The Changes of Uncle Axel

Wyndham compares him to someone in our lives that we can trust and run to whenever we are in need. "I hesitated, and then because he was Uncle Axel and my best friend among the grown-ups." This shows that David sees Uncle Axel as his important person and thus, is able to entrust his secrets with Uncle Axel. Their relationship is established is because Uncle Axel's open-minded and friendly personality. When he discovers that David has mental deviation, he does not report him to the inspector, but instead he asks David "to promise that [he] will never, never tell anyone else what [he] have just told [him]" (31). Uncle Axel is very tolerant and perceptive. He is not like the other Waknukians, he allows the differences between people as he has seen many things outside Waknuk. Uncle Axel knows about other creatures outside Waknuk with similar uniqueness not only mentally but also physically that's why they are outside Waknuk. Besides, Uncle Axel is very thoughtful and patient as he will slowly explain the new perceptive to young David. He knows that David is too young to face such serious problems and issues but he will patiently let him understand everything.

However, as the story goes on, Uncle Axel seems to change a little bit in term of his personalities. He is still the wise and open-minded person that takes real care of David, but his morality starts to twisted because of the staunch-minded Waknukians. In order to protect David and the rest of the group, he kills a man for it. Uncle Axel is not that pure anymore, as his ethic is contaminate by the society. He is the victim of the society. When he said that is right to protect the group by killing people with only an assume reason, he is not that wise and calm but foolhardy and rush.

In conclusion, Uncle Axel is one of the important factors that affects development this story. He is a static and round character, but his personality is slightly twisted as the story develops. At the beginning of this story, Uncle Axel is a kind, wise and moral person with an open-mind which allows David to get close and trust him. He is only adult that David can get advices from and have a real chat to. However, later in the story, his morality changes and twisted by the Waknuk society, the killing makes him becomes evil even this is the reason of protecting David.