6 toes or telepathy? The Chrysalids by John Wyndham is a beautiful story of a boy named David Strorm who lives in a community against any form of deviation. David meets a girl who appears to be a mutant and this changes his outlook on the subject. He later discovers that he has a mutation called telepathy. He has the ability to send thought forms to others like himself. David's mutation makes him more intelligent, understanding and responsible. He becomes more intelligent when he learns to send and receive thought-forms to others. His mutation also makes him better understand what other mutants are going through. Finally he takes on the responsibility of raising Petra. These are three ways David's mutation made him a better person. David's deviation makes him smarter in many different ways. Throughout the novel David teaches himself how to send thought forms. He understands what to do and begins to communicate with others. As time passes David realizes that his ability to send thoughtforms is blasphemy and that he must keep it a secret or he will be sent to the Fringes. He understands the consequences of his deviation and does everything in his power to expose himself or the group. After Uncle Axel explains to David how his telepathy must be kept secret, David recounts, Furthermore, in attempting to convey to them Uncle Axel's seriousness I must have aroused an uneasiness that was in all their minds, because there was no dissent. They made the promise voluntarily; enthusiastically, in fact, as if it were a burden they felt relieved to share (32). This shows that he cared about the safety of other group members and himself. David comes to accept himself along with his mutation. After Aunt Harriet's death, David p...... middle of paper...... Rosalind says, "Leave it to me and David" (111). This shows that David and Rosalind have responsibility for Petra. David teaches her more about her deviation and helps her send thought forms. After Petra's pony was killed, David explains, "I did my best to explain it to her, but even at her current age of nearly eight the need to put it into fairly simple words presented a difficulty" (112). This shows that David is trying to teach Petra telepathy and proves his responsibility. David's mutation helped him gain many quality skills that he can use later in life, he became more intelligent, responsible and understanding. Without his mutation he would never have achieved the independence he achieved. Whether it was raising Petra or keeping a secret, David always did his best. Works Cited Wyndham, John. The Chrysalises. London: Penguin 1958