Thursday, July 7, 2011

Some Newly-Found Confidence

"The days passed.  Success went fizzily to Bernard's head, and in the process completely reconciled him (as any good intoxicant should do) to a world which, up till then, he had found very unsatisfactory." - Brave New World, page 157.


If this doesn't prove that Bernard's rebeliousness towards his world and its societal beliefs was very week and cowardly then I don't know what will.  Apparently, all it took for Bernard to enjoy life was success and people liking him.  The funny thing is, these people don't truly like Bernard.  They merely are interested in the savage and the wonderous discovery Bernard has fallen upon.  As more time passes, these people will become less interested in John and it will all become very old.  Then people will go back to treating Bernard the ways they always have.


Since Bernard has let the success go to his head, he now shows signs of leaving his old friend, Helmholtz, in the dust.  He even tells his friend, "You're envious."  As the reader, we know this is most certainly not true.  Helmholtz is a good person.  He is one of a kind.  Before, when Helmholtz refused to pay attention to Bernard's braggng, Bernard said nothing, realizing why Helmholtz paid no attention.  With his new-found confidence, Bernard feels more able to stand up to Helmholtz and question their friendship.  I think that Bernard will eventually come cralling back to Helmholtz when things settle and people stop paying so much attention to him.  The question I have, though, is whether or not Helmholtz will forgive Bernard and mend their friendship.

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