I'm having some trouble writing a persuasive essay in response to the Chrysalids by John Wyndham. My thesis is being guided but not limited to the statement "Joseph Strorm has to die, he is unable to move forward and accept change. His inability to think towards the future and his inability to accept change results in a static society that is slowly dying. Prove."
This is proving to be a tough assignment, and I am looking for any recommendations to improve my thesis.
I need help editing this persuasive essay written in response to The Chrysalids
I need help editing this persuasive essay written in response to The Chrysalids. I need grammar and citation advice, along with correction regarding clarity of my thoughts. This is written for a grade eleven university level course, and I do not have the rubric to provide for grading. Any constructive comments will help!
The Chrysalids is a novel that depicts certain founder effects of population genetics in a post-apocalyptic environment. The book title embodies the biological term Chrysalis, which is the pupae stage of butterflies while in a stage of motionlessness. Joseph Strorm is the main protagonist character of the Waknut community and represents the casing of the pupas. His beliefs and actions are denoted in his attempt at sustaining continuity to the chrysalis stage. The rest of the community symbolizes the immobility of the chrysalides' inside their swath of rules and societal norms. Joseph cornerstones a religious significance to avoiding reoccurrence of Tribulation by ousting any specimen not created in the true image of God. His criticism was founded on the book of Repentances unearthed in Labrador which was written after tribulation of the Old People had occurred. Joseph's totalitarian leadership qualities along with his unwavering resolution of keeping true to Gods form, renders him a precarious nemesis to other members of his society; especially individuals that may be concealing or amidst transformation unfamiliar of Waknut normalcy. Joseph refers to these genetic drifts as deviations when transpired in plant life and blasphemies when befallen in humans; hence, both specimens are not considered to be in the true image of God. His character represents the notion that amendment will lead to misfortune, leaving the inhabitants of Waknut in a condition of evolutionary constraint. Therefore, Joseph's existence impedes the advance of the Waknut society by standing in the way of change; he has to be terminated in order for the remaining community to free themselves from the oppression of living inside a continuous armor of conventions.
The fanatical attitude Joseph parades tells itself when examining his standpoint on deviated food crops and livestock. All abnormalities from their parental image were considered to be an offence, and such occurrences warranted public ceremony to witness their obliteration. David recalls his father's perception when he tells "even if a whole field had gone wrong we would wait for good weather, and set fire to it" (19). Joseph's led by example mindset is depicted in David's statement "We had more slaughtering's and burnings than anyone else..." (19). Leading the reader to believe that Josephs is very thorough when it comes to intolerance, even if enduring personal finical loss. Moreover, this level of scrupulousness is progressively embedded within Joseph's character; he does not accept change straightforwardly. Joseph's persistence in pursuit to the true image of God leads him to converge with the inspector when an enhanced variation of a horse is introduced and sanctioned from a superior jurisdiction; leaving Joseph denouncing his own ministries rule by saying "any government that could pass creatures like that is corrupt and immoral" (36). This shows his prejudice to any variation from preconceived parental lineage to be extreme, that he is willing to confront change from happening head-on in attempts to resist merging tainted stock. Joseph's argumentative actions and beliefs towards accepting change in biodiversity acts like a catalysis conserving a stage of lifelessness (chrysalis) controlling the developmental potential of the community.
As the story progresses, Josephs character trait becomes increasingly aggressive towards condemning individuals who are deviated from Walnut normalcy. Joseph has zero tolerance for human abnormalities, and was able to easily separate himself from family members who were not born in the true image of God. David recalls the look on Josephs face after a prisoner resembling Joseph's brother, but possessing appendages of spider, is hauled into Waknut and dumped in front of the main house; he describes "I had never seen hatred naked before" (34). Such a powerful statement is testament to Joseph's true character, a man with principles greater than that of compassion to humanity. It demonstrates Joseph's tenacity in pursuit of a stable nation capsulated in conformity. His mercilessness continues when he is confronted with birth of Aunt Harriet's baby, in which he scolds Harriet telling her to [be] ashamed of producing a mockery of [her] Maker (72). His tirade leads him declaring to Aunt Harriet that "The enemies of God besiege us. They seek to strike at Him through us. Unendingly they work to distort the true image; through our weakest vessels they attempt to defile the race" (72). This implication means the enemies of God may reveal themselves in the most innocent of forms (a baby), and to disregard humanities most robust virtue, which is consideration. Joseph's persistent retort to situations dealing with any genetic variance focuses solely on ostracizing those differences in a callous and public way. These facts contribute to the powerlessness of a community within the process of change. The citizens of Waknut are being subjugated from continuing their state of ecological transformation by not being allowed to identify the attributes of genetic changes as optimistic natural evolution. Joseph's existence in his community serves as a regulator nurturing a static population living inside a protective case (chrysalis) of parameters, while in apprehension of being prosecuted for blasphemy.
Although Joseph presents his character as an autocrat to change, his actions and believes may actually be righteous nevertheless. For once a man said; "Life every man holds dear; but the dear man holds honor far more precious dear than life (William Shakespeare). Hence, Joseph may have been acting in the most honorable way possible, staying true to what he believes in at all cost, which is honor thy God. He takes preemptive steps ensuring pureness of founder genetics by eliminating all sources of irregularities as debasements to the symbolic relationship between God and humanity. Joseph's nobility toward his cause can be measured in how he deals with David's inadvertent whisper about the usefulness of a third hand. Joseph accuses David of not being grateful for his condition by "expressing dissatisfaction with the form of the body God gave [him] - the form in His own image" (27). In fact, this could be considered an ethical retort in preservation to the mainstay of the consecrated society Waknut. Joseph's religious publicity represents the framework to make sense out of life, and to bring meaning and sense of purpose to their lives. He assists in constructing societal routine by renewing a nation in defense "determined still that there is a final form to defend" (182) against, alleged to be man in his finished state. Perhaps, Joseph's actions were to avoid a similar fate of tribulation the Old People brought upon themselves during their final form. The Sealander women also tells the telepathic group that Joseph is the product of split "fragments"(182) left after tribulation. This statement assists the understanding that primitive cultures build their structure based on founding principles from where they dawn. Joseph proves that his intentions are based upon founded knowledge that he intends on reintegrating in to Waknut. Joseph's cause is noble, it is preserving what he believes to be, the last stage (chrysalis) of humanity before tribulation.
Joseph assists in conserving the stage of motionlessness represented by Walnut society. His tenacity seeking out and destroying food crops and livestock proves that he wages the value of keeping to Gods perceived image greater than preserving tangible commodities of life. His position is so intense that he is willing to demoralize change sanctioned by his own government. His contempt towards his brother when David describes the look on Josephs face shows that his value system is stronger than consideration to the evolution of humanity. Joseph strengthens his oppressive social position by accusing Aunt Harriet of ridiculing God by giving birth to a Blasphemy, and then takes preemptive steps annihilating any human deviation including his own family members like Aunt Harriet and her baby. Joseph's beliefs and actions are testaments to acts of honoring his God when compared to the works of William Shakespeare. Joseph demonstrates to David after he wishes for a third hand that he is a man of honor, willing to shun anyone who even whispers irreverence to Gods original form. The sealander woman opinionates Joseph is product of original founder effects. Joseph's existence impedes the advance of the Waknut society by standing in the way of change; he has to be terminated in order for the remaining community to free themselves from the oppression of living inside a continuous armor of conventions. The response to Joseph's permanent absents from the community could represent the shedding of skin, signifying the final stage of metamorphosis represented by the community of Waknut. Only then, can the Waknut society unfold its wings and take its true place in evolution.
References:
Wyndham, John. The chrysalids. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1958. Print.
"William Shakespeare." Brainy Quote. Xplore Inc, 2012.
The book title embodies the biological term Chrysalis, which is the pupae stage of butterflies while in a stage of motionlessness.
Joseph Strorm is the main protagonist character of the Waknut community and represents the casing of the pupa's .
His beliefs and actions are denoted in his attempt at sustaining continuity to the chrysalis stage.
His criticism was founded on the book of Repentances unearthed in Labrador and written after the tribulation of the Old People had occurred.
Joseph's oppressive and exploitative leadership style makes him a precarious and controlling nemesis to other members of his society that may be amidst transformation unfamiliar to Waknut normalcy.
:)
