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