The Chrysalids

By John Wyndham

Chrysalid – n. a chrysalisadj. relating to or resembling a chrysalis

A chrysalis is the pupal stage of butterflies.

Within the chrysalis, growth and differentiation occur. The adult butterfly emerges from this and expands its wings – a change called metamorphosis.

The communication model above demonstrates the relationship between an artist and the receiver of the

art.

When an artist sets out to create art, she/he determines three main things:

Purpose: What am I trying to accomplish?Audience: For whom am I creating this art?Medium: What art form am I going to use?

Artist Medium Receiver(art)

John WyndhamJohn Wyndham (1903-1969) is one of the most important and widely read British writers of science fiction.

Wyndham began publishing science fiction in the 1930s but it was only after the Second World War, following refinements to his writing style and subject matter, that he gained critical and popular acclaim. Wyndham achieved particular success with The Day of the Triffids (1951), The Kraken Wakes (1953) (also known as Out of the Deeps), The Chrysalids (1955) and The Midwich Cuckoos (1957) (also known as Village of the Damned).

These carefully crafted stories instantly captured the imagination of the public worldwide and have since become classics of science fiction. Wyndham's stylish explorations of the social effects of sudden change not only reflect the anxieties of post-War Britain in particular but also possess wider and enduring relevance and popularity.

Three Purposes of Literature

1. To entertain2. To teach3. To raise questions (about things already decided)

Analyzing literature intellectually requires the awareness that any text does all three of these things simultaneously – although the author may intend one or more of them explicitly.

When you read and evaluate literature, you must be aware of these three purposes, and make decisions for yourself.

The archived manuscript’s title page – Does it suggest anything about the content? Theme(s)?

The Novel GenreNovel – a fictitious prose narrative of considerable length and complexity.

The novel is a unique genre with its own unique features (like short story, play, and poetry). Within those features, there is much room for variation.

The word “novel” means “new” (from latin: nova; French: nouvelle). In the 18th Century, the novel emerged as a new form of writing.

Note that the following are NOT novels: novellas (a sort of very short novel, or long short story); novelizations (when a screenplay is turned into novel form).

In a novel, all of the elements of the short story are present:

Plot Character

SettingAtmosphere

Style

But there are many more characters in many more situations, many more and various conflicts, and probably many themes (although there tends to be one central theme or message).

Structure of a Novel

Like other story genres, novels are structured with a beginning, middle, and end.

Structurally, it follows the same basic pattern as a short story, and contains many of the same elements.

Pre-reading Exercise:

Novel Covers

A number of covers from different editions of the novel are depicted in the slides that follow (as well as one poster for a never-made film).

Examine each cover, and make predictions about what the novel is about.

Bildungsroman[bil-doongz-roh-mahn]

bildungsroman; (German: "novel of education") is a coming-of-age kind of novel in which the author presents the psychological, moral and social shaping of the personality of a usually young main character (the protagonist).

The bildungsroman generally takes the following course:• The protagonist grows from child to adult throughout the novel. • A loss or some discontent must, at an early stage, jar the protagonist away from the home

or family setting to embark on a journey.• The protagonist slowly and gradually matures through clashes between the protagonist's

needs and desires and the views and judgments enforced by an unbending social order. • The novel ends with the protagonist's assessment of himself and his new place in his/her

society (i.e. adulthood).

Genre – Science Fiction

Science fiction is a broad genre of fiction that often involves one or more of the following elements:

• A setting in the future or in an alternate timeline.• A setting in outer space or involving aliens or unknown

civilizations.• The discovery or application of new scientific principles or

new technology, such as time travel or robots.

Science fiction differs from fantasy in that its imaginary elements are usually possible within established laws of nature (although some elements might be entirely imaginative).

Science-FictionWhat are some science-fiction shows, movies, or books that come to mind?

Post-apocalyptic: Science-FictionThere are many science-fiction based stories that deal with the “end of the world” or society as we know it being destroyed. These stories usually deal with the aftermath.

The Omega Man (1971)Trailer for the Film

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiNY3anKBa4

The Omega Man (1971)News Report - How the World

Endedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=6q_fLr7hCZE

I am Legend (2007)Trailer for the Film

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewpYq9rgg3w

Planet of the Apes (1968)The film's final scene

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPfcim_p38w

The Day After Tomorrow (2004)

Trailer for the Filmhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=jBD9EkOLgiI

The Omega Man (1971)News Report - How the World Ended (1:05mins)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q_fLr7hCZE

The Omega Man (1971)Trailer for the Film (3:01mins)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiNY3anKBa4

I am Legend (2007)Trailer for the Film (2:30mins)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewpYq9rgg3w

The Day After Tomorrow (2004)Trailer for the Film (2:33mins)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBD9EkOLgiI

Planet of the Apes (1968)The film's final scene (1:15mins)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPfcim_p38w