's or so everyone would be used to the life they are forced to be living now so it would almost benefit.
The Chrysalids is set in a time after a worldwide apocalypse, in a town called Waknuk in eastern Canada. While the author does not specify which year, it is somewhere in the distant future, since the main character, David, dreams of big cities while he sleeps, and he and his sister decide that “there was no such place- not now” (Wyndham 1), but he “could somehow be dreaming about times long ago (Wyndham 1). David’s Uncle explains that Waknuk is part of a bigger section called Labrador, and beside this is the big island of Newf, setting this story in eastern Canada. The author describes Waknuk as a normal society, but the further you get from the city centre the more dangerous it becomes. Waknuk itself is a farming city, with many forests and even a mountain. Right outside is the Wild Country, where the animals are mostly normal, but are sometimes strange and unnaturally violent. Further out still are the Fringes, where there is strange, mutated vegetation and the home of the outlaws of Waknuk. Finally come the Badlands, which the people know nothing about because everybody who has dared to venture that far never returned. The setting of this story is very important, because it would change the plot entirely if it were somewhere else. Waknuk's society is very strict to "keep pure the stock of the Lord" (Wyndham 18) and to "watch...for the mutant", (Wyndham 23) and since they are so closed off from the rest of possible civilization, they believe this is the only way to live. Were they in a big city, they would have access to technology and other people who could show them how the world really is, and that mutations are not really all that different. The main character, David, is different from everybody else, and throughout the story he must strive to keep that hidden. If they lived somewhere where being different was more socially accepted he would be able to truly be himself, and a main plot point of the story would be gone.
The setting in The Chrysalids is important for a few reasons. The setting is in a town called Waknuk. The reason that this setting is important is because of the savage people known as the Fringe's. These people "had very little" (Wyndham 20) which meant they had to go out and raid in "large, organized bands and [do] a lot of damage" (Wyndham 20) just to get what they needed to survive. So the Fringe's are only savage because the land they live on can't provide them with food. If the setting was different then the Fringe's may have land that they could grow food on so they wouldn't be as big of a worry. Also that could mean that the people of Waknuk may not live on land that could be farmed so they may have to become savage people. If the time changed I don't believe it would affect the story. Although if you consider that the story is after the world has ended then it could be said that these people would be better off if this had happened much earlier in time. I say that because the story takes place after an apocalypse in the world but before it the world was advanced and people were a lot less dependent on getting food for them selves. But around the 1600's or so everyone would be used to the life they are forced to be living now so it would almost benefit.
ReplyDeleteThe Chrysalids is set in a time after a worldwide apocalypse, in a town called Waknuk in eastern Canada. While the author does not specify which year, it is somewhere in the distant future, since the main character, David, dreams of big cities while he sleeps, and he and his sister decide that “there was no such place- not now” (Wyndham 1), but he “could somehow be dreaming about times long ago (Wyndham 1). David’s Uncle explains that Waknuk is part of a bigger section called Labrador, and beside this is the big island of Newf, setting this story in eastern Canada. The author describes Waknuk as a normal society, but the further you get from the city centre the more dangerous it becomes. Waknuk itself is a farming city, with many forests and even a mountain. Right outside is the Wild Country, where the animals are mostly normal, but are sometimes strange and unnaturally violent. Further out still are the Fringes, where there is strange, mutated vegetation and the home of the outlaws of Waknuk. Finally come the Badlands, which the people know nothing about because everybody who has dared to venture that far never returned. The setting of this story is very important, because it would change the plot entirely if it were somewhere else. Waknuk's society is very strict to "keep pure the stock of the Lord" (Wyndham 18) and to "watch...for the mutant", (Wyndham 23) and since they are so closed off from the rest of possible civilization, they believe this is the only way to live. Were they in a big city, they would have access to technology and other people who could show them how the world really is, and that mutations are not really all that different. The main character, David, is different from everybody else, and throughout the story he must strive to keep that hidden. If they lived somewhere where being different was more socially accepted he would be able to truly be himself, and a main plot point of the story would be gone.
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