Brave New World
What is a Solidarity Service?
A service where participants sit twelve to a table, alternating men and women. They then eat strawberry ice cream with soma and take a soma tablet, work themselves into a frenzy of exultation, and end in a sex orgy.
Compare the recreation and social activities of the lower casts with those of upper casts.
All castes engage in group sports in the country such as Escalator Squash and Centrifugal Bumble-puppy. Upper castes travel by helicopter while lower castes use the monorail. The Solidarity Service is a social activity reserved for the upper castes. Lower castes have community sings. Only upper castes can go on holidays to places outside the World State.
what are the 5 casts of the world state?
Alphas, betas, gammas, deltas, and episiloms
What 2 things does the Savage say that the people have sacrificed for their happiness?
Art and science
Why is Lenina disgusted by Linda?
Because Linda gave birth to John
Why is "mother" such an obscene word?
Because it infers marriage and birth
Give 3 reasons why Shakespeare is prohibited in the World State
Because it is old and the World State is a consuming society. The words and Ideas are sentimental Nobody would be able to understand Shakespeare anyway.
Why does Lenina want to go out with Bernard?
Because she thinks Bernard is sweet and wants to see the reservation
How does Dr. Shaw justify keeping Linda on a soma-holiday even though it will shorten her life?
Because she will continue to scream otherwise
What do you think the people of the World State have no need of a God?
Because they are always happy, therefore don't ever have any pain, so no need for a higher being.
Give 3 reasons why no one has the smallest desire to see Linda
Because they are disgusted by her for being a mother
Where do Bernard and Lenina plan to visit?
Bernard Marx and Lenina Crowe plan to visit the Savage Reservation
Why is Bernard unable to feel the oneness with his group?
Bernard is unable to feel the oneness with his group because he does not feel emotional attachment to them and feels different.
What is Bokanovsky's Process?
Bokanovsky's Process is shocking an egg so that it divides to form up to ninety-six identical embryos, which then develop into ninety-six identical human beings.
What 2 objects are the babies being conditioned?
Books and flowers
How does Bernard humiliate the Director?
By telling everyone that he is the father of John
Describe the setting for the opening chapter. In what country, city, and year does this novel take place?
Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre during the year A.F. 632 (632 years "after Ford")
How are Linda and John different from the other savages?
Linda is from World State so they are strangers on the reservation.
How are these conditions contrary to what she has been taught and conditioned?
She has been conditioned to sanitary conditions, a constant supply of soma, and beautiful people who never age
How does Bernard want to spend his dates with Lenina?
Taking walks and talking
What book does Pope bring for John?
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
Who is the D.H.C.?
The Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning
Why does the Director threaten to send Bernard to Iceland?
The Director threatens to send Bernard to Iceland because of his antisocial behavior and not conforming to the standards of his caste.
Explain the State's attitude towards sex. How does the state regard marriage?
The State enforced sex without procreation. They have a negative view towards marriage.
Huxley presents a kaleidoscope view of the State's way of life. Think of it as you would a rapid succession of TV images presented to make a single impression. What is the requirement for any new games? Why is this so?
The new requirements for games are that they have to be sexual. There are no consequences to sex, so they go for it.
Rephrase Lenina's saying, "Was and will make me ill. I take a gramme and only am."
The past and the future are unimportant. Soma causes one to live only in and for the present.
How does John's refusal affect Bernard?
He's humiliated and loses all self-confidence.
What is the motto of this state?
"Community, Identity, Stability"
After Bernard and Helmholz are exiled, the Savage runs away to be alone. Relate the conclusion of the novel in 6 to 8 sentences.
...
What is soma?
A hallucinant that sedates and calms the people.
What is Helmholz Watson's job?
A lecturer at the College of Emotional Engineering
What is Ariel?
A reference to good spirit of Shakespeare's Tempest who could travel around the world in 40 minutes.
In the Electrical Equipment Company "each process is carried out, so far as possible by a single Bokanovsky group." Explain what this means.
Each bokanovsky group has become like parts of a machine.
From what sources has John obtained his education?
From Linda's books, including her work manual and Shakespeare
List 3 adjectives or phrase to describe John's feelings when he discovers Lenina asleep on her soma holiday.
He blushes when he sees her His heart is beating wildly He almost faints He's enchanted by her He is curious He feels anguish because he is looking at her longingly
To whom does John liken Lenina?
He compares her to an angel
Describe the Savage's reaction to the sight of work being done by single Bokanovsky's groups.
He doesn't like it and becomes very ill
Give 2 reasons the Savage shows little astonishment or awe at civilized inventions.
He has already been told about these things from Linda, and he is used to astonishment and wonder because of Shakespeare.
The Savage views the factory saying, "O brave new world that has such people in it." What are his true feelings about the people? How do you know?
He has negative feelings towards the people and you can see this because he throws up at the sight of the people in the factory
How is John affected by the feelies?
He is disgusted by the feelies and considers it to be porn
The Savage claims the "right to be unhappy." Explain this statement. Include some of the specific unhappiness that he is saying are his right.
He is saying that he is claiming the right to free will (everything including illness, ugliness, etc.).
Why does John refuse to come to the party?
He is tired of being used by Bernard and tired of being put on display.
Why does Mustapha Mond say he is paid for being too much interested in truth?
He paid through his own happiness.
What happens when John wants to make love to Lenina?
He rejects her because he wants to make himself worthy of her first.
What happens to the DHC after the scene in the Fertilizing Room?
He resigns from his position and isn't ever seen or heard from again.
How is Bernard Marx different from his associates?
He spends his time alone, he doesn't like obstacle golf and he's also smaller and weaker than most. He see's women as more than a piece of meat and shows emotion toward them.
Over the stormy water of the English Channel, what desire does Bernard express to Lenina?
He wants to be alone with her
How does Bernard react to his downfall?
He weeps and takes soma to cover the pain.
What does John say he will teach the mob of hospital workers?
He will teach them to be "free" (free of soma).
Why is John's reaction to his mother's death inappropriate?
He yells and becomes very angry and he also throws their soma out of the window.
What is the name of the deity in this world?
Henry Ford
John reveals he was born on the Reservation. Who is his father and where is he now?
His father is the DHC and he lives in the World State
What things does Mitsima teach John?
How to work clay and make a bow
How is the conditioning reinforced?
Hynopaedia
Explain why Bernard wishes to take John and Linda to London
It is to embarrass the D.H.C. and thus avoid his own exile.
What is the purpose of the whipping ceremony witnessed by Bernard and Lenina?
It is a fertility rite
Why does John become angry at the children?
John becomes angry because they are very rude and disrespectful to her.
Explain Bernard's sudden increased popularity.
John becomes popular because people are using him to get to John.
Describe John's actions at the hospital.
John encounters two Bokanovsky groups of Delta twins picking up their soma rations after their shift. With bitter irony he recalls the lines, "How many goodly creatures are there here! How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world."
When John was 16, he went with the Indian boys to a puberty ceremony. Describe what happened and how it affected John.
John was excluded from the ceremony because he is the "son of the she-dog." In his loneliness, he contemplates suicide.
Explain the essential differences in the natures of John and Lenina?
John: has superstitions and values of chastity Lenina: has sex with anyone
"Ending is better than mending." "The more stitches, the less riches." How do these idioms express the economic views of the State?
Mending, repairing any goods, is contrary to constant consumption, the economic basis of the World State.
What is mescal and how does it help Linda?
Mescal is a drink that Linda uses it to escape her unwanted way of life since she cannot get soma
Why does the Controller say they should be happy to be banished?
Mond explains that exile to the islands is not so much a threat to force freethinkers to reform and rejoin society but a place where they may act as they please, because they will not be an influence on the population.
Explain Watson's feelings toward the State.
Negative because he dislikes his job, thinks things he writes are senseless, and feels he has ability which he cannot use.
What other "civilized" customs disgust John?
No emotions of grief, promiscuity without emotional attachment, and genetically modified social hierarchy
List 3 adjectives or phrases to describe Lenina's personality.
Promiscuous, happy, and well conditioned
What 3rd sacrifice does the Controller add?
Religion
Linda describes ways in which she cannot reconcile her way of life in the Other Place with that of the Reservations. List the ways that seem to trouble her the most.
She cannot accept the filth, the ragged clothing, disease, gods, being a mother, and old age.
Explain how hynopaedia works
Sleep teaching
The libraries of the World State contain only reference books. Why is this so?
So that the government can control what the people read and they won't read about emotion or feelings or opinions
Why does the State condition the masses to dislike the country?
So that they pay more money for sports and to increase consumerism.
What does the Controller call "Christianity without tears"? Explain.
Soma
What does the child's mind, and later, the adult's become?
The child is the sum of all of these suggestions made through hypnopaedia.
Explain why Bokanovsky's Process is one of the major instruments of social stability?
The controllers can always make sure they have enough gammas, deltas and epsilons available to do the work that has to be done at each caste level of society.
List 3 conditions Lenina dislikes at the Reservation.
The dirtiness, no soma, and the ugly people.
Helmholz, the propaganda writer, and John have become friends. When John reads to him from Romeo and Juliet, Helmholz bursts into laughter. State 3 things that amuse him.
The fact that Romeo would get worked up over a girl. The idea of marriage The idea of a family
Why is scientific research banned?
The government limits the amount of information and research the people are able to see so that they are kept a certain way
What happens to Bernard and Helmholz?
They are sent to an island
How do the people act to what John does?
The people riot.
Explain the purpose and method of death conditioning
The purpose of death conditioning is to make sure that people enjoy dying, and don't think of it as a bad thing. The method of death conditioning is to bring children into the death hospital and give the children candy and treats, in order to make them think that dying is good.
What do you think the phrase "civilized infantility" means?
The society in Brave New World treats adults like infants. They have no major goals or responsibility. 'Civilized' is used to emphasise the fact that their entire society is responsible for this development
Why does Linda suffer dislike and rejection of the Reservation? Why do the women especially dislike her?
The women on the reservation dislike her because she is sleeping with their men.
What "obscenity" does Linda fling at the D.H.C. (Tomakin)?
The word "father"
How do the workers react to John's calling the D.H.C. "My father?" Why?
The workers laugh hysterically and upset test tubes. The word "father" is a smutty word.
Name three faults that D.H.C. finds with Bernard's behavior. How does Bernard react to the D.H.C.'s accusations?
They are unorthodox behavior, heretical views on sport and soma, refusal to obey the teachings of Ford and infant behavior after office hours. Bernard tries to appear jaunty and self-confident although nervous.
How are Bernard and Helmholz alike?
They both feel like outcasts; Bernard because of his short height for an alpha, and Helmholtz for his smarter than average intellect.
What do Bernard and John have in common?
They both feel rejected by the worlds that they live in and feel that they don't belong
Describe the actions of the World State Police.
They soma-gas the crowd
Helmholz calls Shakespeare a "marvelous propaganda technician." How does he explain Shakespeare's success?
This explains the success because there was some much pain for him to write about.
What is the point of conditioning?
To produce a society where people are happy with what they've got and dislike what people in other classes have.
Explain Bernard's attitude towards the State.
Very negative because he hates the expectations that his society has for him