preview

Chrysalids Similarities

Good Essays

A comparison of To Kill a Mockingbird & The Chrysalids To Kill a Mockingbird and The Chrysalids are both novels that discuss flaws in human nature. These extend to racism, both past and future, unfair judgement, and justice. Though they take place in different time periods and have different characters with different beliefs, the two novels showcase similar and yet unique interpretations of their central themes: prejudice, conformity and religion. Prejudice is a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or experience, expressed in many forms. Be it race, gender or appearance, be it young or old prejudice is present. When looking at the inhabitants of Waknuk in The Chrysalids, it is evident that they show prejudice. “Usually there was only one small thing wrong, but however much or little was wrong it was an offence, and if it happened among people it was a blasphemy” (Wyndham 19). This quote by David references the harsh ideas of the Waknuk people and how they discriminate against any organism that is not up to their standards. There are many instances of prejudice shown against living things. An example of this is when David says, “We would sing a hymn while my father ceremonially slaughtered the two-headed calf, four-legged chicken” (19). This quote shows that because these animals are different in some way, they would be killed, even though they could provide like any other animal. The Waknuk people are not the only prejudiced society in the novel. During the

Get Access