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Wainwright is a clergyman and leader of the Freedom League. He meets with Stormgren to petition the formation of the World Federation and to express his disdain for the Overlords’ secrecy and governance over humanity, though much of his disdain comes from an underlying fear that the Overlords’ presence will make organized religion obsolete, which indeed comes to pass. In a later meeting, when Stormgren announces to him that the Overlords will reveal themselves in fifty years, Wainwright insightfully notes that anyone who can remember what it is was like to be free, without the Overlords, will be dead by then.
Alexander Wainwright Quotes in Childhood’s End
The Childhood’s End quotes below are all either spoken by Alexander Wainwright or refer to Alexander Wainwright. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 2 Quotes
“Can you deny that the Overlords have brought security, peace, and prosperity to the world?”
“That is true, but they have taken our liberty. Man does not live—”
“—by bread alone. Yes, I know—but this is the first age in which every man was sure of getting even that.”
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Alexander Wainwright Character Timeline in Childhood’s End
The timeline below shows where the character Alexander Wainwright appears in Childhood’s End. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2
...of humanity. His assistant, Pieter Van Ryberg, enters the room to tell him that Alexander Wainwright, leader of the Freedom League, will be there for their scheduled meeting any minute now,...
(full context)
Van Ryberg and Stormgren can see Wainwright’s group coming down the street, what looks to be 3,000 protesters with their fists in...
(full context)
Wainwright arrives, and he and Stormgren discuss the lodging of his formal protest against the Overlords’...
(full context)
...the matter is that he trusts Karellen while the Freedom League does not. He challenges Wainwright to deny that the Overlords have made everyone on Earth safer, wealthier, and happier through...
(full context)
Stormgren promises to relay Wainwright’s concerns to Karellen, though he knows it will not change anything. Wainwright adds one final...
(full context)
...the room through a hidden grille and he begins discussing with Stormgren the meeting with Wainwright. Karellen wishes that the people of Earth would stop seeing him as a dictator and...
(full context)
Chapter 3
...a room where two other men are sitting around a table. Joe tells Stormgren that Wainwright had nothing to do with the kidnapping, and then explains in detail how they pulled...
(full context)
Chapter 4
Stormgren reads an early release of Karellen’s pronouncement to the head of the Freedom League. Wainwright is disappointed and bitter, knowing that in fifty years, anyone who can remember life without...
(full context)
