Transcript The Chrysalids

The Chrysalids
By John Wyndham
Chrysalid –
n. a chrysalis
adj. relating to or resembling a chrysalis
A chrysalis is the pupal stage of butterflies.
Within the chrysalis, growth and differentiation
occur. The adult butterfly emerges from this and
expands its wings – a change called metamorphosis.
Artist
Medium
(art)
Receiver
The communication model above demonstrates the
relationship between an artist and the receiver of
the art.
When an artist sets out to create art, she/he
determines three main things:
Purpose: What am I trying to accomplish?
Audience: For whom am I creating this art?
Medium: What art form am I going to use?
John Wyndham
John Wyndham (1903-1969) is one of the most
important and widely read British writers of
science fiction.
Wyndham began publishing science fiction
in the 1930s but it was only after the Second
World War, following refinements to his writing
style and subject matter, that he gained critical
and popular acclaim. Wyndham achieved
particular success with The Day of the Triffids
(1951), The Kraken Wakes (1953) (also known as
Out of the Deeps), The Chrysalids (1955) and The
Midwich Cuckoos (1957) (also known as Village of
the Damned).
These carefully crafted stories instantly
captured the imagination of the public worldwide
and have since become classics of science fiction.
Wyndham's stylish explorations of the social
effects of sudden change not only reflect the
anxieties of post-War Britain in particular but also
possess wider and enduring relevance and
popularity.
Three Purposes of Literature
1. To entertain
2. To teach
3. To raise questions (about things already decided)
Analyzing literature intellectually requires the awareness
that any text does all three of these things simultaneously –
although the author may intend one or more of them
explicitly.
When you read and evaluate literature, you must be aware
of these three purposes, and make decisions for yourself.
The archived manuscript’s title page – Does it suggest anything
about the content? Theme(s)?
The Novel Genre
Novel – a fictitious prose narrative of considerable length
and complexity.
The novel is a unique genre with its own unique features
(like short story, play, and poetry). Within those features,
there is much room for variation.
The word “novel” means “new” (from latin: nova; French:
nouvelle). In the 18th Century, the novel emerged as a new
form of writing.
Note that the following are NOT novels: novellas (a sort of very short novel, or
long short story); novelizations (when a screenplay is turned into novel form).
In a novel, all of the elements of the short story are
present:
Plot
Character
Setting
Atmosphere
Style
But there are many more characters in many more
situations, many more and various conflicts, and probably
many themes (although there tends to be one central
theme or message).
Structure of a Novel
Like other story
genres, novels are
structured with a
beginning, middle,
and end.
Structurally, it follows
the same basic
pattern as a short
story, and contains
many of the same
elements.
Pre-reading Exercise:
Novel Covers
A number of covers from different editions of the novel are
depicted in the slides that follow (as well as one poster for a
never-made film).
Examine each cover, and make predictions about what the
novel is about.
Bildungsroman
[bil-doongz-roh-mahn]
bildungsroman; (German: "novel of education") is a coming-of-age kind of novel in which the
author presents the psychological, moral and social shaping of the personality of a usually
young main character (the protagonist).
The bildungsroman generally takes the following course:
• The protagonist grows from child to adult throughout the novel.
• A loss or some discontent must, at an early stage, jar the protagonist away from the home
or family setting to embark on a journey.
• The protagonist slowly and gradually matures through clashes between the protagonist's
needs and desires and the views and judgments enforced by an unbending social order.
• The novel ends with the protagonist's assessment of himself and his new place in his/her
society (i.e. adulthood).
Genre – Science Fiction
Science fiction is a broad genre of fiction that often
involves one or more of the following elements:
• A setting in the future or in an alternate timeline.
• A setting in outer space or involving aliens or unknown
civilizations.
• The discovery or application of new scientific principles or
new technology, such as time travel or robots.
Science fiction differs from fantasy in that its imaginary
elements are usually possible within established laws
of nature (although some elements might be entirely
imaginative).
Science-Fiction
What are some science-fiction shows, movies, or
books that come to mind?
Post-apocalyptic: Science-Fiction
There are many science-fiction based stories that deal with the
“end of the world” or society as we know it being destroyed.
These stories usually deal with the aftermath.
The Omega Man (1971)
Trailer for the Film
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=uiNY3anKBa4
The Omega Man (1971)
News Report - How the World
Ended
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=6q_fLr7hCZE
The Day After Tomorrow
(2004)
Trailer for the Film
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=jBD9EkOLgiI
I am Legend (2007)
Trailer for the Film
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=ewpYq9rgg3w
Planet of the Apes (1968)
The film's final scene
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=gPfcim_p38w
The Omega Man (1971)
News Report - How the World Ended (1:05mins)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q_fLr7hCZE
The Omega Man (1971)
Trailer for the Film (3:01mins)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiNY3anKBa4
I am Legend (2007)
Trailer for the Film (2:30mins)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewpYq9rgg3w
The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
Trailer for the Film (2:33mins)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBD9EkOLgiI
Planet of the Apes (1968)
The film's final scene (1:15mins)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPfcim_p38w