John Wender Character Analysis in The Chrysalids

John Wender is Sophie’s father. He is a kind man, but he initially does not trust David to keep his daughter’s secret. Once he sees the strength of David and Sophie’s friendship, however, he grows fond of David. He entrusts David to stay at their home while they escape to give them extra time.

John Wender Quotes in The Chrysalids

The The Chrysalids quotes below are all either spoken by John Wender or refer to John Wender. 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:

). Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the NYRB Classics edition of The Chrysalids published in 2008.

“If John and Mary Wender had been there when I woke up struggling and crying, and then lay in the dark trying to convince myself that the terrible picture was nothing more than a dream, they would, I think, have felt quite a lot easier in their minds.”

Related Characters: (speaker), , ,

Related Symbols:

Page Number and Citation: 28

Explanation and Analysis:

John Wender Character Timeline in The Chrysalids

The timeline below shows where the character John Wender appears in The Chrysalids. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...a source of pride for the people of Waknuk. Sophie tells David that her father, John Wender , thinks that people exaggerate the abilities of the Old People. The two of them... (full context)

Racism and Fear of the Unknown Theme Icon

Sophie and David leave the steam-engine and return to Sophie’s house. Her father is home, and he is wary of David because he knows about his daughter’s foot.... (full context)

...place of the calf and his father slits her throat. David tells the reader that the Wenders would not have worried about his ability to keep Sophie’s Deviation a secret if they... (full context)

Sophie and David tell John Wender that Alan saw Sophie’s foot, and John decides that it is time for his family... (full context)

...“the Purity of the Race” is more so. David’s father interrupts him to announce that the Wenders have been caught. David is so overwhelmed with guilt that he cannot breathe, but the... (full context)