Residential Schools and The Chrysalids Erfan Hakim
What drives a person forward when the slightest glimmer of hope seizes to exist, when one is rejected and scorned upon? In the case of "Residential schools" and John Wyndham's The Chrysalids, it is determination. Determination is what kept the adrenaline running down the spines of the young Indian Children, as they fought for their freedom during their time in Residential schools. Determination is what gave David and his family members the ambition to abandon their hometown in order avoid the danger that awaited them. Determination was their only chance of succeeding; it what what made the impossible possible.
A great lack of personal freedom consisted for both the students of Residential schools and the protagonists of the Chrysalids. However, what both scenarios shared in common is the fact that they both remained determined throughout the most difficult times of their extravagant journeys.
"Residential schools were government-sponsored religious schools established to assimilate Indigenous children into Euro-Canadian culture" (Miller J. R). This typically occurred through the involvement of force. Students did not have the right to their own belief, which caused them to make life-changing decisions that were not of their best interests, such as, choosing a particular wife or getting involved in certain businesses. This situation is very similar to the passage of the Chrysalids, where the inspector realizes about Sophie. "That's bad you know, It's what we call abetting a concealment. You must have known that was wrong, didn't you?" "The inspector took another sweet and pushed the bag back to meand each foot shall have five toes, he quoted" (54-55).
The Definition of Man is very specific about the fact that humans must have five toes on each foot, but David struggles to connect this definition with his knowledge of Sophie. According to the words of Repentances, she should be evil, but according to his experiences with her, she is anything but. In the two situations, David and the young Aboriginal students are both urged to apply a religion in their lives where they may not necessarily agree with.
This, as a result caused a great deal of pain for David, as he would eventually become more and more paranoid with Sophie's situation, especially during his dreams. "And then, when sleep did come, it was full of dreams. Faces and people moved restlessly through it, scenes, too. Once more my father disposed of an Offense which was Sophie, and I woke up hearing my own voice shouting to him to stop" (55). The fact that David has been forced to apply a faith that he is not fond of, has negatively affected his way of thinking.
As for the young aboriginal students, they tended to be brainwashed by priests and teachers. Residential Schools had one significant priority: erase the Indigenous culture. They stripped Aboriginal people of their language, culture, and connection with family. The resu...
