Synopsis of the Digital Chapter

In the last chapter of “The Chrysalids”, the story ends with the helicopter containing David, Rosalind, Petra and the Sealand lady about to land. In our digital chapter, we continued with this scene and created three comic pages as an additional ending of the novel. On the first page, as the helicopter is descending, we had the Sealand lady announcing this news to the others through thought shapes. For the background, we found a picture of a coastal city which represents New Zealand in the story. For the second page, we used a picture consisting of many huge buildings in the background to tell readers that they have successfully landed in the city. They are welcomed and accepted for who they are. Finally on the last page of our digital chapter, we had Rosalind and David sleeping. Right beside David, there’s a dream bubble consisting of a picture of outer space. This is a connection with the first dream he had in chapter one in which he dreams about New Zealand. We decided to use this dream as our ending because it links the whole novel together in a circle. As well, it indicates possibility and change. David is now in a world which he is free to dream and choose his future. In Waknuk, this was impossible. One of the themes in the book deals with change and evolution. The word chrysalid is a term in biology and it’s a state in which the larva is wrapped in a hard case, not moving or even eating until it becomes an insect. The people of Waknuk seem to be stuck in this state, never deviating from what they think is normal. In contrast, the Sealanders know that the chysalid must pass on to the next stage and that change is inevitable. David is happy to leave Waknuk behind for the next stage in his life where anything is possible.