Introduction
Characters
Outline
Plot Summary
Setting
Atmosphere
Theme
Style
Maps
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Test 01
Test 02

Please do NOT contact me for answers to Chapter or Test questions. Your request will not be answered.

CHAPTER EIGHT

A Rusted Mirror - Axel Has Doubts

 

Vocabulary

poker - work texts - funking - fruition - accursed - stronghold - Sodom and Gomorrah - lewd - travesties - brought forth - unflaggingly - obscene - omnipotent - culminated - gist - reflectively


Analysis

  1. Once again uncle Axel is used as a mouthpiece to explain the author's view and to prepare the reader for future possibilities. How does he explain the Waknuk people's religious beliefs? What does he have to say about David's "deviation"?

  2. What does the fact that Michael's parents send him to a school in Kentak tell you about Waknuk society?

  3. Explain uncle Axel's metaphor of the "rusted mirror".

  4. At the top of page 81, the author make a short comment about the dead boy being distantly related to David. Why is that done? How does it tie in with what uncle Axel has told David?

Self respect and self-esteem


People who are comfortable with themselves and feel that they are worthwhile human beings are usually comfortable with their physical appearance. By what has happened in the previous chapter, David is very worried about the whole question of mutants - "Accursed is the Mutant!" He. Rosalind and the others are different. Uncle Axel tries to put him at ease. What arguments does he use?


How do you built a positive self-concept? You can act in a positive or negative way when faced with situations in your life. Give an example of how a person could act both ways in each of the following situations.


  • A new students at school dresses in an "old-fashioned" ways. The students spends a great deal of time alone.
  • Your little brother or sister wants to hang around you all the time.
  • Your neighbour always looks angry when you walk past his house. Once he yelled at you when you cut across the corner of his lawn.
  • You feel your teacher always picks on you.

When you feel good about yourself as a person, when you are proud of yourself and what you do, you have self-respect and you have positive or high self-esteem. How does Uncle Axel try to build David's self-respect and self-esteem?


Character Reference


The author uses a process called characterization to create memorable details about personalities in the novel.
This can be done as follows:


  • what the author states directly about the character
  • what the character says and does
  • what others say or think about the character
  • how authors act toward the character

Since the story in The Chrysalids is told by David - not the author or an all-knowing narrator - you must rely on the on the last three methods to gain information about characters.


Directions


Each of the following charts lists some traits possessed by a character in the book. Find several specific pieces of evidence for each trait (from anywhere in the book as you read the text) to prove the character does have that characteristic.


Then decide which characterization method (or methods) in each piece of evidence is used to reveal that trait. Check the appropriate column.


a. what the character says or thinks


b. what the character does


c. what others say or think about the character


d. how others act toward the character


Below you will find an example of a chart for David. Make a similar chart for each of the following characters in the book:


Joseph Strorm - Emily Strorm - Aunt Harriet - Uncle Axel - Spider Man - Rosalind Morton - Anne - Sophie Wender - The Sealand Lady - The Inspector:


 David

 

 

 Trait

 Evidence

 How trait is revealed

 curious

questions the validity of The Definition of Man.

 a

 persistent

 

 

 sensitive

 

 

 brave

 

 


2. Joseph Strorm
a. narrow-minded
b. authoritarian
c. hardworking

3. Emily Strorm
a. narrow-minded
b. compassionate
c. pathetic

4. Aunt Harriet
a. compassionate
b. understanding
c. pathetic

5. Uncle Axel
a. open-minded
b. compassionate
c. honest

6. Spider Man
a. proud
b. narrow-minded
c. pathetic

7. Rosalind
a. proud
b. loving
c. sensible

8. Sophie Wender
a. proud
b. loving
c. pathetic

9. The Sealand Lady
a. proud
b. understanding
c. sensible

10. The Inspector
a. understanding
b. shrewd
c. obedient

 


One Step Further


Choose a character from the preceding charts for an interview. First write that character's name, then write down three questions that are designed to gain information about that character's personality traits.


Finally, prepare answers for your character that seem consistent with his or her personality and speaking style. Write the character's initial before each response.


Introduction - Characters - Outline - Style - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 - Chapter 11 - Chapter 12 - Chapter 13 - Chapter 14 - Chapter 15 - Chapter 16 - Chapter 17 - Test 1 - Test 2 - Map 1 - Map 2 - Map 3