The Chrysalids Study Questions
Answer the questions in complete sentences in your binder.
Chapter 1: A Dream and the Definition
1. Vocabulary: descent, precepts, rote, perceive
2. What is the point-of-view from which this novel is being told?
3. Why did David’s sister, Mary, warn him against telling others about his “dreams”?
4. What might the ‘long bank’ have been?
5. Why did Sophie not want to remove her shoe?
6. David was impressed with Sophie’s bravery. In what ways did she show bravery?
7. In what ways did the Wender home seem friendlier to David than his own home?
8. What does David mean when he says, “I thought back to her, trying to reassure her…”?
9. What was the “Definition of Man”? Where had David learned it?
10.How did David feel about the “Definition of Man” as applied to Sophie?
Chapter 2: “Watch Thou for the Mutant”
1. Vocabulary: leeward, tediously, rectitude, admonitions, timorously
2. What details about David’s home help pinpoint the lifestyle of these people as being like
early pioneers?
3. What evidence was there around Waknuk of the civilization of the Old People?
4. In what ways was Joseph Strorm a “man of local consequence”?
5. Describe the events that took place in the Strorm household when an Offense appeared?
6. What was meant by “Watch thou for the Mutant”?
7. Explain how this would have special significance for David.
Chapter 3: The Purification - A Dream
1. Vocabulary: gravely, incredulous, anguish, abated, implacable
2. Describe David’s schooling.
3. Why would John Wender have been greatly troubled over David?
4. What caused Joseph Strorm to become angry with David?
5. According to Joseph, what sin had David committed?
6. Of what sin did Joseph accuse himself? Explain
7. That night, before he fell asleep, what problem troubled David?
Chapter 4: The Group
1. Vocabulary: dissemble, rectitude, trenchant, placid, precipice
2. What two problems did David take to his Uncle Axel?
3. Explain the promise made between David and his telepathic friends. Be sure to explain
why the promise was necessary .
4. Why was David a bit disappointed when he saw the two captured Fringes men?
5. Why was David shocked when he looked at one of them?
6. What was Joseph Strorm’s reaction when he saw the same captured man?
7. What was the most recent cause of antagonism between Joseph Strorm and Angus
Morton?
8. Why did Joseph disapprove of the horses? What action did he take to show his
disapproval?
9. What connection is made between Tribulation and the climate of Labrador?
Chapter 5: Discovery and Flight
1. Vocabulary: orthodox, retribution, judicially, futile, pummeling
2. What is the mark or measure of a good season among the Waknuk farmers?
3. What satisfaction did Joseph Strorm find in the fact that Angus Morton’s field was
condemned?
4. Why did David attack Alan Ervin?
5. Why did David spend the night in the Wender’s cottage?
6. Why did David’s father beat him?
7. Why was it Mary, and not David’s mother, who came to dress his wounds?
8. What do we know has happened when David sobs, “I couldn’t help it, Sophie”?
Chapter 6: A Geography Lesson from Uncle Axel
1. Vocabulary: succulents, self-reproach, dubious, formidable, tainted
2. What was it that David thought he would try to find out from the inspector, but changed
his mind?
3. According to the inspector’s explanation to David, what part does the devil play in
regard to deviations?
4. Why does Uncle Axel think it is a bad idea for David to run away to the Fringes? What
does he suggest instead?
5. What is it that ship’s captains order their crews to stay out of, and sailors are glad to stay
clear of?
6. What secrets concerning his group did David reveal to Uncle Axel? Why were the
members of the group worried? What promise did Uncle Axel make to David?
Chapter 7: A Baby and a False Image
1. Vocabulary: malicious, superficial, effrontery, vigilance, abet
2. What was the “sound in the night”, and why would nobody refer to it?
3. Why was it unwise to quarrel with the local inspector?
4. What was the suspense that hung over the Strorm household? What aggravated this
suspense?
5. How many of Aunt Harriet’s babies had been refused certification? Within what time
period must a mother notify that she had given birth? What did Aunt Harriet propose to
David’s mother, Emily? Why? What is Emily’s reaction to her sister’s proposal?
6. Aunt Harriet left the Strorm house feeling very depressed. What conclusion can we
draw about her death?
Chapter 8: A Rusted Mirror - Axel has Doubts
1. Vocabulary: fruition, lewd, omnipotent
2. Explain how the events surrounding Aunt Harriet affected David.
3. “Accursed is the Mutant!” Why was the mutant, even one with “just a small difference”
considered by the religious leaders, including Joseph Strorm, to be the enemy of the
human race?
4. What does Uncle Axel say makes a man a man? Explain
5. What did David’s group do to prevent uncertainty among them? How did this affect the
confidence of the group?
6. Name the other six with whom David engaged in telepathy.
7. When Michael is sent away to school, why was he almost always at the top of his class?
8. Explain the difficulties which David and the others had as a result of what they learned
from Michael.
Chapter Nine: Old Jacob’s View and a Problem
1. Vocabulary: atrociously, echelon, scapegoat, ebb, abominations
2. Describe fully the incident which caused David to leave the harvest field.
3. Was Petra the same as the others of David’s group? Explain.
4. What is the significance of the fact that David and Rosalind were followed by others
who were puzzled by their sudden departure?
5. “It was a bad season.” Explain how. Old Jacob blames two things for the “bad season”.
What were they?
6. What does Uncle Axel say some people think causes a bad season?
Chapter Ten: Love, Marriage, Murder, Suicide
1. Vocabulary: defiance, expiated, dubious
2. Why did members of the group try to dissuade Anne from marrying a “norm”?
3. What reason did Anne give for marrying Alan Ervin?
4. What difficulties did David and Rosalind encounter in their courtship?
5. What happened to Alan and Anne and what saved the “group” from detection?
Chapter Eleven: The Education of Petra
1. Vocabulary: placatory, tacit, tribunal, overt
2. What two forbidden things did Petra do one day early in June? What was the result?
3. How was her great “thought pattern” power demonstrated?
4. Whose suspicion was aroused by the group’s coming together? Why was he suspicious?
5. Why did Uncle Axel kill Alan?
6. Who proposed a plan of escape? What was the plan?
Chapter Twelve: The Flight to the Fringes
1. Vocabulary: imminent, retrospective, erratic
2. What was the bad news concerning Sally and Katherine?
3. Why was the great haste necessary?
4. In what way(s) has Rosalind become the leader?
5. Why did Michael announce that he would join one of the posses? How did he intend to
aid the fugitives?
6. Why were the Waknuk authorities so anxious to capture David, Rosalind and Petra?
7. Summarize the information Petra sent and received.
8. After a short daytime rest stop, Michael advised them to get moving again. Why? What
happened shortly after they got started?
Chapter Thirteen: Message from Sealand
1. Vocabulary: gesticulating, perfunctory, complacent, obliquely
2. Describe the encounter with the horseman they met, and explain the outcome of it.
3. What new communication did Petra get from Sealand?
4. What message did David receive from Michael regarding the Waknuk pursuit? What
message came from Rachel regarding Sally and Katherine? What did Michael suggest to
David regarding Rosalind and Petra?
5. What is the Sealand Lady’s opinion of Petra’s ability? What does she think of ordinary
people who can only talk with words?
6. What happens at the end of the chapter?
Chapter Fourteen: The Spider Man
1. Vocabulary: mundane, surreptitiously, odious, emphatic
2. What are the new circumstances of David, Rosalind, and Petra?
3. Explain what the Fringes men told David which seemed contrary to what he had always
been taught.
4. What is the Sealand woman’s opinion of the Old People and their world? How had the
Sealand people escaped Tribulation?
5. Briefly describe the settlement at the Fringes.
6. Who was the Spider Man? Why did David pick a fight with him? What happened?
Chapter Fifteen: Sophie
1. Vocabulary: squalor, leaguered, niche
2. Who was the Spider Man’s wife? Why was she worried about Rosalind?
3. How did Sophie plan to aid David?
4. Why was Michael worried?
5. How does Sophie free Rosalind and Petra?
Chapter Sixteen: A Place Among the Fossils
1. Vocabulary: oracular, bemused, emanating, prodigious
2. What caused Sophie to lose her temper? What was the real cause of Sophie’s
frustration?
3. What happened to the Fringes army? Why was David not safe?
4. What does the Sealand woman mean when she says, “There was the power of gods in the
hands of children”?
5. “Soon they will attain the stability they strive for, in the only form it is granted - a place
among the fossils.” Whom is the Sealand lady referring to and what does she mean?
6. What does Gordon Strorm do before he gets killed? What happens to Sophie?
7. How did the Sealand people stop the fighting?
Chapter Seventeen: A Brave New World
1. Vocabulary: variant, superseded, covetously
2. What the effect of the sticky, gossamer substance on David and the others? How did
they get free?
3. How did the Sealand lady justify the destruction of Waknuk and the Fringes?
4. Why did Michael refuse to go to Sealand with the group? What does this reveal about
him?
5. How does the story end? How is David’s dream fulfilled?