"The hive of industry" (Brave New World-10)

"The hands of all the four thousand electric clocks in all the Bloomsbury Center's four thousand rooms marked twenty-seven minutes past two. 'This hive of industry,' as the Director was fond of calling, was in the full buzz of work. Every one was busy, everything in ordered motion." (Brave New World, page 146)


Although the chapter itself has more to do with than just the industry of hatchery center, an important extended metaphor is created. The director (and the author) refer to the industry as a hive and it being "full buzz of work". They are comparing the industry to a bee hive and a colony of bees. In doing so, an image is painted of people working constantly and quickly to create their ideal society. It is interesting to view the hatchery center as a beehive. I also find it somewhat ironic to view the London hatchery as a beehive. In the hatchery, people work to create beings (in a very unnatural way) but nonetheless, they create humans for their society. Similarly, bees use their beehives to store food and the offspring bees being created. Just as people are being created in the hatchery, bees are being created in the hive. I find this interesting because it somewhat degrades the work of the hatchery workers and the society as a whole. They work together quickly and do the work they are required to do, however, they are being compared to bees. Bees are insects who pollinate things and reproduce, then pollinate and reproduce again. It is almost funny because this is a mindset that I have had since the beginning of the novel. These people are no better than insects or animals. They act on instinct and instinct alone. Subsequently, they are not able to see the beauty in the actuality of how life is supposed to be created. However, I doubt the author intended for the people to be compared to bees in this aspect. I think that Aldous Huxley was comparing the two in this way; the people and society in which they live is a busy and thriving society. It thrives because of the work and it is very routine and in this way it is similar to the work and life of a colony of bees. Now that the metaphor is presented, the reader is able to clearly see what life in this hatchery is really like according to the author's vision.