Adrian


 * 1.Your name:** Adrian Best


 * 2. An Approved Topic:** #8: Discuss the idea of "deviations". What purpose do they serve in the novel?

The purpose of deviations in the novel is to represent those in society that are not considered 'normal' and the behaviour towards them. ( approved thesis, but can be worded better. Mr.A)

- In //The Chrysalids//, deviations are used to denounce modern society in the aspect of our treatment towards those who are different

-In //The Chrysalids//, deviatons are used to denounce modern society with respect to its treatment towards those who are different.

(INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAGH)- No matter where one may look, in any novel, movie, or in the real world, people treat other people based on their differences. This is an unchanging fact, despite our 'high' morals and best efforts. Whether physiologically or psychologically, the occurance of someone not being like us determines our behaviour towards them. Similiarly, society in John Wyndham's //The// Chrysalids assumes an individual should act a certain way based on what they look like and how they act. Like them, we force people to accept our standards, changing who and what they are. If they are unable to do this, we exclude them, imposing unneccessary hardships on their lives. Though as time passes, both societies are becoming tolerant to the fact that no matter how hard we try to make everyone exactly as we are, there will always be variety. Until all come to believe that, if ever, we will still act according to the assumption that everyone should be the same. __In //The Chrysalids//, deviations are used to denounce modern society with respect to its treatment towards those who are different. __
 * 3. Brainstorming Worksheet**

(PHYSIOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES)-

Almost every single deviation in the book is considered a deviation because of their physical appearance. In our society, discrimination is heavily concentrated on such. We can't help but assume stereotypes of people based on their looks, their clothes, how they talk, and so on. In World War II, many Nazis assumed people to be Jewish based on a measurement of their //nose//. People //cannot// make an absolute opinion on someone's beliefs based on their physical traits, yet it has occurred an uncountable amount of times and will continue to occur. In the novel, the people of Waknuk consider one not to be human based on something similiar to a slight difference in nose size. An example of this occured when Aunt Harriet gave birth to a child with a small spot. While it isn't exactly defined, it could have just been a birthmark. Fearing for her child, as she said with "I shall ask Him if it is indeed His will that a child should suffer and its sould be damned for a little blemish..." (page 73), she took the life of the child and herself. A woman took the life of a baby and her own just because it would be too difficult to live. All because of a mark on the skin. While in modern society we don't go as far as banning people from a location because of their appearance, and certainly don't lead people to follow the path of suicide because of a tiny alteration, we still have that base discrimination, represented by the people of Waknuk.

(PHYCOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES)-

Deviations in the novel are considered inhuman, and the people in the societies conduct themselves against deviations according to that. Being very religious, the people of Waknuk consider deviations "abominations that mock the true image of God." In the Crusades, many Christian leaders used religion as a reason to wage war against the Muslim nations. In their opinion, the 'Holy Land' was theirs and only theirs. In the book, many fundamentalists use religion as the reason to commit crimes against deviations. For instance, because Sophie is not of the 'true image', she is mutilated so extremely that she is not able to have babies and she is cast out of Waknuk into the Fringes (page 167). They believe that people can only be of the true image, yet that image is of what only they believe. In the novel, people such as Uncle Axel have different views of this, shown when he says "I'm telling you nobody, //nobody//, really //knows// what the true image is." (page 64). That is to say; just because they believe something does not mean it's right. Related to this, many people in religion have mixed views, leading to disagreements, arguing that their opinion is the right one. Both in our world and in the novel, religion, or in other words, personal beliefs, are used as a reason to shed blood, and the novel portrays this thoroughly.

(INCREASING TOLERANCE)-

Society in both our world and the novel is slowly beginning to tolerate differences in people. In the novel, the society use to burn deviational babies and whip the women who bore them (page 88). Later on, in David's time, a deviational baby is sent to the Fringes and a women has three chances to give birth to an acceptable child before a husband is given the opportunity to divorce them (page 67). In the last century humans have had laws to separate those who were different from each other, for instance the segregation between black and white people in the United States. Yet now, in the 21st century, we have no such laws, and like the society of Waknuk, slowly we are coming to terms with the fact that people are people, no matter how different they appear to be. Though being true, this doesn't mean that either world is close to perfect: many nations still have a down-grading view on women after all this time, and in Waknuk, deviations are still cast aside, and the more fundamental people are still sticking to the fact that nothing but what they consider 'true' should be allowed.

(CONCLUDING PARAGRAGH)-

Throughout the novel, John Whyndam imitates issues of our current society. Representing problems dating as far as back as the Crusades and as recent as the second World War, he shows how even in the future, we haven't changed. Though the examples above can't even scratch the surface of the accounts where discrimination has happened: there are too many to fit on any amount of paper. Wherever humans journey, discrimination seems to follow closely behind, as is seen with a numerous amounts of past events. The question is: will we be able to free ourselves of this strain, or will we end up exactly like we are interpreted in //The Chrysalids//?

Although i have not read your body pars., I do not see much textual evidence. How have you used the novel to support your thesis. In other words, where are the quotations?


 * 4. Essay Outline**
 * 5. First Draft of your Essay**

Person 1 - Introduction Paragraph
 * 6. Peer Comments**
 * 1.Does the introduction paragraph grab your attention? Does it anticipates an insightful thesis?**
 * 2.How strong is the development of the argument for the whole essay?**

Person 2 - Body Paragraphs
 * 1.How well are the quotations integrated and analyzed? Have they been chosen with care and taken from a variety of chapters?**
 * 2.****How strong is the development of the argument for the whole essay?**

Person 3 - Concluding Paragraph
 * 1.Does the conclusion include a reworded thesis, summary.**
 * 2. Does the conclusion have a memorable ending?**
 * 3.****How strong is the development of the argument for the whole essay?**

Please note I cannot edit work that isn't there. Cheers. Adrian-(23/03/11)
 * Group Members:**

Eleanor; Fatima; Jeewon; Malisha
 * 7. Good Copy in MLA format**