The Chrysalids

by John Wyndham

Start Free Trial

Student Question

In The Chrysalids, how and why did Grandfather Strorm come to Waknuk?

Quick answer:

Elias came from the east and left his home because he was a fundamentalist, who believed in an ungodly way of life. He moved to Waknuk to start again but had a strict moral code that he tried to instill in his family.

Expert Answers

An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

We are given this information about Elias Strorm, David's grandfather, in Chapter 2 of this great dystopian novel. David gives us some background information describing how his family came to be in Waknuk. He tells us that Elias Strorm originally came from the East, somewhere near the sea. He left his home because, as he said, he was fleeing their "ungodly ways," and so he set off to search for a simpler, less sophisticated location to build his life. David does mention though that he had heard that he was no longer tolerated by his home town because of his fundamental views. Anyway, he moved to Waknuk and there made his life. Note how David describes him:

He was a husky man, a dominating man, and a man fierce for rectitude. He had eyes that could flash with evangelical fire beneath bushy brows. Respect for God was frequently on his lips, and fear of the devil constantly in his heart, and it seems to have been hard to say which inspired him the more.

It is important to identify the influence this patriarchal figure would have had on David's father, and we can understand a lot more about why Joseph is the way he is through this description.

Get Ahead with eNotes

Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.

Get 48 Hours Free Access
Approved by eNotes Editorial