And the End...

"Through an archway on the further side of the room they could see the bottom of the staircase that led up to the higher floors.  Just under the crown of the arch dangled a pair of feet." - Brave New World, page 259.

Wow!! What an ending.  I have to say, though, I sort of saw it coming.  Anyway, it is truly sad that John felt that he couldn't escape the curious people from the civilized world and also his own sexual thoughts.  It is sad that the only way he felt he could escape everything was by killing himself.  The way Huxley described the suicide was unique as well.  He described how John's feet were dangling like a compass needle from north, east, south, and west.  This is a bit like the life John led.  He was in a way always lost, unable to find the right path that suited him.  Wherever he went, he faced challenges and eventually attempted to get away.  Examples include his original home on the Reservation, his relationship with Lenina, his home in the Fordian world, and finally life altogether.  Like the compass, he was shifting his direction everywhere he went and the saddest part is that he was unable to find the path for him.

Now, how exactly did I feel about this book?  Generally speaking, I thought it was a very interesting novel that sort of opened my eyes.  I realize that our world is indeed searching for perfection.  We are taking science to the next level everyday and I guess it's possible that we could end up like this Fordian civilization Huxley describes, but I find it very unlikely.  Most of all, I learned from this novel the importance of family and the importance of living the life you want.  Family was something unheard of in this Fordian civilization and no one had the great opportunity to have people who truly loved them.  People were also predestined to a certain job, caste, and lifestyle.  I certainly wouldn't want someone else determining my life for me and I am grateful that in the United States everyone has equal opportunities.  This book was great to read and had so many lessons to be learned.  I hope you found it as eye-opening as I did!

A Cage for a Home

     "He had sworn to remember, he had sworn unceasingly to make amends.  And there was he, sitting happily over his bow-stave, singing, actually singing...
     He went indoors, opened the box of mustard, and put some water to boil on the fire." - Brave New World, page 247.

As I get closer to the end of this book, I feel as though I am noticing more and more.  Perhaps it is just my mind thinking there is more to the words than there really is.  Anyway, I determined that instead of creating a place where he can get away from society and be free from all its misfortune, John only draws more attention to himself, pulling the media closer.  For example, John feels that he must stay completely faithful to his dead mother, letting no happiness in at all.  In the quote above, John finds himself singing joyfully and punishes himself thinking that this was some horrible deed.  In reality, John is only creating a cage of a home for himself rather than a place to get away.  This cage reminds me of something like a zoo and for this reason, people have become more attracted to him and fascinated by the whipping and vomiting he induces upon himself.  Really, John brought attention to himself and getting angry and aggressive only makes the situation worse.  People are even more attracted to the savage when he acts less civilized in their eyes.

John's Final Realization

"The Savage nodded. 'I ate civilization.' 'What?' 'It poisoned me; I was defiled. And then,' he added, in a lower tone, 'I ate my own wickedness'" - Brave New World, page 241.

This statement from John is sort of like his final realization and him admitting to himself that he could not fit in with the people of the this civilization.  I believe this is also the final realization for the reader as well.  Throught the entire book, the reader found it incredibly difficult to appeal in any way to this new world.  The only person I felt I could appeal to was John.  This is mostly due to the fact that he in the end is realizing that he cannot live like this.  This new world is totally wrong and he let it get the best of him.  John, and the reader as well, realized that living with imperfections in a regular world is better than living with the perfections that came with a utopian world.  I most certainly realize this also.  John is now chosing to "purify" himself (Althought chosing to drink mustard and warm water is an odd way of doing it.).  Instead of trying to help the others living in this civilization, which was the cause of the riot in the first place, he is chosing to help himself, in the name of his mother Linda.

Shock!!

"Howling, the Deltas charged with a redoubled fury." - Brave New World, page 213.

Wow!  The unthinkable just happened!  I would have never expected a riot to break out in this Fordian world.  It simply just did not seem possible.  Everyone is always happy and no one want to hurt anyone else.  I guess this is another prime example of how conditioning cannot and will not prevent people from reacting to certain circumstances when provoked.

The most important thing to recognize here is how John reacts to people who don't understand his views, values, and vocabulary.  In both the case that involved the violence with Lenina and this instance here, John first starts by reciting poetry.  This fails to work so he proceeds by namecalling.  Again, this does not work.  In the end, John always finds himself in a violent situation.  Anger boils up in him because no one seems to understand his views and values.  Again, though, this is because these people have been conditioned to the point where it is impossible for them to truly understand.

Death and More Violence

"The Savage stood for a moment in frozen silence, then fell on his knees beside the bed and, covering his face with his hands, sobbed uncontrollably." - Brave New World, page 206


I feel as though there is just so much in this chapter to talk about.  I'll start out first with the obvious difference between the way John reacts to death and the way most Fordian civilians react to death.  John mourns and cries over the death of his mother whereas everyone else sees death as inevitable and definitely not something to fear.  They only feel this way because they are conditioned to feel this way.  This concept, unfortunately, is not what I consider to be the most important concept of the chapter.


The next thing I would like to discuss is the powerful impact soma has on these people.  The reader already knows how much they depend on soma and understand the huge impact it has on their health, but John gets a first hand account of how powerful it is when he can't even get a few sober sentences from his mother on her death bed because she is so engulfed in a soma holiday.  She is unable to even give her last goodbye because she is in such a trance.  As a side note, I just recently went on a vacation to Washington, D.C. with my family and this chapter sort of reminds me of when we went to Arlington Cemetary.  Here is a picture of what it looked like there:

The final and I believe most important aspect to this chapter is John's actions towards the end.  From the previous chapter, we saw a very violent side of John.  This time, he lets his anger out by pushing a child so hard that he falls to the floor.  I believe that his violence will only escalate and manifest itself in greater ways towards the end of the novel.

Infatuation Turned to Love

     An hour later, in the Changing Room, Fanny was energetically protesting.  "But it's absurd to let yourself get into a state like this.  Simply absurd," she repeated "And what about?  A man-one man."
   "But he's the one I want." - Brave New World, page 187

The ironic thing I feel about this excerpt and chapter in general is the fact that Lenina is showing signs of having more than the regular signs of infatuation for a man usually expressed and no one seems to pay any mind.  Lenina seems to have greater feelings for John that could possibly turn into love.  Why else would she be so persistent on having John and no one else?  Henry tries to ask her out one night and she completely blows him off.  I truly wish I knew why people like Henry and her friend Fanny couldn't see that she might actually be falling in love with someone.

At the end of this chapter, things started to get really weird.  Lenina brought out a side of John that we had never really seen before.  He became violent and aggressive and even told her, "get out of my sight or I'll kill you."  Since John is showing signs of being aggressive now, I believe it will only get worse, especially considering the fact that the ways and thinkings of this new world will only start to irritate him even more.  I guess I should've expected something like this to happen especially after the story he told Bernard back at the Reservation of how he tried to kill Popé. 

Two Poetic Friends

"Helmholtz and the Savage took to one another at once.  So cordially indeed that Bernard felt a sharp pang of jealousy.  In all these weeks he had never come to so close an intimacy with the Savage as Helmholtz immediately achieved." - Brave New World, page 182.


When I read this part of chapter 12 I was utterly surprised.  I knew that Helmholtz was more deep and emotional than the rest of the characters in the book, but I was amazed when he recited a poem he composed rather than a catchy rhyme he is expected to create.  I felt as though this character was developing into a much more intellectual being and for that reason, he and John became such great friends.  John and Bernard would never be as close because Bernard thought less poetically.


The real test came when as a response to hearing Hemholtz's poem, John recited some Shakspearean lines.  Helmholtz reacted rather excitedly but all my hopes were crushed when he finally burst into laughter after hearing of a mother and a father forcing a girl to have someone she didn't want (from Romeo and Juliet).  This was too much for Helmholtz and his conditioning immediately set in.  Darn it!  It was very close, though.  Helmholtz is able to comprehend only so much of Shakespeare, then it all seems rather unlikely only because he is conditioned to think that way.

A Balloon That Pops - Extended Metaphor

"Pierced by every word that was spoken, the tight balloon of Bernard's happy self-confidence was leaking from a thousand wounds." - Brave New World, page 174.


"Punctured, utterly deflated, he dropped into a chair and, covering his face with his hands, began to weep." - Brave New World, page 176.

This reaction shown by Bernard when people begin to criticize him when the savage does not show up to his party is also a wonderful example of the kind of personality that Bernard truly holds.  He is unable to hold a strong head or keep himself together when things don't go his way.  The extended metaphor shown in these two quotes helps to show that Bernard was merely as thin as a balloon, ready to pop at any moment or when things began to return to normal.  Like a balloon ready to pop at any moment, Bernard was eventually going to have to face the facts that people were only pretending to like him and pay him attention just because of his new-found success and friendship with a savage.  Bernard, unable to handle the downfall of his new popularity, breaks down and cries.

I found it very interesting, also, that almost as soon as his popularity was burst, Bernard went cralling right back to Helmholtz.  Realizing that his friendship was indeep important, Bernard asked for forgiveness.  Helmholtz forgave immediately without question.  This shows who Helmholtz truly is, a genuine person on the inside, able to forgive and forget.  He was a considerate person without the help of soma or anything else of that nature.  Helmholtz's qualities truly are unique and it shows in his actions.

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.

Hypocritical Much?

"A public example," he was saying.  "In this room, because it contains more high-caste workers than any other in the Centre.  I have told him to meet me here at half-past two." - Brave New World, page 147.


What I found to be the most interesting about this chapter was the hypocrisy shown by the Director.  The only reason the Director planned to humiliate Bernard in front of everyone and banish him to Iceland was because he was afraid that Bernard would eventually reveal his secret for having feelings for the girl (Linda) whom he lost on his trip at the Reservation.  The hypocrisy is shown when he publically humiliates Bernard in an attemp to save himself from being publically humiliated.  The only reason the D.H.C. is unable to actually banish Bernard is because Bernard exposes his true faults.  Morally, the Director can no longer punish Bernard because he, too, has faults that are against societal beliefs.


Another important fact I find to be notable is how the people react when they see Linda and John.  They are utterly horrified and shrink away at the sight of Linda.  I believe this is a sign that she will never be accepted back into the community completely, especially since having a child is one of the worst social mishaps one could exhibit.  The people then burst into uncontrollable laughter at the sight of John on his knees naming the D.H.C. his father.  This shows that John who is young and handsome will be accepted into society but more as a curiosity whom people want to learn more about.

Situations of Power

"I ventured to think," stammered Bernard, "that your fordship might find the matter of sufficient scientific interest..." - Brave New World, page 141.


Chapter 9 was a very short chapter.  I thought to myself, why so short of a chapter?  What was the point?  Then I got to thinking and realized that this chapter showed both Bernard and John in very extreme situations of power.  Bernard has the great opportunity of bringing back two people who have been living on the Reservation for quite some time.  Mustapha Mond thought it would be scientifically sufficient to see how these people behaved once brought back to the real world.  Although, I cannot help but wonder if the real motive behind Bernard's bringing of the savages back home is to get back at the Director.  This would completely humiliate the D.H.C. who is the father of John.  On the other hand, John is put in a situation where he finds Lenina in a soma holiday.  He reaches out to touch her and maybe even unzip her clothes but realizes the horror in his thoughts and thinks better.


The difference in the reactions to the situations of power between the two men are incredible.  Bernard uses this power to his advantage, showing himself as a shameless opportunist, whereas John thinks better of the situation and is able to control himself.  I believe that this will come back to haunt Bernard.  Nothing good comes from using others for personal gain and in the end, Bernard will probably regret his actions.

Oh Brave New World!

"Oh brave new world," he repeated.  "Oh brave new world that has such people in it.  Let's start at once." - Brave New World, page 139

Now I get it!  This is the reason behind the title of the Huxley's novel.  When John states, "Oh brave new world," he is referencing Miranda's speech in the Shakespearean play The Tempest.  Miranda, after seeing men for the first time in her entire life, says these same words.  The irony behind it is that she is not seeing men acting civilized but rather drunken men staggering off the wreckage of their boat.  As the reader, one can only believe that what John finds in this new world will only disappoint him.  He believes it will be something more special than it truly is. 

The last sentence of the chapter is of Bernard telling John, " And, anyhow, hadn't you better wait till you actually see the new world?"  This is a sort of foreshadowing that puts emphasis on the idea that John really has no idea what he is in for.  Things are going to be very different from what he expected and John is going to be astonished at what he will find in the new world.

More Simmilarities!

"Alone, always alone," the young man was saying.  The words awoke a plaintive echo in Bernard's mind. - Brave New World, page 137.

Wow!  There are so many simmilarities I am finding between the people in this novel!  Although Lenina and Linda seem to be mirror images of eachother, Bernard and John are definitely not.  They are merely similar in the obstacles they face as well as the feelings they have.  Bernard and John both express their feelings of being alone.  They both feel as though they don't fit in, mostly as a cause of how they look and appear.  It will be interesting to see how the two act in the rest of the novel.  We will see how similar they truly are.

Something else I found interesting in this chapter was John's reaction to and association with the reality of sex.  Early on in life, John has associated sex with the absense of his mother, fear, humiliation, and of course, the reason behind the beating of him and his mother by the other women of the Reservation.  He has learned to find sex repulsive, despite his attraction to Lenina.  Huxley is demonstrating that all people are prone to powerful suggestion.  It does not matter whether one is tagged as "civilized" or "uncivilized," certain things can condition one to behave in certain ways starting very early on.

Mirror-Doubles?

"Oh, my dear, my dear."  The torrent of words flowed sobbingly.  "If you knew how glad - after all these years!  A civilized face.  Yes, and civilized clothes.  Because I thought I should never see a piece of real acetate silk again." - Brave New World, page 119.

In this chapter, Lenina meets a woman named Linda who has been trapped on the Reservation, forced to learn its ways and customs.  Linda openly expresses her hatred for this place and can remember everything about the "Other Place."

I could not help but notice during this chapter that Lenina and Linda seem to be mirror-doubles of each other.  Their names are even incredibly similar.  Lenina complains during this entire chapter leading up to the meeting of Linda of how aweful the reservation is.  She wishes she could have some soma and wishes they could just leave repeating over and over again, "I don't like it."  Linda later reiterates the awefulness of the Reservation explaining how she has suffered.  There was no soma for her to take so she had to resort to mescal which is probably the equivalent to alcohol from our time.  Also, Linda's fate, to become a mother, is so unspeakable that Lenina shudders at just the thought of it.  This is almost like what could have been for Lenina.  Lenina sees Linda as how she might have turned out in different circumstances.

Dreams, Feelings, and Emotions

"I actually dream about it sometimes," the Director went on in a low voice.  "Dream of being woken up by that peal of thunder and finding her gone; dream of searching and searching for her under the trees."  He lapsed into the silence of reminiscence. - Brave New World, page 97.


This chapter was especially interesting to me.  The one man who seems to believe with all his heart that there should be no feelings of love what so ever and preaches vigorously that "every one belongs to every one else" has showed some remorse for a woman and comes almost to the point of admitting that he loved her!  This would be a total social sin and coming from the Director would make it even more shocking!  Anyhow, realizing that he has exposed too much of himself to Bernard, the Director reacts by shifting the conversation around and focusing more on Bernard's social mistakes and mishaps.  We later find out that the Director is on the verge of actually banishing him to Iceland.  Bernard experiences in this chapter his first real intense feelings of emotion.  It is almost too much for him to handle the idea of being sent to Iceland.  Soma is his answer to fixing the problem which, again, proves to the reader that his rebellion was merely shallow and cowardly.  When a huge problem comes his way, Bernard cannot face the facts and resorts to the actions any human of this time would resort to.  Bernard likes to talk the talk but he most certainly cannot walk the walk.

Alliteration and the Night Sky

"Lenina remembered her first shock of fear and surprise; her speculations through half a wakeful hour; and then, under the influence of those endless repetitions, the gradual soothing of her mind, the soothing, the smoothing, the stealthy creeping of sleep..." - Brave New World, page 74.


This alliteration jumped out at me as soon as I read it.  The repetition of the s's has more of a harsh feeling to them than if it were any other consonant being used.  It reminds the reader of a snake with its hissing sound and therefore gives out a negative connotation.  But the other part to this alliteration is the negative diction being used.  Words like "creeping" and "endless" are sprinkled throughout.  Could this be more than the writer's disaproval of technology and how it interferes with the peacefulness of sleep?  Could this also be Lenina's inner-self feeling animosity towards the conditioning and technology used against her and the others as children?

Later on in this same chapter, Huxley describes a scene where Lenina and Henry are completely unaware of the night sky and the stars because of all the artificial light being created by signs and electricity.  When I read this I thought to myself, "Oh my gosh, this is just like our world, today!!"  People living in the city have no clue of what the night sky truly looks like and one can really only see this beautiful spectacle by traveling to the country side or somewhere far away from the bright lights.  Maybe we are in a way heading towards this new future that Huxley describes.  Hopefully it won't have to come to all of this mind conditioning and what they seem to believe is pure happiness.