Brave New World: Chapter 15

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Chapter 15

1.       How is the title different in Chapter 15?

·         He is sarcastic, and uses mockery to express “O Brave New World”

2.       Why does John interfere with the distribution of Soma?

·         John believes it is poison and meant to enslave them

3.       How does John view slavery and freedom?

·         John would rather see truth and real human relationships-even painful ones-than the near slavery of soma, so he is against it

4.       What does he think of the Delta citizens?

·         The looks on the Delta’s faces make him mad & infuriate him. He thinks they are naïve and uneducated

5.       What do Bernard and Helmholtz do in this chapter?

·         They defend John in the riot. Bernard believes this will forever mark him as a dangerous subversive. They defend what they know is right

6.       How does the riot end?

·         They gas everybody out by soma vapor. They begin crying, kissing and apologizing. Then soma rations are restored

7.       What does it mean to them to be happy/good vs what it means to us?

·         Their view of being good is being promiscuous and not settling with one person, as most of our society today would prefer settling down.

Brave New World: Chapter 17

1)      Why does Mond want John alone?  So he can show him copies of The Holy Bible, The Imitation of Christ, and The Varieties of Religious Experience.

2)      The discuss religion, why is this significant?  Mond considers religion to be the most destabilizing force in society.

3)      What are their different positions of religion?  Mond says religion is irreverent and John says it is natural to man.

4)      Mond says God has a specific role, what is it? Mond says that God is a reality, an absolute and everlasting truth that we embrace once we’ve neared death.

5)      John argues civilized man is degraded.  What was he before, what is he now?  John says man was once a happy, hardworking, goods-consuming citizen, now they are patient and courageous.

6)      How do you describe self-denial, chastity, and heroism?  Self-denial: Not being self-indulgent and not taking care of yourself Chastity: instability which is the end of civilization  Heroism:  symptoms of political insufficiency

7)      Mond says soma plays a role, what is it?  It gives you a holiday from the facts, calms your anger, to reconcile you from you enemies to make you patient and long suffering.   Christianity without tears.

8)      What does ‘it’s an opiate of the masses’ mean?  Marx sees religion as the opiate, whereas soma is the Brave New World hope.  It is something for the public to rely on for hope. 

9)      John says no to civilization and what does he say yes to?  He says yes to being unhappy.  No we do not agree, unhappiness is not something you must feel. 

Brave New World: Chapters 13 & 14

1.      What is happening in Lenina and John, what does she feel towards him and what does she do to get what she wants?

She is infatuated with him to the point of looking sick. She tells her friend Fanny that John is the only man that she wants to be with. In order to get what she wants she tries to seduce him in his bedroom.

2.      Conversely what does John feel for her and does she try to prove that?

He likes her but he does not want lust for her to overcome his feelings. When she strips and throws herself at him, he panics because of the actions of his mother throughout his childhood. His mother had sex with a lot of men and he did not approve of that behavior.

3.      How does John react to what Lenina does in the chapter?

After she stripes off her clothes and tries to kiss him, he is shocked at first then is furious with her. He calls her a whore, pushes her away, and tries to smack her. She escapes to the bathroom and begs him to return her clothes but he is distracted by a phone call.

4.      What is the hospital like for those that are dying?

It is a cheerful place filled with happy people. They play music and play games to eliminate the natural fear of death

5.      What are the people that are dying like?

They are happy because they are drugged up

Why do you think that something from television is included in the chapter and why is it important in the chapter (before television existed)

            The television is always left on

Why is Linda dying?

            She took too much Soma and didn’t take care of herself

What is John thinking about as he stands by Linda?

            At first he was thinking about all of the happy memories that he had with his mother growing up, but after she mistakes him for the Pope, he recalls all of the bad memories from when he tried to kill the Pope. He becomes angry because the people around him are playing games.

Why are there delta level children at the hospital?

The nurses are conditioning the delta children see death and a joyful process that benefits society. They are taking the natural fear of death away.

Why isn’t death terrible for those in the “civilized” world?

            They are conditioned to believe that death is a fun and happy process 

Brave New World: Chapter 18

Chapter 18

1.       How does John purify himself? Where does he go and what does he do to do that? Is that a reasonable alternative or healthy alternative that the society that the world has?

a.       He goes to an abandoned lighthouse in the wilderness and whips himself. He performs rituals of self punishment.

2.       What is self flagellation?

a.       Self harm, the act of hitting oneself.

3.       Describe the relationship that John and Lenina have and how it comes to an end? What is the end result of their relationship?

a.       The beginning of their relationship starts out with John liking her and she wants to be with him. She tries to seduce him several times, but he sees this negatively. He believes in a different type of relationship and she doesn’t understand it. In the end he is alone and becomes a spectacle to the newspapers because he is whipping himself. Lenina tries to come towards him and he ends up whipping her.

4.       What happens overall to everyone? How does it end?

a.       In the end, John becomes a participant of everything he has ever disagreed with and he ends up killing himself due to self-loathing.

5.       Could John have done anything differently at the end?

a.       Yes, he could have continued with his self-flagellation and not participated in the events of the night before that contributed to his self-loathing.

Brave New World: Chapter 16

1. Why doesn't John like civilization? He doesn't like the constant sound of music. 2. Why does Mond say old and beautiful things are forbidden? Because things that are old and beautiful tend to last and the new world is based on consumerism. They only like things that are new and must often be replaced. 3. Why can’t people write tragedies? There are no tragedies because they are based on things that don’t exist in the New World such as passion and deep emotions. 4. What’s the role/purpose of art in this new world? Art has no meaning because it may destabilize society. 5. What does Mond say about the role of liberty/truth/beauty? Liberty is the life they live. Truth and beauty are not needed. 6. How does Mond describe the different classes, do you agree with them? Everyone has their own role and it is the only way from them to be happy and avoid tension. Yes we agree, there is a need for all deferent levels of people for society to function efficiently. We have this kind of thing going on today but naturally rather than by the government. 7. What would happen if everyone was Alpha Level? War would break out because Alphas wouldn’t be happy doing the jobs of lesser people. 8. Why does science need to be constrained? It is not taught in the new world because it will cause a break in the peoples happiness. 9. Why does Helmholtz make the decision he does in the end of chapter? He decides to move to an island with bad climate to help with his writing.

Brave New World: Chapter 9 & 10

1. What does Mustafa agree to Bernard’s plan? Mustafa agrees with Bernard’s plan. It intrigues him due to it is a good scientific research experiment. 2. What happens when john watches Lenina sleep? What does john think and feel while he watches her sleep? He admires Lenina while she sleeps and has dirty thoughts about her. He wants to touch her 1. How and why is DHC making an example out of Bernard? The DHC wanted to look powerful. Therefore, they sent Bernard to Iceland to make an example out of him. By sending him to Iceland, DHC wanted to show that if you are punished you’ll be sent to Iceland. 2. Why is being different from society worse than serious crimes? Sacrificing one individual for the greater good of the society is no great loss. 3. How does the planned punishment from Bernard back fire by bringing John and Linda into the picture? Henry and DHC planned to formally humiliate Bernard and plans to transfer him to the sub-center to the lowest order. They claim that they “grossly betrayed the trust imposed in him” and that his unorthodox attitudes and behavior threaten society. Bernards response was to bring in Linda & John. Linda’s appearance is appalling to the crowed. Linda recognizes the director & calls him by name Tomikin. Tomikin freaks out & Linda yells at him for leaving her on the reservation while pregnant w/ John. She also blames him for impregnating her and leaving her. The D.H.C. is flustered and runs off so their original plan for humiliating Bernard backfires because it is Tomikin & Henry who become humiliated.

Brave New World: Chapter: Chapter 6

WHAT DOES BERNARD SAY ABOUT FREEDOM? There is more freedom than what Lenina perceives. Bernard says he rather be himself and nasty then someone else than be like everyone else. He prides himself in his individualism and how he feels like a rebel. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE INFINTILE? He means that she is too immature and that she was not ready for sex. She is going off with feelings instead of mental desire like he is. He asks her to forgive him because he shouldn’t have had sex with him. WHAT ARE THE DIRECTORS FEELINGS TOWARDS BERNARD? He feels disgusted towards him, and warns him that he is being too open about his sexuality and that he will exile him to Iceland. WHAT IS THE STORY RELATE ABOUT THE DIRECTOR? That he was once dumb, that he can relate to the director and that the director is not that great. That the director can be compared to someone as simple as Bernard, the story of what happened upsets the director more than he wants to admit because the accident could have happened to anyone even though they are all classified and grouped differently. He also said that there was nothing emotional, it was just healthy normal. WHY DOES BERNARD TELL THE STORY TO HIS FRIEND THE WAY HE DOES? Because he wants to act tough to his friend, and sound like a hard butt. WHAT DOES THE WARDEN SAY ABOUT THE RESERVATION? He tells his bad experience of when he went out with his girlfriend and that she disappeared after they went to sleep and has not been found since. He say it is dangerous to go out and stay out.

Brave New World: Chapter 12

Brave New World Ch. 12 1. Why does john refuse to come to the party? He is tired of being used by Bernard and tired of being put on display. 2. Negative consequences from Benard. He's humiliated and loses all self-confidence. They only like him because of his friends not because of himself. After he lost his popularity people didn’t want anything to do with him. 3. How does Lenina feel at the party? She had a strange feeling of "anxious exultation". Like she was anticipating her next encounter with him. She feels this way because she may have real feelings for him. She felt lifeless when she found out that she wouldn't see him. 4. How does John feel? John feels like he loves Lenina, but she isn't capable of love in return. He reads Romeo and Juliet because he feels the same way as Romeo does for Juliet. 5. How does Bernard's position start to decline? Bernard is not popular anymore. Helmholtz stays his friend, but john resents him for exposing him to this new world. 6. What is Mustapha’s role? He’s a controller, he places people in exile for not following the rules.

Brave New World: Chapter 11

What happens to Bernard after the trip w John and Linda? He becomes famous and essentially is a ruler over the savages. He makes the savages into a spectical and has parties for people of the high social status to come gawk at them. He begins to have relations with as many women as possible, because of this fame. How does he act compared to what he says he wants? Bernard acts in line with what he says he wants. He says he wants multiple women and he has them. He boasts about how great he is, and he truly believe he is of a great magnitude. Why is John now popular as opposed to his mother? Johns mother is repulsive and is looked down upon because she is a “mother”. He doesn’t take soma, which is found odd. What do you learn about the reservation Eton? Eton is a college where only one egg and one adult are allowed. It is to make the education process harder, but to produce the higher quality student. How does Lenita feel about John? Lenita has romantic feelings for John. How does John feel about the feelies? John thought their morals were offensive.

Brave New World: Chapter 8

Describe John’s upbringing? Listening to Linda’s stories but felt isolated and rejected What’s his relationship like with his mother? He was not really that close to his mom but she was all he had, and she was a drunk. What kind of education did he get? Linda taught him how to read, she drew with charcoal on the wall, he began reading by reading the book about embryonic conditioning. How does he fit in and not fit in? He didn’t fit in very well because he was made fun of about his mom, and threw sharp stones at him, laughed at him for being ragged, In what ways does that make him similar to Bernard? Bernard was also an outcast Why doesn’t Linda wan t to become a mother? Because she felt like without a baby she could have escaped. What are his goals in life? Is to go live in this New World of London, he wants stability, community, and identity What does he learn in Shakespeare? It’s a voice for his repressed feelings, it talked to him and helps him to understand his mother, the passages inspired him. Pope was in bed with his drunk mother and he went into a rage, and the passage from Shakespeare spoke to him. Time, death, and god, why is that important? He discovered suffering and things that citizens of Utopia know nothing about. He discovered these things alone through Indian initiation rituals. Why does Bernard want to take him and his mother back to London with him? He cant stand Linda, he is using her. He wants to show the citizens that John is the directors son and disgrace him, he is blackmailing the director so he doesn’t have to go to Iceland,

Brave New World: Chapter 7

Brave New World-Chapter 7 1. Why doesn’t Lenina like the Indian guide from the reservation? a. She thinks he is queer and that he smells bad. 2. What are the people like? a. They are the opposite of where they come from. The mothers care for their young, they witness old age, religion, tradition, they are dirty and she is use to cleanliness. 3. How do both Lenina and Bernard respond to seeing the savages? a. Lenina and Bernard are not accustomed to this behavior—the breastfeeding, the dancing, whipping, and seeing older people—it all freaks out Lenina and Bernard tries to act like it doesn’t faze him. 4. Why is the ceremony important, what happens? a. The ceremony is important because its religious and they give an offering, the offering is the boy who was whipped, here John states how he cannot be a part of these ceremonies. This allows for the story to show that John is considered an outsider. 5. How is John different? What does he want? How does he react to Lenina? a. John is different because he was brought up on the reservation. He wants to see what the World State is all about because of his mother’s stories. He gets butterflies when he sees Lenina, because of her beauty. 6. What is Linda’s story? What has her life been like? How do the natives treat her? a. Linda has an illegitimate son and is left behind on the reservation by her lover, she was originally from the World State. She had a son with the director, but she did not want to return for the fear that she had an illegitimate child. Her life has been difficult because she is use to the conditioned life and on the reservation it is the complete opposite. The natives don’t treat her very well, she is a prostitute at the reservation because she doesn’t know how do anything else.

Huxley Interview

A great interview with Aldous Huxley:

Brave New World Discussion 1

1.       Instances of technology for control and immoral actions— used real eggs and break it up into billions of pieces and make it into many identical embryos.

2.       Instances of class conditioning—conditioning the lower class babies by coming close to them with books then performing electric shock.

3.       Absolute state -- parasite

4.       Explain social hierarchies – Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon;  Alpha—taught to be sexually promiscuous, top breed; Beta—told they don’t have to work as hard as Alpha’s and Beta’s are smarter than Delta’s, Gamma’s and Epsilon; Gamma, Delta, Epsilon—taught not to like different things to enhance consumerism.

5.       Explain genetics/social conditioning – Bokanosky Process; Alpha & Beta can reproduce as much as would like, genetically cloned in bottle, has heat training for people who will work in tropical enviroments, some exposed to chemicals for those who will work in chemical factories.

1. Instances of Technology for complete control and immoral actions a. Podsnap’s technique was being used to create hundreds of related individuals and to speed up the ripening processes of the eggs. This allowed them to create all of these individuals the same in every way.
 2. Instances of class conditioning a. They use hypnopaedia to whisper to each child their class level and what is expected of them. For example: the Beta’s are told that they don’t have to work as hard as the Alpha’s, but they are smarter than the lower classes.
 3. Absolute state a. The World State is a dictatorship who thrives on the motto, “Community, Identity, Stability.” They use the cloning process in order to not allow for anyone to feel like an individual. They also got rid of any books made before A.F. in order to not give anybody any other ideas than what they have implanted in their minds.
4. Explain social hierarchies a. The 3 lower classes Gamma, Delta, and Epison are created as weaker embryos in order to be predestined to perform identical tasks as if they are machines. They are not allowed to mingle with the higher classes, Alpha and Beta. Alpha is the smartest caste who has to work harder, and Beta is just beneath them, but they do interact.
 5. Explain genetic/social conditioning a. They exposed the fetuses of the 3 lower classes to alcohol and oxygen deprivation in order to make them smaller. They exposed the fetuses to hot climates in order to prepare them to work in tropical environments. b. Socially they create the different castes to accept and love their jobs. Train them to only be able to do a certain and job and they can’t perform any other job.

1.   Technology for control and immoral actions:

a.      Process of breeding outside of a human being

b.      Use of  X-rays and external factors to condition during embryo maturation

c.       Using hypnopedia to educate children while they are sleeping

2.      Instances of Classical Conditioning

a.      The use of hot and cold and x-rays used during embryo maturation

b.      Loud sounds used to scare children away from books and flowers

c.       Hypnopedia

3.      Absolute State

a.      Use the Bogonoski process to engineer all individual in society

4.      Explain social hierarchy’s

a.      Alpha, Beta, Gama, Delta, Episolom

b.      The government creates children stragically to fit into certain classes and conditions them once they are born to stay in that certain class

c.       Alpha is the highest of all classes, Beta are not as smart as Alpha but are still considered high class

d.      Gama, Delta, Episolom are considered the lower classes

5.      Explain Genetic/Social Conditioning

a.      Genetic conditioning is gone while the child is still an embryo. They go through a process of cloning and separating a matured egg to create many children that are the same and belong to the same class.

b.      Social conditioning is done after birth and ensures the child says in their certain class. This is done through installing fear for things that the certain class shouldn’t be involved in.