Brave New World

"It was a large room bright with sunshine and yellow paint, and containing twenty beds, all occupied. Linda was dying in company – in company and with all the modern conveniences. The air was continuously alive with gay synthetic melodies. At the foot of every bed, confronting its moribund occupant, was a television box. Television was left on, a running tap, from morning till night. Every quarter of an hour the prevailing perfume of the room was automatically changed. "We try," explained the nurse, who had taken charge of the Savage at the door, "we try to create a thoroughly pleasant atmosphere here – something between a first-class hotel and a feely-palace, if you take my meaning" (180).
...
"You mean, of her not dying?" (He nodded.) "No, of course there isn't. When somebody's sent here, there's no …" Startled by the expression of distress on his pale face, she suddenly broke off. "Why, whatever is the matter?" she asked. She was not accustomed to this kind of thing in visitors. (Not that there were many visitors anyhow: or any reason why there should be many visitors.) "You're not feeling ill, are you?" (181)

The first paragraph stands out because it resembles how a person dies the same way they are decanted. This room is much like the conditioning room with the rows of beds. However, I do not understand why there are so many accomodations for the dying. If everyone has beed conditioned to accept death without emotion or question, why put so much work into making it happier for the dying? I would have thought they would simply give them a few grammes of soma and let them drift to death. If they are attempting to make them comfortable with televisions and perfume, then they must understand that death is in fact not pleasant.  Also, I found it ironic that ultimately, Linda suffered in her death, clenching her throat with terror in her eyes. On the reservation, the sacrificed boy accepted his death and while being beat, did not utter a sound. He appeared to have died an honorable death since John was jealous of him. On the contrary, Linda, back at home died a spectacle for 8 year old twins. I also thought it ironic how while on a soma holiday, she dreamt of the reservation. She had been begging to be back home for years and after returning, longed for Pope and the Savage world.

The motto that "everybody belongs to everybody" suggests that instead of one person loving you, everyone does. This is why it surprised me that there were absolutely no visitors. I understand that there are no emotions toward one another as to avoid heartbreak and grief but since there are friendships, I would assume there would be visitors. I guess this passage is why I wonder if Henry was dying would Lenina visit?  If Lenina was dying would Fanny Crowne visit? If Bernard was dying, would Helmhotz visit?

Brave New World and Happiness

“Of course it does. Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the over-compensations for misery. And, of course, stability isn’t nearly so spectacular as instability. And being contented had none of the glamour of a good fight against misfortune, none of the picturesqueness of a struggle with temptation, or a fatal overthrow by passion or doubt. Happiness is never grand.” (227, Chapter 16)

The question of “what is happiness” if brought up many times throughout the novel. The Savage believes that happiness is not a chemically-induced joy brought about by soma, but that it is caused by meaningful experiences. Mond agrees that true happiness which can be felt deeply is enjoyable, but that it also comes with a price of feeling despair. To quote Alexander Dumas in The Count of Monte Cristo, “Only the man who has experienced extreme agony can experience true happiness.” Huxley, like Dumas, is saying that happiness is relative to all the other not so pleasant experiences in one’s life. Happiness is not quite so ‘grand’ for the citizens of World State because they have never been subjected to suffering. The “glamour of a good fight against misfortune” is instigated by the triumph of victory against misfortune. This new society chooses superficial happiness in order to forgo pain. The World State sacrifices the emotion of happiness for stability.

Is this world without pain or true happiness better than our world with suffering, passion and joy? What is the difference in the meaning of happiness between The Brave New World and reality?

Brave New World ch. 13

         "How much I love you, Lenina," he brought out almost desperately.
          An emblem of the inner tide of startled elation, the blood rushed up into Lenina's cheeks. "Do you mean it, John?"
         "But I hadn't meant to say so," cried the Savage, clasping his hands in a kind of agony. "Not until...Listen, Lenina; in Malapis people get married."
        "Get what?" The irritation had begun to creep back into her voice. What was he talking about now?
        "For always. They make a promise to live together for always."
        "What a horrible idea!" Lenina was genuinely shocked.
        "Outliving beauty's outward with a mind that doth renew swifter than blood decays"
        "What?"
        "It's like that in Shakespeare too. 'If thou dost break her virgin knot before all sanctimonious ceremonies may with full and holy rite...'"
        "For Ford's sake, John, talk sense. I can't understand a word you say. First it's vacuum cleaners; then it's knots. You're driving me crazy."

ch. 13 page 174




         John, full of an idealistic and romantic love for Lenina, tries to express himself by quoting Shakespeare and telling her he wants to do something "noble" for her like kill a lion or sweep the floors. Lenina is incredibly confused and even irritated by this kind of talk. She may have deep feelings for John but came to his place, primarily, to seduce him and is frustrated that he is distracted by discussing marriage and expressing his love for her in terms she can't even understand. John, I believe, is also confused. In his mind, he has rendered Lenina as a perfect, virtuous woman who is pure in sexual modesty much like all of the women in Shakespeare's works. He loves the idea of Lenina, the Lenina that he has made up in his mind, more than he actually loves or even knows the real Lenina. When she starts removing her clothes and comes at him to seduce him he calls her a whore and screams at her to leave. Lenina is punished for breaking a set of moral rules that John made up in his mind about their relationship, rules that she didn't even know existed. It is very clear in these passages that these two don't understand one another on any level. They have come from two very different societies and very barely move in between the two seperate worldviews. I think this entire exchange is representative of the chasm that exists between the old and new worlds and how they are nearly irreconcilable. They're differences are much too vast and they can't even communicate effectively with one another. Its almost as if Huxley is trying to present the idea that at this point, there's no turning back. When a society reaches this point of control and sedation of the masses, it's too late for change.


Q: Do you think this is what Huxley is warning the reader against? After reading the whole novel, which world do you think Huxley prefers, the old or new?


-Annie Baker

Brave New World: THE END OF IT

“‘I say,’ Helmholtz exclaimed solicitously, ‘you do look ill, John!’
‘Did you eat something that didn’t agree with you?’ asked Bernard.
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.’” (My page 164, the beginning of chapter 18)

At this point in the book, the Savage has just had his discussion with Mustapha Mond about how he wants the difficulties of life. John Savage has previously unimpressed with all that the new world and technology has to offer. He then throws a fit with the Deltas and tries to teach them that there is a world outside their soma and a new kind of happiness. The Deltas, of course, are too dumb to notice and are only concerned with getting their soma rations for the day. The thought of not getting their soma is the only thing that strikes up any sort of life in their spirit. Anyways, John tries to understand why on earth anyone would want to live in a world where there are no choices and Mustapha tries to make him understand why their style of living is so much better. In the end, he leaves and we are brought here to this conversation where John decides that civilization, as opposed to history, is bunk, and he’s going to leave. It doesn’t matter where, “so long as [he] can be alone” (165).

I chose this passage because of its interesting usage of eating civilization. In this civilization, anything that is eaten (or injected) is meant to benefit the taker and give them false happiness, a more youthful appearance, perfect health, and so on and so forth. John, however, can’t get past how all this happiness is a lie, and thinks that civilization is poison. It is such a poison to him in his mind that it even passes to his physical well-being and makes him look ill. He is horrified to even imagine that he let himself be sucked into the society, stating that he “ate his own wickedness.” This all comes back to the theme of what kind of happiness is the right kind of happiness. John seems to think, as I believe most of us do, that you need to be able to decide your own happiness and your options shouldn’t be blocked because they are too hard, or you might get sick or you might hurt yourself. Everyone else in the book isn’t even capable of grasping this concept (except for Bernard and Helmholtz) and is perfectly content living in their soma-fied universe.

Q: At the end, do you think John was exaggerating a bit in his responses to society, or is his view just the opposite extreme of what the rest of the world is living in?

~Susana Naranjo

Brave New World 13-18

"That evening the swarm of helicopters that came buzzing across the Hog's Back was a dark cloud ten kilometers long. The description of last night's orgy of atonement had been in all the papers.

'Savage!' called the first arrivals, as they alighted from their machine. 'Mr. Savage!'

There was no answer." -(pg. 230)

As the final chapters are winding down a new and major conflict arises between Mustapha Mond and John the savage through their theological debates. Mond supports the ideals of the World State and the use of soma to control the population and maintain social stability. John however finds many flaws in Mond's argument, and supports a society based on truth over happiness. John criticizes the World State for with-holding religious text and its subsequent replacement by soma. Also John points out the irony of a society that claims science is so very important when in reality the citizens have never personally nor even seen anyone testing scientific hypotheses in the search for truth or enlightenment.

The dramatic result of this heated debate between Mond and John takes an unfortunate turn as John breaks under Lenina's sexual pressure combined with the Society's absolute contradiction of his most basic principles. John is left completely alone to take on these pressures after his mother had died and both Bernard and Helmholtz were exiled. Huxley allows the reader to draw their own conclusions as to exactly why John chooses to commit suicide, but the final orgy combined with Lenina's inability to recognize John's feelings or system of values are what break the final straw (and his neck).

Q: What message(s) does Huxley intend to send by ending the novel with John the savage's suicide?

:) BRAVE NEW WORLD 2

            “And there’s always soma to calm your anger, to reconcile you to your enemies, to make you patient and long-suffering. In the past you could only accomplish these things by making a great effort and after years of hard moral training. Now, you swallow tow or three half-gramme tablets, and there you are. Anybody can be virtuous now. You can carry at least half your morality about in a bottle. Christianity without tears—that’s what soma is.”(213)

            Mustapha Mond is explaining to John the wonders of soma and its benefits to society. He says that this drug is a large part of what makes everyone happy now and that life is simply better without the nuisances of negative feelings such as anger, jealousy, and impatience. However, John refuses to accept this and sees soma as nothing more than a leash forced onto humanity by the governors of this society.

Soma has become the Brave New World society’s religion. It fulfills all the roles of religion in society. It provides something to rely on in any time of need. It is the answer to all of life’s mysteries and problems. It is also a major tool of control used against the society. This passage lays out the connection between religion and control as well as shows the way that the Brave New World society has utilized technology to engineer a religion that is just as, if not more, effectively available and “worship-able” as Christianity. Truly, it is “Christianity without tears” (and almost everything else).

            This passage blatantly illustrates the way the essences of humanity have been erased in this mass-produced society. Throughout the novel, it had already been established that individuality was the first to go when this societal reform started. With the introduction of soma, honest feelings, virtue, and morality were also erased. While Mustapha claims that this is the solution to society’s problems, John rejects it and believes that the sincere contrast of pain and pleasure, happiness and despair, is more desirable than this life-duller. There is no longer any morality but soma, no other consolation but soma. In a way, soma is the physical manifestation of the stability that this society seeks and achieves. It is a stability that means neither true happiness nor sadness and is too superficial to understand the potential and beauty of the soul.

Brave New World

“Happiness is a hard master—particularly other people’s happiness. A much harder master, if one isn’t conditioned to accept it unquestioningly, than truth…People still went on talking about truth and beauty as though they were the sovereign goods. Tight up to the time of the Nine Years’ War. That made them change their tune all right. What’s the point of truth or beauty or knowledge when the anthrax bombs are popping all around you? That was when science first began to be controlled—after the Nine Years’ War. People were ready to have even their appetites controlled then. Anything for a quiet life. We’ve gone on controlling ever since. It hasn’t been very good for truth, of course. But it’s been very good for happiness. One can’t have something for nothing. Happiness has got to be paid for. You’re paying for it, Mr. Watson—paying because you happen to be too much interested in beauty. I was too much interested in truth; I paid too.” (205)

I feel that the passage I quoted, and this whole chapter in fact, is very significant in that it explains how their society came to exist. It also brings to light the fact that there are other people like Bernard and Hemholtz, and it seems that they often get to continue their lives by paying for their and others’ happiness, in ways like being exiled to an island with others like them, or by serving other people’s happiness, which seems a very difficult job by Mustapha’s account, especially for a man like him who used to be so interested in truth and science, but had to give it up to take the job of Controller.

This passage shows how their society can continue on “perfectly” even when people like Bernard or Hemholtz crop up. It also explains, as Mustapha tells John, that a society that is all alphas, full of people who are intellectual and who can make their own decisions to a degree, will collapse and end up in civil war. However, it doesn’t seem as though the islands that people have been exiled to have ended up like this, as they would be more “different” thinkers, so to speak, than conditioned alphas.

I think that this opens a large question about the island exiles. I wonder if they eventually could or would ever create a society or civilization to rival the World State, and if these two societies, with radically different belief systems, would be able to coexist, or if it would end in a war, the very thing that seems to have been erased from memory and that which practically caused and created the dystopia of Brave New World.

Brave New World

“That’s why,” he said speaking with an averted face, “I wanted to do something first…I mean, to show you I was worthy of you. Not that I could ever really be that…I wanted to do something.”

“Why should you think it necessary…” Lenina began, but left the sentence unfinished.

“…I’ll do anything,” he went on, more and more incoherently. “Anything you tell me. There may be some sports are painful—you know. But their labour in delight sets them off. That’s what I feel. I mean I’d sweep the floor if you wanted.

But we’ve got vacuum cleaners here,” said Lenina in bewilderment. “It isn’t necessary.” “No,of course it isn’t necessary. But some kinds of baseness are nobly undergone. I’d like to undergo something nobly. Don’t you see?”

“But if there are vacuum cleaners…”

“That’s not the point.”

“And Epsilon Semi-Morons to work them,” she went on, “well, really, why?”

“Why? But for you, for you. Just to show that I…”

“Or what on earth vacuum cleaners have got to do with lions...”

“To show how much…how much I love you, Lenina,” he bought out almost desperately. (pg 189-191) First few pages into chapter 13

In this passage John finally expresses his love for Lenina. He tries using different examples to show her how much he loves her, but Lenina does not seem to understand where he is coming from. He finally declares his love for her, and she asks him why he had not said anything earlier.

This passage very well highlights the difference in the mindset of those in the World State and that of John. While John expresses his love for Lenina through different analogies as well as his desire to marry her, Lenina is more confused beyond anything. She has no idea what his admiration for her has to do with sweeping floors or the skin of mountain lions—to her there are other people for that type of work. This exchange between them really illustrates how there is no sense of true love in this society; because no one has any real relationships with anybody else, there is no concept of going out of your way to undergo something “nobly” for someone. Although Lenina has had many lovers, she has not had any relationships with them—now that she has met someone who actually possesses feelings towards her, she does not know how to handle them because she does not know that such a thing can exist. We can see through John’s words how misplaced the values in this society truly are. While John talks of marriage and being only with one person for the rest of our lives, Lenina is merely confused and horrified.To her “everyone belongs to everyone else,” and she does not understand why John would even bring up the idea of being with one person forever.

As there is no sense of true love in this society, there is in turn no sense of family or caring for one another either, further stripping the citizens of the individuality that John tries so hard to find and define in his ultimate rejection of the World State. His inability to make Lenina understand how he really feels about her, along with his status as an outsider among the Indians as well as the World State, lead him to be deeply conflicted between his values and the shallow superficiality of the world in which he is in.

Question: Was there any way for John to have lived truly happily in the World State had he not committed suicide? Should he have continued to fight for his values and challenge the status quo, rather than secluding himself from society as he does at the end of the novel?

Brave New World

"'Each of us, of course,' the Controller meditatively continued, 'goes through life inside a bottle. But if we happen to be Alphas, our bottles are, relatively speaking, enormous. We should suffer acutely if we were confined in a narrower space. You cannot pour upper-caste champagne-surrogate into lower-caste bottles'" (200-201).

This passage is found in the conversation between John and Mustapha Mond. Mond is explaining the reason for controlling society and the necessity of order in maintaining a sense of happiness. He tells John that a society of all Alphas would backfire, therefore, they must create social classes and condition each person to accept and even like their position in society.

The idea of "foredooming" someone to a certain place in society in which they cannot ever grow or overcome is horrifying. The thought of a controller picking and choosing an entire population's social class, career, and intelligence level baffled me as I read through this conversation. However, as shocking as this idea is, it's not shocking at all. The more I thought about it, the more I saw characteristics of our society in this dystopia. Although Mond is talking about scientifically creating people to fit into a certain place in society, people are born every day into different social classes and tend to stay just where they are, content or not, in our society. As a whole, people born into poverty typically stay in poverty while people in upper classes usually remain in wealthy circles throughout their lives. Many are complacent, perhaps because they assume they cannot do anything about it, while others might be compared to Bernard and seek something more for their lives. But, regardless of who we are, Mond is right in saying that "we go through life inside a bottle." It is much easier to stay within our comfort zone, regardless of whether we are at the top or bottom of the social ladder. Like Bernard and Helmholtz, those who challenge the status quo often don't know what action to take and remain in their assigned role, whether assigned by nature or controllers. Then, there are the rare few who might be considered outsiders in our society, like John, for pushing the boundaries of what is considered appropriate for a person of their kind.

As much as we like to think that racism and stereotypical thinking no longer exist in our world, it does. We categorize people by all kinds of things like gender, race, religion, and class. However, the question to be answered then is which is worse, conditioning people to be content with their lives as a certain class of citizen, or giving people the emotion necessary to be discontent? If people are going to be put in a class from the beginning regardless, would it be more utopic for them to be happy with where they were born, or for them to be unhappy with their determined social class and have to fight for happiness? I think there are dangers in being complacent. What would society be like if no one ever fought for anything or believed in anything? If no one ever sought more for their lives, what would be the point of living at all?

Q: How long can a society so "perfect" last if it never progresses?

Brave New World

“‘I’m claiming the right to be unhappy.’

‘Not to mention the right to grow old and ugly and impotent; the right to have syphilis and cancer; the right to have too little to eat; the right to be lousy; the right to live in constant apprehension of what may happen tomorrow; the right to catch typhoid; the right to be tortured by unspeakable pains of every kind.’ There was a long silence.

‘I claim them all,’ said the Savage at last.” Page 215

In this passage, John is annoyed and frustrated that he is being treated like an animal or a pet. He is being put on display for people to come look at. This passage proves vital in illustrating the importance of unhappiness, pain or struggle in the average human life. In order to truly know what it means to be happy, one has to experience unhappiness, struggle or pain. If one is always handed happiness, then he or she cannot truly understand what happiness is.

John is verbally claiming his right to be unhappy but really what he is claiming is his right to live without interference from society and the government. In Brave New World, every aspect of a person’s life is controlled in some way by the government. People don’t have the freedom to choose the outcome of their lives. Their choices and the control they have over their own lives are extremely limited. After being raised in the “savage” society, John has the critical thinking skills that the people in the “civilized” society do not possess. He can see that there is something terribly wrong with this society, which further illustrates the negative effects of this dystopia. People don’t get to make important choices that govern their lives. The government constructs their happiness. They don’t get to learn from their own mistakes and they don’t know that success is better when one truly earns it. John would rather live on his own or die than live in the society where every aspect of his life is controlled and he doesn't ever get to feel pain. He'd rather feel pain than feel fake or constructed happiness.

Was John's decision to live in seclusion a better alternative to living in civilization?

Molly Cook

Brave New World (Chapters 13-End)

"The world is stable now. People are happy; they get what they want, and they never want what they can't get. They're well off; they're safe; they're never ill; they're not afraid of death; they're blissfully ignorant of passion and old age; they're plagued with no mothers and fathers; they've got no wives; or children, or lovers to feel strongly about, they're so conditioned that they practically can't help behaving as they ought to behave." (198-199)


In this passage, Mustapha Mond is talking to John and he tries to explain why a play like Othello would not be understood and appreciated in their society. He explains that today's society is completely different from Shakespeare's society; therefore people would not be able to understand the issues of this tragedy. Mustapha Mond praises the society he lives in, which he describes as a stable society where everybody is happy.

Here, the author explains where the absolute happiness of this brave new world comes from. Envy and jealousy don’t exist: people are conditioned to be happy with nothing more than what they already have. Natural aspects and characteristics of human life have been erased: no more diseases, no more old age, but no more passion and no more love. People live on their own; they do not have any kind of intimate relationship with anyone. It seems like instability and unhappiness come from these relationships that you have with others: you envy the things that others have and you need these things to feel happy, you have a broken heart when your lover leaves you, you are sad when someone you love is ill or dying. This is a praise for individuality. But it should not be taken at face value. Indeed, the author mentioned that these people are “conditioned” to feel like this: it shows that this is not a natural behavior; it is imposed on them without their noticing. The concept of free will and freedom are completely shattered. Is this happiness real or only an illusion? Can you be happy without being free to do, to feel and to think whatever you want?