I am not too sure I understand clearly your distinction
between ideas and themes, but if you wish to further clarify, please do so by getting
back to me. However, the overwhelming idea in this excellent novel is related to the
title and the idea of humanity being in a state of transition, like a caterpillar goes
into a chrysalis whilst it transforms into a butterfly. Clearly, the central idea that
is presented to us is that the human race is in a similar state of transition, with
David and his group of telepaths representing the new "butterfly" form that humanity
will evolve into and the Waknukians representing the old vestiges of humanity that will
soon become extinct. As the woman from Sealand says to the
children:
"The
living form defies evolution at its peril; if it does not adapt, it will be broken. The
idea of completed man is the supreme vanity: the finished image is a sacrilegious
myth."
Thus the idea that
this novel is based around is that we are not evolved completely as a human species, and
that in fact evolution is a constant that we are subject to just as much as other
animals in this world.
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