Brave New World 13

"Success went fizzily to Bernard's head, and in the process completely reconciled him to a world which, up till then, he had found very unsatisfactory." pg. 157

During this chapter, my opinion of Bernard changes significantly. I'm extremely disappointed that he would let the spot light get to him like it does. I used to feel sorry for Bernard because  he was an outcast and was above all the superficial behavior of the World State. But now, it's as if he is the ring leader of it all. He is using John as a source to gain popularity. I think Bernard will have a rude awakening when the citizens of the World State begin to lose interest in John. Bernard will no longer have his clutch to success and superiority. He will be back to the same old awkward Bernard that he was in the beginning of the novel. However, I think that he won't be able to recover from his status loss, which will leave him more isolated and alone then ever before. This is because he will have burnt every friendship he had prior to his rising popularity. His compulsive boastfulness towards Helmholtz will drive that friendship away, and Bernard's poor treatment of John will diminish that friendship as well. This reminds me of the movie Mean Girls. Lindsay Lohan starts the school year off as the new girl with no friends. She befriends a few outcasts early on in the film. Then, she is invited to sit with the "plastics" or the popular girls. Her status quickly rises and she is now "popular" and leaves her friends behind. Then when the popular crowd turns on her she is left with no one. I think this is what will happen to Bernard.

 

Brave New World 12

"There was a gasp, a murmur of astonishment and horror; a young girl screamed..." pg. 150

Even though this chapter was fairly short, many key events occurred. Bernard Marx is exiled from the World State and the Director encounters his son for the first time in his life. But, despite all the action going on in this chapter, I couldn't help but feel sorry for Linda. First of all, she was described as a horrifying monster based upon her looks. I bet that must have been hard for her because she used to look like everyone in the World State. As if her wretched looks weren't enough, she faced condemning judgment because of having a child. Then, to top it all off, Tomakin didn't acknowledge who she was and that he was truly the father of her child. I think that is a lot of misfortune to encounter in one day. If I were Linda, I would have terribly low self-esteem now and possess major resentment towards the Director. He robbed her of her lifestyle, the only one she had ever known. I think the Director needs to assume responsibility for his actions and learn how to deal with the situation in a proper way.  

Brave New World 11

"How beautiful she was! How beautiful!" pg. 144

It is quite evident from this chapter that John's attraction to Lenina is continuously growing. John recites one of William Shakespeare's lyric poems to express his desire for her. I'm torn as to what I foresee happening next in the novel. I think that Lenina will not be able to resist John's passion for her. As a result, they will get together and through spending time with one another,  John will very slowly release Lenina from her conditioned mindset, leaving Bernard hurt that he was not able to do the same. Or, Lenina will still fall for John's passion, however, it won't be in the way he was hoping. Lenina will see John as just another conquest of promiscuity, and John will be devastated when he discovers his deep, heartfelt feelings are not reciprocated. Then, Bernard, with his overwhelming insecurities, will revel in John's disappointment and heartbreak. Despite Lenina's reaction to John, I think the two of them will physically get together leaving someone hurt and alone.

Brave New World 10

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

After accepting Bernard's invitation to go to London, John is eager to encounter civilized people. I think that is completely normal and expected given the life he has lived so far. Through flashbacks to John's childhood, we learn how truly savage these Indians are. When they were first referred to as "savages," I thought that Bernard was just over exaggerating, but I now think they really do fit their description. The Indians whipped and stoned John just because he was different. There is really not much difference between the civilized and uncivilized people in their treatment of outcasts. They both resort to abuse. The uncivilized use physical abuse, where as the civilized use mental abuse. Either way, it is still very hurtful to the individual that is different. As if the abuse from the Indians wasn't enough, John was constantly reminded of how he ruined his "mother's" life and how unwanted he was. I don't blame John for his optimism about the Other Place, as Linda calls it. If I experienced the childhood John had, I would dream of going to a world that was described as pure happiness too.

Brave New World 9

"And I was so ashamed. Just think of it: me, a Beta--having a baby: put yourself in my place." pg. 120

During this chapter, I made quite a few realizations. First of all, Linda is the woman the director became so emotionally attached to. This happened because Linda became pregnant with the directors baby, John. After discovering she was pregnant, Linda decided to remain in New Mexico rather than returning to the World State. Her reasoning was shame. By the way Linda describes her life on the Reservation, the standards must be extremely high and the judgement unbearable in the World State for her to choose to stay in New Mexico over returning to London. Also, the conditioning systems in the World State must be designed for long term remembrance, because Linda can still spout off lines she learned in her sleep after a significant period of time away. The last thing I noticed was the way John and Lenina were each characterized. They were both beautifully described which led me to sense the attraction they have for each other. I think that this foreshadows the development of a relationship between them. However, with their significantly different upbringings, I think a relationship between the two of them will only cause severe conflict.

Brave New World 8

"Don't imagine," he said, "that I'd had any indecorous relation with the girl. Nothing emotional, nothing longdrawn. It was all perfectly healthy and normal." pg. 97

While reading the director's personal anecdote of his trip to New Mexico with his girl at the time, I discovered a flaw in the conditioning system. The conditioning does not prevent people from having the capability to relate to others in a deeper way. I think that the "savages" in New Mexico had an unspoken effect on the director that caused him to develop feelings of compassion and concern. With enough distance from the World State, I believe any person could gain individuality and separation from their predestination. But, any trigger will send the person back to their original mindset. Also, once a person experiences these deeper feelings, he is always reminded and conflicted by them, just like the director. I think this is why, in the World State, the people must obtain permits before traveling to places that have "savages." If too many people experience what is normality in today's world, then the social system in the World State will break down.

Brave New World 7

"I want to know what passion is," she heard him saying. "I want to feel something strongly." pg. 94

At this point in the novel, Bernard encounters his first direct external conflict. Lenina has trouble comprehending how Bernard is able to think on his own and break away from his conditioning. This further emphasizes Bernard's difference from the rest of the World State. Bernard longs for a woman he can connect to and commit to; however, Lenina desires the exact opposite. She wants to have fun with many different men. I find that kind of ironic because today in America the role of each gender is switched (stereotypically at least). Its odd to read about a man wanting to settle down and a woman wanting to let loose. But then again, this entire book is strange and twisted so why am I surprised? Bernard has fantasies about a world without predestination and conditioning, and Lenina would not even fathom what that could be like. I thought that this conflict would be the end of their time together, but I was wrong. Even though Lenina refers to Bernard as "odd," she still accompanies him to New Mexico. I think that Bernard hopes that this blossoms into a relationship, but I do not foresee that happening. I don't think Lenina will be able to stray from here pre-conditioned beliefs. But, who knows, maybe Bernard's continuous influence will overcome Lenina's chosen mindset.