Ben

=The Chrysalids by John Wyndham= = = ==

**Synopsis**
==== The Chrysalids is set in the future after a devastating global nuclear war. David Strorm, the young protagonist of the novel, lives in a tight-knit community of religious and genetic fundamentalists, who exist in a state of constant alert for any changes from what they perceive as the norm of God's creation, changes broadly classified as "offences" and "blasphemies". Offences consist of plants and animals that are in any way unusual, an extra leaf or a third ear, and these deviations are then burned publicly to the accompaniment of the singing to ward of evil spirits. Blasphemies are human beings-ones who show signs of abnormality, an extra finger or a toe, it does not matter. They're banished from the human society and cast out to live in the wild country where, as the authorities say, nothing is reliable and the devil does his work. David grows up with his mutation and surrounded by the admonition: KEEP PURE THE STOCK OF THE LORD; WATCH THOU FOR THE MUTANT. ====

Character List:
 * David Strorm-The protagonist of the story and as well the narrator. He is one of the considered blasphemies, a mutant with a telepathic ability. He has an inquisitive but obedient nature.
 * Sophie Wender-A friend of David's but flees to the fringes when she gets found out of her blasphemy, an extra toe.
 * Elias Strorm-The founder of Waknuk.
 * Joseph Strorm-The main antagonist and David's father. He is strongly against anything that goes against "Gods" norm.
 * Uncle Axel-A kind and understanding man that supports David in his troubles as his confident and advisor.
 * Rosalind Morton-David's half-cousin
 * To be continued...

=
His early childhood was spent in Edgbaston in Birmingham, but when he was 8 years old his parents separated and he and his brother, the writer Vivian Beynon Harris, spent the rest of their childhood at a number of English preparatory and boarding schools, including Blundell's School in Tiverton, Devon during the First World War. His longest and final stay was at Bedales School near Petersfield in Hampshire (1918–21), which he left at the age of 18, and where he blossomed and was happy. =====

The Second World War
==== During the Second World War, Wyndham first served as a censor in the Ministry of Information, then joined the army, serving as a Corporal cipher operator in the Royal Corps of Signals. He participated in the Normandy landings, although was not involved in the first days of the operation. ====

Postwar
After the war, Wyndham returned to writing, inspired by the success of his brother who had had four novelspublished. He altered his writing style and, by 1951, using the John Wyndham pen name for the first time, wrote the //The Day of the Triffids//. His pre-war writing career was not mentioned in the's publicity, and people were allowed to assume that it was a first novel from a previously unknown writer. The book proved to be an enormous success and established Wyndham as an important exponent of science fiction. During his lifetime he wrote and published six more novels under the name John Wyndham. In 1963 he married Grace Wilson, whom he had known for more than 20 years; the couple remained married until he died.

He died aged 65 at his Petersfield, survived by his wife and brother. Subsequently, some of his unsold work was published and his earlier work re-published.

=Death to the Aristos!=



=Interview with David Strorm=

1. Between the people in the fringes and badlands to your judgemental community, who would you rather live with and why?

I would like to keep live with my family in Waknuk but to do that i either can't let anyone else know about my mutation or else I'll be forced to live in the Wild Country and I really do not like the sound of that.

2. Why do you think your community is so against these 'offences' and 'blasphemies'?

I think that my community is scared of the mutations so they ban them and/or set fire to them. I think that they are afraid that they are evil spirits that are going to take over the town.

3. Why do you think you were born with a mutation?

I'm not quite sure why I was born with a mutation, but I wish I wasn't. If I get found out I'll be banished into the Wild Country, and that almost always means certain death.

4. Who in your family do you think will be a good confident for your 'problems' and why?

I think that Uncle Axel is a good person for me to talk to about my problems because unlike my father, he wants to accept people for who they are, mutation or not.

5. Why might you move to the Wild Country or maybe even the Fringes?

There are two reasons I might go: 1. I'll probably have to move if I get found out and 2. If Petra, my little sister, gets banished there, I'll go with her.

=5 Interesting facts/questions=

1. What caused the sudden increase and variety in the genetic mutation for the town of Waknuk?.

2. What is the rarest sort of mutation?

3. Not everyone in Waknuk share the same views on mutants in their society. Sophie's parents and Uncle Axel do not mind mutants, while David's father is very strongly against the idea of mutants. Yet it is amazing how they can all still live together without much of a hitch.

4. Is it possible for non-mutants to become mutants through an infection?

5. Will the mutants eventually outbreed the non-mutants and slowly take over the majority population?