Victor Palmieri
Longing to Belong
Every human being encompasses an innate desire to fit in. Societal discrimination has existed throughout history and is still present in modern day civilization. Because of influences from one’s family, peers and faith, one will constantly strive to conform to the idealistic standards which society conveys. By comparing David Storm of John Wyndham’s The Chrysalids to Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, it becomes evident that each protagonist struggles to belong in their society due to restrictions they face and through negative life changing experiences.
To begin, in both The Chrysalids and Romeo and Juliet, the main characters face societal restrictions. Throughout The Chrysalids, David Storm along with several other telepaths like himself, strive to fit within a society driven by a corrupt faith. In Waknuk, a community solely built upon biased stereotypes, it is against the law for a living being to have a deformity of any sort. If a human does not comply with the conventional and prejudiced principles of society, he or she will no longer be considered a human, and will be banished to an uncivilized land. For instance, when Uncle Axel discovers David’s telepathy, he makes David swear never to reveal his talent. In fear of being sent to the “Fringes” of their land, David, along with the other telepaths, must conceal their ability in order to be socially accepted. By classifying individuals based on their outward appearances, David’s society illustrates its discrimination against those who do not fulfil the requirements of a “normal” human being. Likewise, in Romeo and Juliet, the title characters cannot freely and openly express their affection for one another because of their feuding families. Had their strong passion for each other been discovered, both Romeo and Juliet would be looked down upon by their own families, and forbidden to be with one another. For instance, Romeo and Juliet are forced to discreetly share their love throughout the novel and must even marry each other in secret. Through the hindrance of their children’s love for one another, both the Montague and Capulet families concisely portray how Romeo and Juliet must struggle for the acceptance of there love.
