Tribulations In John Steinbeck's The Chrysalids

1. A. “When a child first catches adults out—when it first walks into his grave little head that adults do not have divine intelligence, that their judgments are not always wise, their thinking true, their sentences just—his world falls into panic desolation. The gods are fallen and all safety gone… they do not fall a little; they crash… it is a tedious job to build them up again, they never quite shine” (Steinbeck 19-20). B. This quote utilizes a metaphor to explain how children tend to believe the words of adults. For most children, adults appear wise and intelligent, always knowing the right thing to do and say.

Until an individual addresses an example, the things one learns through rote as a child mean very little. Primarily, in John Wyndham’s The Chrysalids, David Strorm expresses the journey from innocence to experience. It is crucial to recognize certain deviations that reject the Waknuk community’s beliefs. Also, the characters’ thoughts and concerns toward such beliefs are equally important, for they strongly illustrate the journey from innocence to experience. The consideration of a growth in their understanding about Waknuk and the world beyond is important as well. For these reasons, the youth in The Chrysalids, specifically David, clearly displays the journey from innocence to experience.

The definition of man as stated by the church in The Chrysalids is ".... each leg shall be jointed twice and have one foot, and each foot five toe, and each toe shall end with a flat nail [...] Any creature that shall seem to be human, but is not formed thus is not human. It is neither man nor woman. It is a blasphemy against the true Image of God, and hateful in the sight of God (Wyndham 13)." This view upon what is categorized as the norm, and what is categorized as a deviant pops up into David's head after encountering a girl named Sophie ,who, in the words of society is a blasphemy due to the six toes she holds on each foot -a characteristic which did not fit in with the norm. David states that he was "abruptly perturbed -and considerably puzzled (Wyndham 14)," as he was raised to believe that a blasphemy was something to be frightful of. This quote is considerably significant because it sums up how the Waknuks view the mutants and why it is okay, to them, to destroy the mutants since they are ridding them under the name of God; ridding evil. It helps to create an ever growing stigma against those with deformities thus, creating a nearly false image of what is defined as dangerous. However, it contradicts itself as David makes the connection between having being told to be fearful of this blasphemy, and then encountering the actual thing in real life. Sophie an

John Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums" shows the true feelings of the main character, Elisa Allen, through the use of setting and her interactions with other characters in the story. By way of vivid descriptions, Elisa's feelings of dissatisfaction over the lack of excitement in her life are portrayed. Her role as a mere housewife and then the subsequent change to feelings of a self-assured woman are clearly seen. These inner feelings are most apparent with the portrayal of Elisa working in the garden with the chrysanthemums, the conversation she has with the man passing through, and finally, when she and her husband are going out to dinner.

Steinbeck decided to write his novel The Grapes of Wrath by using intercalary chapters. This method of writing was a good idea on Steinbeck’s part for both the reader and the novel itself. The ways in which this was successful is that it slows down the story, gives readers the chance to make connections, gives readers a better visual for the following chapter and depicts the most important parts. Although, intercalary chapters can also have a downfall to the book. One of them is that it does not progress the story of the Joad’s and instead interrupts their journey with the unnecessary historical and social backgrounds.

In the American epic novel, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, there are pivotal and dynamic changes that occur in the various significant characters of Jim Casy, Ma Joad, and Tom Joad. Steinbeck specifically uses these characters to show their common realizations about all of humanity, in order to demonstrate his underlying meaning about the importance of people coming together, helping each other out, and surviving. Ma Joad illustrates this idea clearly when she speaks to Tom mid-way through the novel: “Why, Tom, we’re the people that live. They ain’t gonna wipe us out. Why we’re the people--we go on.” (350)

Steinbeck’s own family and their dreams was a great inspiration for his multi-generational novel East of Eden. His maternal grandfather Samuel Hamilton emigrated from Ireland in the 19th century to buy land, build a ranch and raise his family in Salinas Valley. From an online article “John Steinbeck's Derry Roots” we find out that “Samuel Hamilton was born at Ballykelly on 7 October 1830… Samuel emigrated at the age of 17, at the height of the Great Famine, to New York where he married a young Irish girl, Elizabeth Fagan in the summer of 1849. They came to California and set up a ranch in the foothills of the Salinas Valley.” When Samuel came to California, all the fertile land was taken. As Steinbeck writes in the first chapter of East of

The short story “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck shows themes of loneliness, confinement, and limitations. The story takes place in the United States shortly after the Great depression. During this time, thousands of Americans were looking for ways to progress and possibly change the farming lifestyle that many Americans were accustomed to living. John Steinbeck uses imagery to express how the main character Elisa Allen feels constricted to her life on the foothill ranch.

First of all, the authority figures in Waknuk use religion to manipulate in order to oppress those not considered 'the norm '. The religious teachings and doctrine are used as propaganda to assimilate the people of Waknuk. “The Definition of Man” is the ‘purity standard’ by which is a means to govern society. David is familiar with the religious teachings:

Joseph Strorm helped to form Waknuk into the fear-based society that it is today. Joseph enforces the entire town to abide by laws written in centuries-old books — Nicholson’s Repentances and the Bible — and according to Repentances, someone is not considered ‘human’ if they are not compatible with what is defined as the true image of God. According to the citizens of Waknuk, the ‘Old

Only a true writer wants to know the details about what their works are about. In the story Travels With Charley John Steinbeck shows that he is curious and wants to actually learn more about what he writes about. Steinbeck met many people and many different cultures on his adventure with his dog Charley. John Steinbeck uses his book to show what his trip was about and how he feels about it.

The sun started to crawl behind the moon. A breeze started to pick upbringing in a cool night chill. Fallen tree branches scattered, coated with dirt roll across the highway. During the night the bar was filled with dirty hands and minds that were somewhere else. Slim held open the door for George, whose eyes never seem to close since he touched the gun.

Sixteen of the thirty chapters in the book The Grapes of Wrath written by John Steinbeck are intercalary chapters, between the narrative chapters of the Joads family journey. The Intercalary chapters provide knowledge to magnify the thoughts portrayed in the narrative by the author. By using this writing technique, Steinbeck intends to capture the reader's attention and make it more comprehensible. While reading the Grapes of Wrath, i found myself more engaged due to the intercalary chapters. This unique, structural choice provided background information and enhanced the story of the Joad’s family journey.

In "The Chrysanthemums" John Steinbeck develops a theme of limitations. The story is essentially a man in the mirror story where the rigid Elisa sees herself for the first time as trapped. Although Elisa has recognized her life as limited and confining, she sadly accepts her life as is and does nothing to rectify her situation. In John Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums" symbolism of the fence, the garden, and the chrysanthemums help illustrate the story by striking an emotional chord with the audience.

“A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty tells the tale of an old African American woman who must make a perilous journey through the woods in order to obtain medication for her ill grandson. Phoenix Jackson has undoubtedly faced trial and tribulation throughout her many years in the segregated South so it is no surprise that she is able to make the seemingly impossible trek across the Mississippi woods time and time again. Phoenix is faced with countless obstacles along her way but she always overcomes and she always presses on. Phoenix Jackson would not have been able to make this treacherous journey in her fragile state if it weren’t for her relentless perseverance and enduring hope.