The Chrysalids: Chapter 4 Summary & Analysis

One day David’s Uncle Axel, who lives with David and his family, comes across David, who appears to be talking to himself. Uncle Axel jokingly suggests that it would be more entertaining to talk to other people. Because David trusts Uncle Axel, he tells him that he was actually talking to Rosalind, his cousin. Once Uncle Axel understands that David is able to communicate telepathically to Rosalind, he makes David promise never to tell anyone about his ability. When David explains that he does not need to use words to communicate with Rosalind, but rather can send her wordless images and thoughts, Uncle Axel also suggests that he no longer carry out these conversations out loud. He tells David to have Rosalind promise to do the same.

David tells the reader that at the time of this conversation, he does not inform Uncle Axel that there are others (besides Rosalind) with whom he can communicate this way, because he does not want to worry Uncle Axel more. He does, however, tell the other people with whom he can communicate telepathically (but whose names he does not yet know) about his conversation with Uncle Axel. While none of them had agreed to keep their abilities secret, none of them had told anyone else about them either. The gravity of Uncle Axel’s warning concerns the group, and they make a pact to keep their ability a secret. David tells the reader that it was this pact that formally made the group a group. He notes that at the time of the decision, they were mostly interested in distributing the burden of their secret, but that in retrospect, this was an important act of “self-preservation.”

Soon after this, a group from the Fringes launches an invasion of Waknuk. David’s father organizes a counter-attack, during which the Waknuk militia captures a few Fringe leaders. A group of soldiers brings the prisoners into town. David expects them to look strange or deformed, but to him they look like unwashed but otherwise ordinary men.

David is shocked when he realizes that the leader of the captives looks almost exactly like his father. His father notices the man as well, and when the two make eye contact, the Fringe leader returns his gaze with a look of hatred so intense that David does not forget it for the rest of his life. When the leader dismounts from his horse, David realizes that he is a foot-and-a-half taller than a normal man. The man motions for David to come closer, and when he does, he asks David who his father is and whether the town is called Waknuk. David replies that his father is Joseph Strorm and that this is, indeed, Waknuk. Then the man is taken way. David later learns that the man managed to escape back into the Fringes that night. David is upset by the encounter, but knows better than to ask his father for clarification.

Soon after, Joseph Strorm gets into an argument with Angus Morton, with whom he has a long-standing disagreement, over whether or not the “great-horses” which Angus has newly acquired constitute an Offense. Joseph complains to the Inspector that the horses look wrong, but the Inspector tells him that the great-horses are Government-sanctioned. Joseph argues that any government that would approve these horses is “immoral,” to which the Inspector responds that while that may be true, Joseph must obey their rulings. The Inspector further explains that the breed was created simply by mating for size, and thus they are still “normal.” Joseph becomes increasingly upset. He believes that by listening to the Government’s ruling, he is betraying God. He asserts that even if the Government cannot properly identify an Offense, he can. At church the next day, Joseph rails against the Inspector, who, in turn, threatens Government sanctions against Joseph.

David’s father is so unpleasant to be around during this time that David spends most of his time teaching Sophie what he learns in school, since her parents have kept her out of school so that no one will discover her extra toe. He tells Sophie that Waknuk is in Labrador, and that when the Old People lived, it was a very cold place. Below Labrador are the Badlands, which are extremely dangerous. David explains to Sophie that no one knows how long ago the Old People lived, nor do they know how many years passed between Tribulation and the beginning of known history. The Bible is the only surviving text from the time of the Old People, as is Repentences from Tribulation.

In his Ethics class, David learns that civilization is “in the process of climbing back into grace.” There is only one correct path for civilization to follow, and if mankind follows it, the people of Labrador will regain everything they lost in Tribulation. David tells Sophie that this path is difficult to discern, however, and so the people must rely on the decisions of “the authorities” as a guide to how to live. While no one knows why Tribulation occurred, it was the greatest punishment of all time and likely was a response to a period of “irreligious arrogance.” David does not tell Sophie, however, that the purpose of life is to fight against the evils, or Offenses, created by Tribulation so that mankind can return to the good graces of God.