The Chrysalids
Chapter 6
by Wyndham, JohnThe chapter begins with the narrator, now calmer, revealing Sophie’s deviation to Rosalind and others, who react with shock and skepticism. Despite the narrator’s attempts to explain that Sophie’s small deviation doesn’t make her monstrous, the group struggles to reconcile this with their ingrained beliefs. The narrator senses their discomfort and eventual withdrawal, leaving them alone with their thoughts. They lie awake, tormented by guilt over Sophie’s fate and her family’s flight to the Fringes, haunted by vivid dreams of past events and a distant, soothing city by the sea.
The next morning, the narrator is confined to bed by Mary’s orders to heal their injured back. During this forced rest, they contemplate escaping to the Fringes, even devising a plan to steal a horse. The inspector visits in the afternoon, offering sweets while probing the narrator’s knowledge of Sophie’s deviation. He lectures on the importance of reporting deviations as blasphemies, framing them as threats to racial purity. The narrator, however, remains conflicted, unable to see Sophie as evil and defending their loyalty to her as a friend.
The inspector’s interrogation grows more intense, emphasizing the narrator’s wrongdoing in concealing Sophie’s deviation. He warns of the Devil’s role in creating deviations and stresses the need for unwavering loyalty to racial purity. The narrator’s resistance falters under his authority, but they still cannot accept Sophie as a threat. The tension escalates when the narrator’s father arrives, announcing that Sophie and her family have been captured, plunging the narrator into despair and self-reproach.
The chapter ends with the narrator overwhelmed by guilt and grief, physically shaking and weeping uncontrollably. The emotional pain eclipses their physical injuries, leaving them in a state of anguish. The abrupt interruption of the door opening again hints at further confrontation or revelation, leaving the narrator’s fate—and Sophie’s—uncertain. The chapter underscores themes of loyalty, guilt, and the clash between personal bonds and rigid societal norms.
FAQs
1. How does the narrator’s perspective on Deviations differ from the societal norms presented in the chapter?
Answer:
The narrator challenges the societal view that Deviations are inherently evil or monstrous, particularly through his relationship with Sophie. While society, represented by the inspector and others, believes Deviations are “not human” and “not in the image of God” due to physical differences like Sophie’s extra toes, the narrator insists Sophie is no different in other ways and values her as a friend. His emotional conflict—feeling guilt over her capture yet defending her humanity—highlights his rejection of rigid dogma (e.g., “It sort of didn’t seem like the things they say in church”). This contrast underscores the theme of questioning indoctrination.2. Analyze the significance of the narrator’s dreams in this chapter. How do they reflect his psychological state?
Answer:
The narrator’s dreams reveal his subconscious turmoil. The nightmare of his father “disposing of” Sophie mirrors his guilt over her fate and fear of authority figures. In contrast, the soothing dream of the “great city by the sea” symbolizes escapism and hope, offering respite from his physical pain and emotional distress. These dreams juxtapose trauma (the violent imagery of Sophie’s punishment) with idealism (the utopian city), illustrating his internal struggle between societal conditioning and personal empathy. The recurrence of the city dream, unchanged over years, suggests it represents a deeper yearning for a world beyond his oppressive reality.3. How does the inspector’s conversation with the narrator reveal the ideological control exerted by their society?
Answer:
The inspector’s dialogue exemplifies indoctrination through religious and moral rhetoric. He frames Deviations as “Blasphemies” sent by the Devil to test purity, insisting even minor physical differences (like Sophie’s toes) negate humanity. His manipulation of loyalty—contrasting friendship with “greater loyalty” to racial purity—shows how authority figures weaponize morality to enforce conformity. The inspector’s evasion of questions about Blasphemies’ fates (“He evaded that”) further underscores systemic secrecy and fear-mongering. This interaction highlights how power is maintained by equating dissent with sin, as seen when the narrator’s honesty is rebuked as “abetting a concealment.”4. What does the narrator’s plan to escape to the Fringes suggest about his evolving worldview?
Answer:
His plan to steal a horse and flee demonstrates a rejection of societal norms. While earlier he internalized some guilt (e.g., worrying his “betrayal” harmed Sophie), his resolve to join the Fringes—a place society deems dangerous and “dubious”—signals defiance. This shift from passive acceptance to active rebellion reflects his growing awareness of systemic cruelty, particularly after learning Sophie’s family was captured. The practicality of his planning (e.g., waiting for his back to heal) also shows maturation. His willingness to risk everything for a marginalized community underscores his prioritization of empathy over dogma.5. Evaluate the chapter’s portrayal of authority figures (the inspector, the narrator’s father). How do they reinforce the society’s values?
Answer:
Authority figures embody societal oppression through punitive actions and rhetoric. The father’s disgust at the narrator (“gave a look of disgust at me”) and his cold announcement of Sophie’s capture (“They got them—all three”) reflect a rigid adherence to purity laws. The inspector, though superficially kind, uses sweets and paternalistic language to coerce confession while justifying persecution as divine mandate. Both figures equate deviation with moral failure, reinforcing hierarchy through fear (e.g., the inspector’s threat to report the narrator). Their actions highlight the cruelty beneath the society’s veneer of order, illustrating how power is maintained through dehumanization and violence.
Quotes
1. “I tried to explain that a person with a deviation—a small deviation, at any rate—wasn’t the monstrosity we had been told. It did not really make any difference—not to Sophie, at any rate.”
This quote captures the protagonist’s internal conflict as he challenges the societal dogma that deviations (physical differences) make someone inhuman. It introduces the central theme of questioning rigid definitions of purity and humanity.
2. “The things we had all been taught were against their acceptance—though they knew well enough that what I was telling them must be true to me. You can’t lie when you talk with your thoughts.”
This highlights the tension between indoctrination and personal experience in this society. The reference to thought-speaking emphasizes how their telepathic abilities make deception impossible, adding weight to the protagonist’s genuine belief in Sophie’s humanity.
3. “Only God produces perfection, so although deviations may look like us in many ways, they cannot be really human. They are something quite different.”
The inspector’s chilling justification for the persecution of deviations represents the chapter’s central ideological conflict. This quote encapsulates the religious dogma used to justify discrimination and violence against those who are different.
4. “Sophie’s my friend. My best friend.”
This simple declaration stands in stark contrast to the inspector’s ideological arguments. It represents the protagonist’s moral clarity and the power of personal relationships to challenge systemic prejudice.
5. “Loyalty is a great virtue, but there is such a thing as misplaced loyalty. One day you will understand the importance of a greater loyalty. The Purity of the Race—”
The inspector’s interrupted speech chillingly foreshadows the novel’s exploration of how concepts like “purity” can be used to justify atrocities. The unfinished thought makes it particularly powerful and ominous.