The Chrysalids Character Analysis

David Strorm

David is the main character and narrator of the novel. His ability to communicate telepathically, or through “thought pictures,” with others makes him abnormal within the town of Waknuk, where he lives. As a result… read analysis of David Strorm

Petra Strorm

Petra is David’s youngest sister. She is thought to be a normal child, until she endangers the other telepathic Waknukians with her extraordinarily strong telepathic powers. The Zealand woman suspects that Petra is the… read analysis of Petra Strorm

Rosalind Morton

Rosalind is David’s half cousin, and later his girlfriend. Uncle Axel finds out about David’s secret ability when he hears him having a conversation with Rosalind, who can also communicate telepathically. Rosalind’s ability is… read analysis of Rosalind Morton

Uncle Axel

David’s Uncle Axel, the husband of his mother’s late sister, is his primary confidant until he flees Waknuk and is no longer able to communicate with him. Unlike David’s parents, Uncle Axel does not… read analysis of Uncle Axel

Sophie Wender

Sophie was born with six toes on each foot—a mutation that classifies her as a Blasphemy in Waknuk. David meets Sophie as a young child, and does not understand why Sophie would want to hide… read analysis of Sophie Wender

Joseph Strorm

Joseph is David’s father and a strict believer in the Waknukian faith. He ruthlessly beats David when he lies about Sophie’s mutation, and he persecutes and targets anyone in town who he believes… read analysis of Joseph Strorm

Michael

Michael also has the ability to communicate telepathically. He argues with Anne about her decision to get married to the non-telepath Alan, and goes to great lengths to protect his fellow telepaths. When David… read analysis of Michael

Woman from Zealand

The woman from Zealand (which David and Rosalind call “Sealand”) discovers the group in Waknuk when she hears Petra’s thoughts. In Zealand, everyone can communicate through thought images, but Petra has the largest known range… read analysis of Woman from Zealand

The Inspector

The Inspector is in charge of granting Certificates of Normalcy to newborn Waknukians and determining what is and is not made in the Image of God. He and Joseph Strorm disagree about whether great-horses should… read analysis of The Inspector

Gordon Strorm

Gordon resembles his brother, Joseph, except that Gordon has extremely long arms and legs. At one point he is described as “the spidery man.” As a result, he was banished from Waknuk and cast… read analysis of Gordon Strorm

Aunt Harriet

David’s Aunt Harriet comes to David’s house to plead for help from her sister, Emily Strorm. Harriet’s child has a mutation, and she wants Emily to lend her Petra for a few days… read analysis of Aunt Harriet

Anne

Anne is a member of the group of Waknukians that can communicate telepathically. She realizes that there are an unequal number of girls and boys in the group, and that some of the girls will… read analysis of Anne

Alan

Alan, a boy with whom David goes to school, sees Sophie’s six-toed footprint and reports her to the authorities, an act that forces Sophie and her family to flee their home. Later in the… read analysis of Alan

Rachel

Rachel is Anne’s sister, and another telepath. When an illiterate neighbor finds Anne’s suicide note, which is addressed to the Inspector, Rachel lies and says that it is meant for her so that… read analysis of Rachel

Emily Strorm

Emily Strorm is David and Petra’s mother and Joseph’s wife. Like Joseph, she believes strongly in the Waknukian faith, and she decorates her homes with sayings from the holy book Repentences. She… read analysis of Emily Strorm

John Wender

John Wender is Sophie’s father. He is a kind man, but he initially does not trust David to keep his daughter’s secret. Once he sees the strength of David and Sophie’s friendship, however, he grows… read analysis of John Wender

Sally

Sally, another telepath, responds to Petra’s cry for help in the forest, and is captured by government officials who torture her into confirming that Rosalind, David, and Petra are Blasphemies. She feels… read analysis of Sally

Minor Characters

Old People

Old People is the term used to describe the people who lived before Tribulation. Very little is known about them, but the Waknukian religion holds that Waknukians should model their lives after the Old People.

Jerome Skinner

Jerome catches Sally, Katherine, David, Rosalind, and Petra in the woods and questions them about how they all knew that Petra was hurt. He reports them to officials who then capture Sally and Katherine and hunt David, Rosalind, and Petra.

Katherine

Katherine is another telepath who, like Sally, is caught by the government and tortured. She is the first to reveal Rosalind, David, and Petra’s names, and eventually dies at the hand of her torturers.

Nicholson

Nicholson wrote Repentences many years after Tribulation.

Mary Strorm

Mary is David’s sister. She warns him not to tell anyone about his dreams about the city, and takes care of him when their father beats him.

The Fringes Man

This man captures David, Rosalind, Petra, and their great-horses and brings them to Gordon. He speaks with David about the nature of life.

New People

New People is the term the Zealander woman uses for people who are able to think-together.

Mary Wender

Mrs. Wender is Sophie’s mother. While she cannot communicate telepathically, David is able to read her feelings before she communicates them out loud.

Mark

Mark is another telepath. He stops communicating with the others after Rosalind, David, and Petra flee, and his fate remains unknown to the rest of the group.

Angus Morton

Angus Morton is Rosalind’s father and Joseph Strorm’s enemy. The two disagree about the moral status of Angus’ great-horses, on which Rosalind, David, and Petra later escape.

Jacob

Jacob is an old farmer who believes that Blasphemies should be burned instead of banished.

Marther

Uncle Axel tells David about Marther’s controversial journals from his sailing trips.

Elias Strorm

Elias is David’s grandfather and Joseph’s and Gordon’s father. He held strict moral principles, but married a woman who was a bit less orthodox.

Walter Brent

Walter is another telepath. Early in the novel, before the members of the group learn each other’s names, one member disappears. Uncle Axel finds out for David that Walter died in an accident.

Sheba

Sheba is David’s horse.

Elias's wife

The unnamed wife of Elias Strorm. She was less orthodox than her husband, and was described as being "coltish."

The Chrysalids

John Wyndham

The Chrysalids Characters