A Dream and the Definition"

In Chapter 1 the reader is introduced to David Strorm, a 10 year-old boy who is a little different from society. David lives in the future, in a time after Tribulation. His society is determined to keep itself true to the Definition of Man. The Definition of Man is a written, religious decree that describes the physical form of a human being. Any creature that has even a slight deviation from this definition is hateful in the sight of God and will be banished from their society. In Chapter 1, the reader is also introduced to Sophie Wender. Sophie is a litte girl, around David's age, who has a mutation. Each foot of hers has six toes. David was approached by Sophie while playing on a bank. They played together and in the course of their adventure, Sophie's foot becomes wedged in a cleft in the ground. This leads to David's eventual discovery of her sixth toe (David assumes that there is another sixth toe on her other foot as well). David helps Sophie home, so that her mother could tend to Sophie's foot. Sophie's mother, although quite aware of what David could do with his knowledge about Sophie, treats him well. David likes Mrs. Wender, for she does not give him the feeling that he is the one regrettable and unreliable factor in an otherwise orderly life, the way most people do at his home. The reader is lead to assume that David doesn't quite fit in at home. Mrs. Wender feeds David, then makes him promise that he will never reveal what he has learned about Sophie. David is puzzled by the importance of doing so, but he promises just the same. David is just happy that he has made a friend and asks to see Sophie again. Mrs. Wender agrees as long as he can come without anybody finding out. On his way back home, David begins to question the Definition of Man. It seems to him to be silly that Sophie, a normal girl, could be considered a blasphemy. He then decides that there is nothing really wrong with Sophie and that the ways of the world are puzzling. This chapter gives us a subtle glimpse into a talent of David's. He seems to be able to pick up on other people's thoughts and feelings. Another thing that is mentioned is that he dreams of what must have been the civilization of the Old People. Both of these things are a foreshadow of what is to come in the novel.

Chapter 2 - "Watch Thou for the Mutant"

Chapter 2 introduces us to David Strorms family and the philosophy of Waknuk. Davids grandfather, Elias Strorm, founded Waknuk community over 50 years ago. Because of the ungodly ways of the East Coast, Elias had migrated further inland to find more virtuous surroundings. He was a man fierce for rectitude, and had the fear of the devil constantly in his heart. Elias founded Waknuk society, but left for a brief period to find a wife. The woman that Elias brought back was shy and beautiful, 25 years his junior. She was neither in love with Elias, nor could make up with that with her housekeeping skills. Elias did not let any of her shortcomings pass and he broke her spirit. She died willingly after the birth of her second son. The reader is then introduced to Davids father, Joseph Strorm. Joseph was the image of his father: morally incorruptible, God-fearing, and law-abiding. He was an icon in Waknuk society for purity and he upheld all his views. His principles were set in stone. Unlike his father, Joseph married a woman, Emily, whose views matched his own. Consequently, Waknuk became an orderly, law-abiding society. In this chapter we are also introduced to the concepts of blasphemies, offenses and the area known as the Fringes. Offenses were anything, other than humans, that did not look right. (They did not look like their parents, or parent-plants.) Any offense was to be burned A blasphemy was any human being that did not look right, like their parents. They were considered a mockery in the image of their maker. (Definition of Man) They were sent to the Fringes, an area near Waknuk where deviations(common name for any blasphemy or offense) ran amuck. People in the Fringes made raids on Waknuk occasionally to steal food and other articles of need. If there was any confusion as to whether something was deviational or not, the Inspector was called in to examine the thing in question. We are also briefly introduced to the character of Uncle Axel, who had married one of Emilys sisters, but was a widower now.

Chapter 3 - "The Purification A Dream"

In Chapter 3, which is quite short, the reader is introduced to the severity of Joseph Strorm's character when David makes an innocent remark about wanting an extra hand to help him tie a bandage. His father yells at him and accuses him of calling upon the Devil. Davids remark received such a negative reaction from the people around him because he was wishing for a deviation, and therefore defying everything that Waknuk society believes in. David doesnt understand the magnitude of his comment and is puzzled by everyones reaction to it. As David falls asleep he dreams that his father had slit Sophies throat, as he would for a deviational calf, killing her for being a blasphemy. David awakes crying and struggling, wishing that Sophies parents were there to comfort him.

Chapter 4 - "The Group"

In Chapter 4, Uncle Axel discovers Davids telepathic ability. His discovery takes place when Axel overhears David talking aloud to himself. Uncle Axel questions David and learns that David is speaking to his half-cousin, Rosalind Morton. Axel also learns that there are others with this ability. After being convinced that this ability is real, Axel asks David if he could keep this a secret and never tell anyone about it. In this sense Axel acts as Davids guardian until David understands how important it is to not reveal that he has this special ability. Chapter 4 also includes a raid from the Fringes and introduces David to the reality that most mutants arent as bad as his society has made them out to be. David also meets someone who, if it werent for his extra long legs and arms, would be the exact image of his father. This man is Spider-man. Spider-man asks David about Joseph and if the place where they were was Waknuk. This encounter with the Fringe people leads David to doubt Waknuks philosophy all the more. The reader is also introduced to the relationship between Joseph Strorm and Angus Morton, Rosalinds father. Joseph is angered when the government allows Angus to bring in a pair of great-horses. These great-horses do twice the work for half the feed and are extremely large. Joseph believes these horses to be deviations, but the Inspector tells him that they have been bred for tallness. In reality, people like Angus Morton are just selling out their beliefs for profit, and hypocrisy is shown to be a universal condition. The Inspector is annoyed by Josephs protest to the greathorses. Chapter 4 also explains to the reader what Tribulation is and what mankinds duty now is. Mankinds duty is to fight unceasingly against the evils that Tribulation had loosed upon the world. Tribulation is supposedly a punishment from God. God let loose all the evils upon the world; flood, pestilence, fire, etc. It was sent to punish the phase of irreligiousness that the Old People were going through. In all reality, Tribulation is starting to sound like a nuclear holocaust. David explains how the world is trying to climb back into Gods good graces. The reader is starting to see that this novel is set in the future, but that this future has reverted to be like our past and that we, the reader, live in the times of the Old People.

Chapter 5 - "Discovery and Flight"

At the beginning of Chapter 5, David and Sophie are found playing in the water by Alan Ervin. Alan spies a footprint of Sophies and sees that she has six toes. Alan threatens to turn Sophie in and David jumps on him. The two start to fight and Sophie breaks up the fight by smashing a rock on Allens head, knocking him unconscious. The two thought that they had killed Alan. David and Sophie run back to Sophies house to inform Sophies parents of what has happened. Sophies parents, John and Martie, decide that they must flee for the Fringes. David begs to be allowed to come with them, but using higher judgment, John and Martie tell David that he must remain there. David understands this because he can partially read Marties thoughts, suggesting that she shares some of Davids telepathic ability. When David returns to Waknuk the following morning, he is confronted by the Inspector and Joseph. They demand to know who Sophie is and where she had gone. David refuses to tell them, so Joseph tells him to go to his room, picking up a whip to follow him. The Inspector tells Joseph that the whip is his and Joseph is not to use it, suggesting that the Inspector has human compassion. Joseph is angered and follows David. Later in the evening Davids sister, Mary, came to dress his wounds and comfort him. David cries out, I couldnt help it Sophie, I couldnt help it, suggesting that he had been tortured into revealing to where Sophie and her parents had fled.

Chapter 6 - "A Geography Lesson from Uncle Axel"

At the beginning of this chapter, David tells the Group what has happened to Sophie; they react negatively, shocked that David was involved with a deviant. The Group's reaction to Davids involvement with a deviant tells us that they are in denial about what they would be considered to be in orthodox society, if they were discovered. In the morning, the Inspector came to talk to David; he brings sweets with him. He is partially sympathetic to David, but does mildly reprimand him for abetting concealment. David then tells the Inspector that Sophie was his best friend. The Inspector starts to tell him that loyalty is a virtue when Joseph bursts in, informing the two that the Wenders had been caught. Joseph and the Inspector leave, but a little later the Inspector comes back to tell David that his information had nothing to do with their capture. Two days later David tells Uncle Axel that he is going to run away. Axel responds by telling him stories that he heard while he was at sea. He describes several different tribes that they met, all had some sort of deviation, all believing that their image was the true image of God. This led Axel to doubt Waknuks belief in the true image. This conversation with Axel feeds Davids doubts about Waknuk even more. In this chapter we also learn that there are eight telepaths. There used to be nine, but one suddenly stopped and this made the others worried in case somebody had found out about them. Uncle Axel tells David that he will try to find out what happened to this boy. Axel leaves and David thinks about what he has just been told.

Chapter 7 - "A Baby and a False Image"

The opening sentence of this chapter reveals the birth of Davids younger sister, Petra. Petras birth came as a genuine surprise to David, telling the reader that David is often caught up in his own world and doesnt pay much attention to the lives of the other people around him. The Inspector is called in to examine the baby for any deviations, and if she was free of deviations he would grant her the normalcy certificate. The Inspector delayed his visit to inspect Petra until mid-afternoon. Upon arriving at the Strorms, he took his time about granting the certificate. The Inspector did so to anger and annoy Joseph for being so implacable about deviations. Finally, the Inspector granted Petra a certificate. Two or three days after the birth of Petra, Emilys sister Harriet came to visit her. Harriet had brought her newborn baby girl with her to visit Emily. At first Emily is delighted to see her sister and niece, but is then disgusted at the sight of the baby as she had a slight blemish of the body. Harriet had come to ask Emily if she would trade babies with her for a few days so Harriet could obtain her babys normalcy certificate. Emily is disgusted that her sister would even suggest such an idea. Harriet tells her that this is her third deviational baby and that her husband, Henry, now has the grounds to turn her out, as the law permits. Joseph comes into the room and it is explained by Emily why Harriet is there. He gives Harriet a lecture and tells her to pray. Harriet responds with self-righteousness: I shall pray I shall pray to God to send charity into this hideous worldthat the hearts of the self-righteous may be broken She then turns to leave and as she pulls away in her carriage, the determined look on her face would leave an imprint in Davids mind forever. After Harriet leaves, Emily begins to cry because she realizes that if Petra had been deviational, Joseph might have turned her out as well; she had already given birth to two deviational babies. A few days later Harriet would be found drowned in a river, her baby missing. This event only fuels David doubts about Waknuks philosophy and makes his fear of being caught more real.

Chapter 8 - "A Rusted Mirror Axel Has His Doubts"

At the start of this chapter, David prays to God that his telepathic ability might be taken away. After five nights of praying, Axel and David have a conversation that changes his mind about not wanting his telepathic abilities. Axel also tells David that a falling tree had killed the boy, Walter Brent, that had stopped transmitting thoughts. This relieves some of Davids anxiety about being caught. Axel and David then talk about Tribulation. Axel rejects Davids explanation that God sent Tribulation because hes seen a bit of the world and the explanation of Tribulation just doesnt make sense and doesnt explain what happened to the world. He then tells David that what makes a person a human being is the quality of mind. David then tells the rest of the Group about what happened to Walter Brent. They decided that it would be wise for them to learn each other's names. The other six were Michael, Sally and Katherine (neighbors), Mark, and Anne and Rachel (sisters). Learning each other's name increased a general sense of confidence in Davids life and made other things seem to be not so frightening. Michaels parents were not satisfied with the schooling in Waknuk and sent him to a bigger town, Kentak, to receive his education. Michael told the Group what he was learning, even if it wasnt clear to him. Because the Group shared thoughts with one another about what Michael was being taught, Michael understood it all and was at the top of his class. The Group benefited from Michaels higher education.