Michael Character Analysis in The Chrysalids

Michael also has the ability to communicate telepathically. He argues with Anne about her decision to get married to the non-telepath Alan, and goes to great lengths to protect his fellow telepaths. When David, Rosalind, and Petra are discovered, Michael joins an army looking for them so he can keep them up-to-date and plant false information about their whereabouts. When the Zealander woman offers to take him back to Zealand, he decides to return to Waknuk to rescue Rachel so that the two of them can find their way to Zealand together.

Michael Quotes in The Chrysalids

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

“But what’s got them so agitated about us is that nothing shows. We’ve been living among them for nearly twenty years and they didn’t suspect it. We could pass for normal anywhere. So a proclamation has been posted describing the three of you and officially classifying you as deviants. That means that you are non-human and therefore not entitled to any of the rights or protections of human society.”

Related Characters: Michael (speaker), David Strorm, Petra Strorm, Rosalind Morton

Page Number and Citation: 131

Explanation and Analysis:

Michael Character Timeline in The Chrysalids

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

Racism and Fear of the Unknown Theme Icon

...tells the reader that he only starts to understand what Uncle Axel was saying when Michael (a member of the group of telepaths) goes to school. One of the others in... (full context)

Michael’s parents decide to send him to school in a neighboring town, and Michael shares what... (full context)

...responsible for Alan’s death, and she refuses to speak to Rachel about what has occurred. Michael suggests that everyone make preparations so that they can flee if Anne decides to report... (full context)

...until he reaches Petra, whose pony is being attacked by a mutated cat. Rosalind and Michael, who have also rushed to her aid, shoot the animal with arrows and then try... (full context)

...discusses what to do about the stranger who saw them, now identified as Jerome Skinner. Michael tells the others that people have an idea that “telepathy” might be possible. He says... (full context)

...killed weeks ago. David tells him about Jerome Skinner and the events with Petra’s pony. Michael realizes that Skinner only saw Petra, Rosalind, David, Sally, and Katherine, so the other members... (full context)

...that night, but decides to leave the rest for the morning. When he wakes up, Michael and Rosalind tell him that Katherine and Sally have been taken and he and Petra... (full context)

...that his own mother would never do the same. While Rosalind, David, and Petra escape, Michael, Mark, and Rachel monitor the situation at home and tell the three fugitives about the... (full context)

...into confirming the Inspector’s suspicions about Rosalind, David, and Petra, but no one yet suspects Michael, Mark, and Rachel. The anguish that Sally feels overwhelms the group. (full context)

Michael warns Rosalind and David that the authorities are furious over their escape. Most Deviations can... (full context)

...(the Mutant boogeyman used to frighten children) and refuses to go further into the Fringes. Michael explains to her that the people in the Fringes are not scary, just different, and... (full context)

The next day, Michael warns the fugitives that the search teams have found their trail. Everyone in the group... (full context)

Petra overhears Michael’s message to David and does not understand why anyone would want to hurt her when... (full context)

When David fully comes to, Rosalind is explaining to Michael that men from the Fringes dropped from the trees onto their great-horses and they are... (full context)

...father is with them. David does not want to know the answer and avoids asking Michael to find out. (full context)

The next morning, Michael tells David that the Waknukians are getting ready to attack, and the woman from Zealand... (full context)

Michael tells David, Rosalind, and Petra that the troops are about three hours away, and without... (full context)

...plan of attack, which she relays to David, who in turn passes it on to Michael so that he can protect himself. Michael then tells David the Waknukian army’s plan, and... (full context)

...the ground below it. The battle stops as people stare at the machine in awe. Michael tries to run to the group, but finds it more difficult to move each time... (full context)

...woman, they lie as still as possible. The Zealanders’ machine lands and the woman frees Michael, who leads her to Sophie’s cave. She sprays David and the others with something that... (full context)

Michael wants to return to Waknuk to retrieve Rachel before they go, but the woman says... (full context)

...feels immensely relieved that Petra will not meet Aunt Harriet’s or Katherine’s or Anne’s fate. Michael asks Petra to tell Rachel that if she will wait for him, he will come... (full context)

Michael Character Analysis

Michael Quotes in The Chrysalids

Chapter 12 Quotes

Michael Character Timeline in The Chrysalids