Grave Examples

"The door of the lighthouse was ajar. They pushed it open and walked into a shuttered twilight. On 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." - pg 259

When I read the first couple of pages of this book, I was immediately reminded of another. (Admit I have been saving this for the last blog). Anthem by Ayn Rand is a novel almost exactly like Brave New World. It is considerably less detailed and scientific, but it was also a futuristic novel where the inhabitants are brainwashed into a cult of collectivism where they view themselves more as one unrecognizable member of a mass of humanity. Also, people are predestined to lives as street sweepers, or controllers, or farmers, or whatever else is necessary to make society functional. Both novels are similar in the way that they are warnings against the possibilities of communist collectivism. They both are scenes from the future that have a main character that resist the society and (not exactly in John's case)  find a way out of the over-organized restrictions and lack of culture that plague them.

Some differences are the bases of the different worlds. Anthem uses psychological methods such as making everything about a kid's childhood absolutely identical and never unique. Kids never know their parents and are taught that they are nobodies. They are given names like "unity", "collective", and "solidarity" with numbers following them. This makes them less human and more like a number, a statistic. They are convinced that they owe everything they are to their 'brothers and sisters' (who are everyone). One man finds an underground storage filled with paintings, art, and sculptures. He uses this storage as a retreat from the identical, monotonous lifestyle of his brothers and sisters. Later, he falls in love with a woman he sees at work everyday. They run away together and take the art with them. They create a new life the way humans are supposed to live: free, unique, and independent.

Brave New World is far more scientific and plausible as a dominant way of life. The authority in Brave New World have biologically engineered control over their subjects. They also have soma to smooth over and bumps their subjects might have. While real names are used, and preference is not a sin while it is discouraged.

There may be differences in the way the novels are developed, but in essence they are both grave examples of what could happen if humans ever lost control.

Conversation of Resolution

"'Because, finally, I preferred this,' the Controller answered. "I was given the choice to be sent to an island, where I could have got on with my pure science, or to be taken on to the Controllers' Council with the prospect of succeeding in due course to an actual Controllership. I chose this and let the science go.' After a little silence, 'Sometimes,' he added, 'I rather regret the science. 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.'"-pg 227

In previous blogs, I inspected the attitude and perspective Huxley took towards displaying the information he wanted the reader to have and formulate opinions on. From complete unbiased observation of the futuristic world of his novel, through the view of a unique and irresolute character, to the negative and more familiar perspective of a new character, Huxley has lead the reader to the desired conclusion without actually ever spelling out the details of this world and how it got to be here. There are so many explanations needed to fully comprehend how the world got this way, why it got this way, and why it stays this way. Finally, Huxley lays everything out in detail through one of his minor, but informative characters.

Mustapha Mond has a lengthy conversation with John the Savage after the riot that covers several pages. During the course of this conversation, the details of how, why, and when this world rose into existence is fully explained. Huxley minimizes the use of figurative language to take on an honest and blank tone that lends to the factual air Mustapha Mond has as he fills John in on the whole story. This tone is refreshing and a nice breather from the complicated perspectives that were complex because they were viewed through different, not omniscient characters. This conversation may be part of the resolution of the novel. The conversation both lays out the necessary details of the story, but also directly follows the climax. These facts make it feel like a resolve, a statement of the way it is and the way it always will be.

Climax in Force

"The policemen pushed him out of the way and got on with their work. Three men with spraying machines buckled to their shoulders pumped thick clouds of soma vapour into the air. Two more were busy round the portable Synthetic Music Box. Carrying water pistols charged with a powerful anaesthetic, four others had pushed their way into the crowd and were methodically laying out, squirt by squirt, the most ferocious of the fighters." -pg 214

For a novel based mostly on philosophical turmoil, the climax is surprisingly physical. The ability demonstrated in the riot provoked by John displays several new interesting traits previously unknown about the modern society of Brave New World. Firstly, it proves that the conditioned, trained members of identical brokanovsky groups are capable of still acting in the more base ways of human kind. When they are challenged and frightened by John the Savage, they begin to riot ferociously. This action, much like that of the unconditioned, untrained humans of the past, defies the pleasant, overly happy attitude that most characters have in the novel. Science may have trained humans to behave like robots, but they are still human under all their treatments. In fact, this is sort of what happened:



Secondly, when the riot broke out, a police force swiftly and deftly moved in to take control. The capability and preparedness of policemen suggest that this was not the first riot. Apparently, there is not only a protocol for controlling uprisings, but tools such as anaesthetic squirt guns, and soma vapour to handle these types of situations. This fact implicates that if ever an individual or group of individuals were capable of breaking free of their conditioning, there would be an authoritative force waiting for them. While the only punishment previously made known to the audience was banishment to an isolated island, the actions of the policemen open up new possibilities if ever a group of people organized to collectively defy the modern way of life. However, only the audience is able to realize this since the rioters are immediately quelled by the synthetic music box and its convincing peace speeches.

Overall, the climax of the novel reveals frightening, and interesting possibilities to the characters of the new world.

Praised From a New Perspective

"Squealing and chattering they entered. In a moment, it seemed, the ward was maggoty with them. They swarmed between the beds, clambered over, crawled under, peeped into the television boxes, made faces at the patients." -pg 210-202

Brave New World clearly has a new star: John the Savage. Bernard is replaced by John as the main character. It seems now Huxley's only purpose for Bernard was for him to bring John the Savage into the new world and offer a contrast as to how even the independently minded of the new world are still captive to their conditioning. With a new character's focus, the brokanovsky groups, the twins manufactured by the hundreds, are brought into a different, disturbing light that the audience can better identify with in the quote above. These more familiar perspective shared between John and the readers is caused by how foreign the "brave new world" is to both parties.

This sharp contrast is first realized when John's mother, Linda, is lying in the hospital dying. The twins of the brokanovsky groups are conditioned to accept death as a mere fact of life, a period at end of a sentence. They neither fear nor anticipate death. So when John became distraught over his mother's condition, this fascinated them. The quote above uses a simile to create an creepy, negative image and connotation to the countless twins. They children are likened to insects, all the same and without real human emotions. In all honesty, this is one of the first things I thought when I read about how people are manufactured in groups of identical twins. This new perspective that I could share with the main character was refreshing since before I was constantly guessing what Bernard was going to do and wondering whether he was going to be able to overcome his conditioning.

 Nearing the end of the novel, Huxley changes the perspective maybe to show a progression. He started at completely impersonal, with no main character and no official perspective. Then when Bernard became the protagonist, the perspective took 'undecided' as its official stance. Now that John is the new protagonist of the novel, his perspective is clearly against how the new world operates. This progression allows the reader to assess the situations in the novel without bias at first, but then leads the reader to the conclusion that Huxley wants them to have. The change in perspective, especially the end perspective, makes the novel more didactic then if had only one perspective the whole time.

Epithet the Inconsistent

"'John,' she murmured to herself, 'John...'". -pg 187

The quote above is spoken by Lenina while musing over her feelings for John the Savage. When John was first introduced into the 'other place' his mother had told him about as a young child, Bernard introduced him as John the Savage. John the Savage is an epithet, or a name that describes the person by adding an adjective to it. John the Savage may not be a very complimentary for a fairly learned and polite young man. Nevertheless, John seems to accept it without comment. Although this was John's introduction, it soon became obsolete and took on two different abbreviated forms.

Lenina, as demonstrated in the quote above- uses John's given name to talk to or about him. This, in part, demonstrates how highly Lenina thinks of John. She views him as person similar to all the people she is familiar with in her everyday world. Lenina talks to John as a person just like everyone else she knows, not a savage.

Characters who meet John or are introduced to him by Bernard Marx refer to him as the Savage. For one, the call him 'the' savage. This demonstrates that John is the only savage they know; likewise, he is their only experience of the savage world. John is the gateway to a world they cannot understand. In this sense, they seem him more as a gateway, rather than a person. They do not use or recognize his real name, or even the slightly demeaning epithet given to him by Bernard.

Speaking of Bernard, he is becoming an unpredictable character. Bernard has been glamoured by the popularity and attention that John the Savage brings him from some very prestigious people. When he speaks to John directly, he calls him John. When Bernard introduces him to audiences, Bernard calls him John the Savage. Sometimes, when John is nowhere near, Bernard calls him the Savage. This multiplicity of names for John makes Bernard seem shady and manipulative. This relationship is yet another example of who the epithet for John and the way it is used to describe him display the John's relationship with the respective characters.

Rising Action

"Desperately she clung. 'But I'm Linda, I'm Linda.' The laughter drowned her voice. 'You made me have a baby,' she screamed above the uproar. There was a sudden and appalling hush; eyes floated uncomfortably, not know where to look. The Director went pale, stopped struggling and stood, his hands on her wrists, staring down at her, horrified. 'Yes, a baby- and I was its mother.' She flung the obscenity like a challenge into the outraged silence; then, suddenly breaking away from him, ashamed, ashamed, covered her face with her hands, sobbing." -pg 151

The moment Bernard Marx brings Linda and John away from the Savage Reservation in Malpais to the 'other place', the plot of the novel gets far more complicated. It turns out, the Director of the Hatcheries is John's father. This is quite a shock, seeing as 'father'  is a curse in the modern society. This creates a mess that complicates Linda's mental health, and the Director's reputation. From this point on, Linda is in a sort of soma-coma. This coma adversely affects John in a chain reaction that escalates his emotional state which in return affects other characters, such as Lenina and Bernard. Huxley has one event escalating another, a rising action that the reader can see spreading from character to the other.

Along with the rising action is a turning of the characters against each other that increases with the rising action. A relationship that is particularly interesting is that of Lenina and John's. John admits in the narrator's tone to falling in the love with Lenina immediately. Lenina falls for John without really realizing it. Around the section where they go to the feelies together, Lenina starts to feel a deep attraction to John. The rocky status of this relationship may be one of the highest contributing factors to the climax. Especially since John is quickly becoming the focal point of the novel above Bernard. Bernard has taken a backseat to John as he assimilates into his the culture he was decanted in more than he did before, possibly an affect of stardom due to his prominence and knowledge of the Savages. Nevertheless, all characters will most likely be involved in the inevitable and soon approaching climax.

O brave new ironic world!

"'O brave new world,' he repeated. 'O brave new world that has such people in it. Let's start at once.'" - pg 139

Finally, the origin of the novel's title is revealed. Ironically, it was Shakespeare who lent his voice to the title. This is an odd choice since only one character knows about or is familiar with Shakespeare. John, the most unique and self-determined character in the book, speaks the title aloud when he is invited to visit the modern world with Bernard. This later becomes a habit of John's that sets him at odds with the people in the modern world. Although John did not intend this to be true, since he had never seen the "brave new world", but his words could not be farther from the truth.

Get it? I 

The world of the novel is the complete opposite of brave. The controllers are so afraid of economic collapse, disorder, individuality, family life, and monogamy that have insulated themselves and society from every surprise, fear, and unpredictability. They have protected themselves from the possibility of problems and mishaps. They have sacrificed true human life and passion in order to never have to deal with the side effects of regular human life. This sacrifice is the opposite of brave.

Also, the use of the word 'new' could not be more false. The world in the physical sense or in the sense of time is not new, it is archaic. While the lifestyle of the characters may be new and different from the old, but it is not at all new, but merely a different organization of the same world as before. John may soon decide to retract his statement.

Time, Death, and God: An Epiphany

"He held out his right hand in the moonlight. From the cut on his wrist the blood was still oozing. Every few seconds a drop fell, dark, almost colourless in the dead light. Drop, drop, drop. To-morrow and to-morrow and to-morrow.... He had discovered Time and Death and God." -pg 136

When John tried to go participate in an adult right of passage, the savages push him away and throw rocks at him until he leaves. The repeated rejection of the people he understands best in the world pushes John to the point of extreme pain, even suicidal thoughts. These emotions bring John onto an epiphany. This epiphany serves as a defining moment for John. The realizations he comes to during this passage form him into a more adult and unique character different in belief from both worlds he knows of.

Time, Death, and God are three concepts that are viewed oddly from both the modern world of the novel and the old world of the Reservation. Time is viewed on the Reservation as an unchangeable and eroding force of nature. The members of the savage society life to an old, incapacitated age in poverty and filth. Time is their enemy. Time in the modern world outside Malpais is a defeated force. The use of soma allows characters to fight time and escape for infinite amounts of time. They are also conditioned to never fear death; they cannot feel the clock running out on their lives. Similarly, death holds power over the savages, but not over the conditioned fearless of the modern society. God is a mixture of Jesus and odd spirits on the reservation. God is replaced by the hero Ford in the modern society. John finds his own way in all three aspects. His epiphany allows him to feel neither the crushing nor its absence. He neither accepts the god mixture of the Indians or the  Ford of Linda's life. John can reach his life's end without the use of soma or the filth of the savage life. John's epiphany makes him his own, unique character.

A Foot in Both: Juxtaposition

"She had gone walking alone in those mountains over there to the North, had fallen down a steep place and hurt her head. ('Go on, go on,' said Bernard excitedly.) Some hunters from Malpais had found her and brought her to  the pueblo. As for the man who was his father, Linda had never seen him again. His name was Tomakin." - pg 118

The passage above explains the way Linda came to the Savage Reservation of Malpais. From this point on in the novel, there is about a whole chapter of strikingly juxtaposed characters and scenarios. Linda and her born son John live on the Savage Reservation. Linda is constantly at odds with the lifestyle on the Reservation. Her casual sexual exploits cause the women not only to loathe her, but to whip her. Her inability to mend clothing causes her son to have to wear tatters constantly. All these clashes of lifestyle and ideas living the same space is the most clear and defined way to demonstrate how different and discordant the old and new worlds are.

However, John defies the juxtaposition of his mother and the Indians by having a foot in both worlds but a life in neither. John wants to participate in the life of the Indians. His mother is unable to to fully and accurately explain the life she used to live. The savages will not let him participate in the only lifestyle he has ever known. Eventually he finds a piece of life that belongs to neither society: Shakespeare. His mother did succeed in teaching him to read, enabling him to enjoy in the the literary works that make him unique in both worlds. On top of the clashing of the Linda and the savages, John succeeds in creating a new possibility of cultural renewal and conscious. John's example opens up a third gateway between the juxtaposition that could someday lead people out of the new world and rise above the old world.

Savage Reality; Imagery in Action

"Suddenly it was as though the whole air had come alive and were pulsing, pulsing with the indefatigable movement of blood. Up there, in Malpais, the drums were being beaten. Their feet fell in with the rhythm of that mysterious heart; they quickened their pace. Their path led them to the foot of the precipice." -pg 108

When fetuses are being conditioned, surrogate blood is used to nurture them. The whole concept of surrogate blood epitomizes life in the society of Brave New World. There is nothing personal or real or 'pulsing' about the way the characters in the this novel live. There are no specifically special connections between people; relationships are merely surrogates for what could be. Everyone belongs to everyone else. Long term preferences are frowned upon. Once Lenina and Bernard arrive at the Savage Reservation in New Mexico, they experience whole new type of existence.

The passage at the top is the description for the atmosphere at the Savage Reservation camp. Huxley uses his diction such as 'pulsing', 'alive', 'rhythm', 'mysterious heart', and 'blood' to create effective imagery of a living, unsurrogate life force that contrasts the casual, unnatural lifestyle of the society in Brave New World. These images and atmosphere of real life disturbs Lenina, but excites Bernard. No doubt, the realness and rawness of life on the Reservation disturbs and estranges Lenine, who previously anticipated seeing the Savage Reservation. However, Bernard finds something enticing in the aura of the Reservation and perhaps feels that this is what he has been missing. This is the place where he belongs.

Aphorism Wisdom

"'A gramme in time saves nine,' said Lenina, producing a bright treasure of sleep taught wisdom." -pg 89

When children and finally done with the chemical conditioning and are born, children receive a new form of treatment. During rest, speakers under their pillows repeats easy to remember aphorisms. When children grow to adults, they repeat the aphorisms whispered under their pillows to remind each other of what their society wants. This has occurred many times in the book. The lower caste groups, who are conditioned to be consumers for the economy, often repeat these aphorisms over and over, causing me to believe there may be some odd side effect of the hyponaedia. The above aphorism strikingly resembled the aphorism from the 'old world': a stitch in time saves nine. Lenina repeats the above aphorism to Bernard try and make him conform to all the lessons taught during rest times of childhood.

Huxley's use of these aphorisms makes the characters seem weak and easily persuaded. There may have been thousands upon thousands of repetitions, but the phrases seem too catchy and simple to have real power. Hopefully, the power they have can be broken.

Old Ritual in the Modern World

"Twelve yearning stanzas. And then the loving cup was passed a second time. 'I drink to the Greater Being' was now the formula. All drank. Tirelessly the music played. The drums beat. The crying and clashing of the harmonies were an obsession in the melted bowels. The second Solidarity Hymn was sung." -pg 81

The following are my previous assumptions about Bernard Marx: People put up with Bernard Marx because he is an Alpha-Plus. He is incredibly smart and does a very important job in the Hatcheries and manages conditioning for undecanted children. Otherwise, Bernard would be considered a majorly defected member of society. Since this is not the case, Bernard is tolerated and few spend time contemplating him or his motives. Beginning with Part 2 on page 78 of Brave New World, all these assumptions went out the window, and I am still unsure of what will replace them.

Bernard took part in a ritual with eleven others that was completed by sharing of drink, ballads, dancing, drum beating, and prayers to the "Greater Being". It sounds like a scene out of a Western on Indians. Although, the part about passing the cup of soma around (a drink I can only assume is a form of mild drug or alcohol that keeps people happy, but doesn't incapacitate them) reminded me a little of the Last Supper. This ritual was so out of place with every other scene or section of the book, that I thought it was a dream sequence at first. Yet, the ritual actually happened, and Bernard was a part of it. This defies all the things I thought I knew about him except for a few. The only traits that remain the same are the misgivings Bernard has about his society, and the lack of confidence he displays in crowded areas. Otherwise, my assumptions about characters merely tolerating Bernard seem false. In some strange way, he is important, even valued enough to take part in an earthy ritual that defies the strictly structured modernism of the socialist society of Brave New World.

Flashback of the Future

"Lenina suddenly remembered an occasion when, as a little girl at school, she had woken up in the middle of the night and become aware, for the first time, of the whispering that had haunted all her sleeps." - pg 74

Lenina is becoming a more prominent character. While she is mostly a parrot for the 'whisperings' injected in her ear since childhood, it is obvious she has a few misgivings about how her society works. First, she was frustrated with the assumption that a four month relationship with one man is absurd. Later, she stood up for Bernard and refused to accept that he is less than an Alpha. Now, while she is on a date with Henry Foster, she has anecdotal flashback to her childhood. She woke one night to remember how phrases were repeated over and over during her sleep, a method called hypnopaedia. The effects of this treatment are apparent as Lenina and other characters often repeat one phrase several times during conversations.

This anecdote reveals a strange trait about Lenina and the people of her society. A few, if not most, know everything about hypnopaedia. They know they were conditioned. Perhaps they have never seen it in person and are not aware of the details of it, but their society is not a mystery or a secret. This proves the extent of how well the conditioning worked. It also demonstrates one of the creepiest qualities of the futuristic world: they know but do not resist their caste system. Lenina's anecdotal flashback opens a potential crack for those with solid misgivings to fight the caste system and the society built by whispers under pillows.

Half Way to Hero: A Simile

                                                                            -Karl Marx
"He was like a man pursued, but pursued by enemies he does not with to see, lest they should seem more hostile even than he had supposed, and he himself be made to feel guiltier and even more helplessly alone." - pg 63

Again, I am focusing on this increasingly suspicious Bernard Marx character. For one, I am curious about the reason for his name. The societal system in Huxley's novel is severely socialist and obviously communist. Since Karl Marx is a founding father of radical socialism, giving a character with a strong distaste his world's communist systems the same name as Marx was an odd move. From the start, his name set Bernard apart. Now, Bernard is even further separated from the flock by the simile above and the following passage.

Reading the simile above I immediately wondered whether it was very pointed foreshadowing. Although, if it was meant to suggest the future, Bernard may not be the rebel I was hoping for. Bernard seems more shy and lonely than resistant. He is compared to a frightened and scared man. He is running from his pursuers, not facing them. Later, another character, similar yet opposite of Bernard, is introduced. Helmholtz and Bernard were written to share "the knowledge that they were individuals". In a book where up ninety six twins can produced identically by the same mother, using the word 'individual' to apply to a character, or even two, is a huge surprise. The title of 'individual' given to Bernard can perhaps redeem him from his comparative cowardice in the simile.

Overly Casual and Strangely Impersonal, The Dramatic Irony of Brave New World

"As though I'd been saying something shocking,' though Lenina. 'He couldn't look more upset if I'd made a dirty joke- asked him who his mother was, or something like that." - pg 58

Something Huxley has been making a point to emphasize is how opposite this future and our world are. This section above uses dramatic irony to show how contrast the imagined society and our society are. By writing almost exactly the opposite of what the readers will suspect, Huxley surprises the readers with Lenina's comment about Bernard's behavior. Bernard is also being increasingly emphasized as an important character. Not only was he included seemingly without purpose in the rapid structure strobe light in the previous blog, but his thoughts are included beyond his distaste for Henry Foster.

Perhaps the rumors about accidental alcohol poisoning aren't true; however, there is definitely something off about Bernard. The things about the work that make me uncomfortable in the novel also weird me out. Just how the reproductive system of Huxley's imagined novel seems overly casual and strangely impersonal to me, Bernard is obviously shy of the sexual process in Brave New World. I don't know whether he has the guts to pull off a serious move against the system, but since Huxley has been continually focusing on him (I read ahead) he -and us readers- may no longer be the victim of dramatic irony.

Strobe Light Structure

"'Well, all I can say is that I'm going to accept his invitation.'
Bernard hated them, hated them. But they were two, they were large, they were strong.
'Then the Nine Years' War began in A.F. 121.'" -pg 47

On about page 47 Huxley starts to switch the scene among four different scenes every few lines. While this was definitely confusing, and I had to reread a few lines to make sure I knew who the speaker was. The only thing I could compare it to was being in a strobe light. Scenes and dialogue kept flashing by and were gone barely one after another. The four scenes were: Mustapha Mond's instructive narrative with the children, dialogue between Lenina and Fanny, the thoughts of Bernard Marx, and Henry Foster and his friend's discussion of Lenina. This rapid and complicated flipping between scenes provided several services.

The most important scene was Mustapha Mond and his lessons about stability and how it was achieved through the destruction of the viviparous system. When the scene changed between Mond and the conversation between Fanny and Lenina, the new reproductive system that replaced the viviparous old world Mond described was  demonstrated. Fanny and Lenina talked about their sexual conquests which were many and varied. Fanny was shocked  that Lenina preferred to stay with Henry Foster for four months. This switch between narrative of a concept and demonstration of a concept helps the readers picture how the characters viewed the new and old reproductive systems. Another scene, the dialogue of Henry Foster and his friend, continued the depiction of how women and sex are viewed in the futuristic novel, Brave New World. The only exception to the system of narrative and demonstration was Bernard and his thoughts. Bernard may the rebel I predicted appearing in my first post. He opposed Henry Foster and despised the way men in this future thought women were meat. Combined, the scenes and the rapidity with which they switched created initially confusing, but generally helpful literary strobe light effect.

Geyser vs. Trickle River, An Aquatic Analogy

"'Think of water under pressure in a pipe.' They thought of it. 'I pierce it once,' said the Controller. 'What a jet!' He pierced it twenty times. There were twenty piddling little fountains. Mother, monogamy, romance. High spurts the fountain; fierce and foamy the wild jet. The urge has but a single outlet. My love, my baby. No wonder these poor pre-moderns were mad and wicked and miserable. Their world didn't allow them to take things easily, didn't allow them to be sane, virtuous, happy." -pg 41

At this point in the novel, Mustapha Mond is describing why the family and viviparous systems of the old world did not work and were replaced by the Hatcheries. He uses an extended metaphor to describe how the instinctively emotional nature of human beings could not be channeled monogamously, but rather needed many, casual channels to operate properly. The metaphor was of water pressure in a pipe. One hole in the pipe produced a geyser not easily controlled. Many, spaced out holes in the pipe produced many, evenly flowing little rivers of water.

What I learned most from this metaphor was that Mustapha Mond valued stability above all. He claimed the crowded, emotional scenarios created by families and homes were prime material for explosively messy and complicated situations. These situations produced criss-crossing motives that were to blame for all crimes of passion, hate, or confusion. To his credit, he makes a convincing point. However, taking passion, hate, and confusion out of humans makes them weird robots, much like most of the characters in this book. The members of this society can't protest or realize the manipulation, even though they are conscious of it. They are conditioned to never resist their conditioning. For the record, I which much rather be a geyser than a trickle river.

Please Welcome World Controller Mustapha Mond!, Indirect Characterization

"His fordship Mustapha Mond!" -pg 34

In the middle of page 34 there is a paragraph in the narrator's voice, but clearly portraying the thoughts and attitudes of children eagerly awaiting 'his fordship', one of the World Controllers. Next, Mustapha Mond begins a soliloquy of sorts about history and its strangeness to the decanted children of Brave New World (or what we consider normal). I thought this process of introducing such an important character was interesting. A World Controller is apparently the highest title that there is, and there are only ten in the entire world. Huxley started Mond's profile by giving the perspectives of children who were waiting to meet him. Without describing his appearance or anything else about where Mond was or what he looked like, Huxley moved straight into Mond's dialogue. Mustapha Mond spoke scathingly about family, mothers, fathers, and viviparous reproduction. The children were aghast.

Mustapha Mond is a significant character not only in terms of the novel, but also because he is the only one who remembers, or knows anything about the old world. Knowing this, its interesting that Huxley chose to indirect characterization as they way to portray him. Not only was he introduced indirectly, but Huxley used other people's thoughts to build Mond's reputation. Since Mond was not thoroughly described, I made the assumption that he is not a major character, but merely a channel to describe in length the view the people in the novel had about the past and why they despised it and preferred the stability of their present.

Oh, For the Love of Ford!

                                                               - Here is the Model T
"Oh, Ford!" he said in another tone, "I've gone and woken the children." -pg 29

At this point in the novel I started to notice the emphasis and different uses of "Ford". Previously, there lots of references to a 'Ford society' On page 23 I noticed how time was marked by when Ford started to produce his car, the Model T. And in the quote above, the characters even use his name like we today use the word "God", which displays a level of reverence and admiration. What I know about Henry Ford and the Model T is not much. I know he was the pioneer of the assembly line and the was famous for his consistency and speed at assembly production. Due to his work, almost every American family owned a Model T car by the end of ten years. Henry Ford wasn't a great business man because he never saw the point of improving on his product. After every family owned a Model T, Ford didn't try to sell families newer, better cars because he saw that as unproductive and wasteful. That is the trait that perhaps most inspired the policies of the Hatcheries: uniformity and a strong distaste for ineffective methods.

At the Hatcheries, children that have been decanted are continually conditioned by -for example- electrical shocks and loud siren blares that discourage them from items- such as nature and children books- that they are not expected to like as an adult. The most important use of these methods are for the economy. Again, I was impressed and disturbed by these manipulative ideas. I would have never in a million years thought of safeguarding the industrial economy by training human beings to serve it. Since the methods of the Hatcheries are so consistent and like Ford's beliefs, I am wondering whether the economy has an ability to grow, or will it remain stagnant? Maybe later in the book, this unchanging trait of economy may be it's downfall?

Imagination Gone Wild

"Nothing like oxygen-shortage for keeping an embryo below par." Again he rubbed his hands.
"But why do you want to keep the embryo below par?" asked an ingenuous student.
"Ass!" said the Director, breaking a long silence. "Hasn't it occurred to you that an Epsilon embryo must have an Epsilon environment as well as an Epsilon heredity?" -pg 14

Reading the sections of the novel that described the ways embryos were conditioned to the roles they would take on once they were "decanted", I wondered who could think of these things. By manipulating surrogate blood flow during fetal positions, adjusting temperatures to extremely hot or extremely cold, or controlling oxygen levels, unborn babies are trained to fit into the caste system they were chosen for. I found the creativity and resourcefulness of the characters in control (or the Huxley I guess) a little disturbing. I suppose that was the author's desired effect, but imagination put into these fictional methods surprised me.


Through the casual dialogue, some of which came from less learned questioners of the system, Huxley quickly depicted the Hatcheries of his futuristic novel without having to literally describe them. The nature of the dialogue -casual and in Mr. Foster's case competitive and enthusiastic- showed how dominant and effective the methods of the Hatcheries are. Dissent was apparently widely eradicated by not only the Bokanovsky Process, but also the disturbing treatments inflicted on the unborn. I was impressed - in a perverse way- by how well the author made this social organization seem so plausible and easy. The thorough details of how each treatment was achieved (including a lot of chemicals and hormones I can't pronounce) were the greatest contributors to the Huxley's clearly defined system or conditioning and decanting. I have a feeling the author put in a good deal of research into his imaginary Hatcheries. At this point I hope, more than officially predict, that there will be a rebel character appearing soon to challenge the thesis the Hatcheries exist on: one belongs to the many.