"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.

Short chapter, big irony (Brave New World- 9)

"Then suddenly he found himself reflecting that he had only to take hold of the zipper at her neck and give it one long, strong pull...He shut his eyes, he shook his head with the gesture of a dogs shaking its ears as it emerges from the water. Detestable thought! He was ashamed of himself. Pure and vestal modesty..." (Brave New World, page 145)


So, from this chapter and especially this quote, we are able to see the type of person that John is. While Bernard is away, he searches through Lenina's belongings. He admires all of her clothes and the smells that fill the air. He finally sees Lenina lying on the bed asleep. John stares at her and swoons over her beauty. While gazing upon Lenina, John begins to quote Shakespeare. Not only is he quoting Shakespeare, but he is quoting the love story of Romeo and Juliet. He admires the beauty in Lenina and he longs to be able to touch her hand. He also imagines unzipping her jacket. However, he immediately stops thinking these absurd, "detestable thoughts" because he does not want to ruin her. He looks at her as a pure woman. However, this is very ironic. Although John views Lenina in an immaculate way, she is in fact the very opposite. Simply knowing the society that Lenina lives in would allow one to know the type of person she is. She is not a pure woman of "vestal modesty" but instead, she is a "piece of meat" as Bernard would say. Lenina knows that she is a woman to be used for her sexuality and she has no reason to feel as if this is wrong. Yet, John sees the beauty in her sexuality. He sees the beauty in the femininity of Lenina and he does not want to destroy it by touching her or unzipping her jacket. In creating this irony, the author allows the reader to further establish the differences between the two societies presented at this point. The reader is able to see how the morals and thought processes of the Reservation world and the other world differ. Furthermore, the reader is able to discern whether or not these differences in thinking will have an effect on the characters in the book.

A glimpse of John's early life (Brave New World-8)

"He shook his head. 'It's almost inconceivable. I shall never understand, unless you explain.'
'Explain what?'
'This.' He indicated the pueblo. 'That.' And it was the little house outside the village. 'Everything. All your life.'"
(Brave New World, page 123)


Bernard is able to speak to John and he asks him to tell him everything about his life as far back as he can remember. Bernard listens to John and truly wants to hear what John's life has been like. Bernard wants to understand this new, foreign world. Thus, the anecdote/flashback of John's early life begins. Purposefully, the author creates this flashback to show the differences of the Reservation life and the New World life. We see how John was brought up in his society. We also see how John is sort of a misfit in society because he was raised in the Reservation but raised by his mother who came from the "other world". Undoubtedly, John is a confused child. John only knows the life that he has experienced and the life that he lives in. However, he knows several stories of this "perfect life" that his mother lived in the "other world". I also found a similarity between the two characters of this chapter. Just as Bernard is looking for more in the world that he lives in, John is looking for more than the life that he is living. John is an outcast in his the society in which he lives. Bernard is an outcast in the society in which he lives. Both John and Bernard are looking to find something more and they long to fit in somewhere. The author effectively shows this point by explaining John's early life through an anecdote.

Change in the story line...& the rising action begins (Brave New World-7)

"'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. (Yes, 'Thomas' was the D.H.C.'s first name.) He must have flown away, back to the Other Place, away without her--a bad, unkind, unnatural man.'" (Brave New World, page 118)

Well, I definitely wasn't expecting this one. But, it certainly created a new situation that may have an impact on the rest of the book. So, we are introduced to John and Linda. Linda, the former Beta, was impregnated by the D.H.C., Thomas (which the story told in chapter 6, foreshadowed!). Linda tells Bernard and Lenina of her life after living on the Reservation and her attempts to carry out her life that she had in "Other Place". This, however, proved to be unsuccessful seeing as the lifestyles of the Reservation and "Other Place" are completely different in several ways. Obviously, the purpose of the author putting these two characters in this chapter was to develop the story. The rising action is beginning because these two characters create a new complication in the story. As of right now, it is easy to see the contrast between the lifestyle described as "normal" that Lenina and Bernard experience and the lifestyle of the Reservation. Also, the contrast between John's way of life and Lenina's way of life is extremely evident. Also, the author shows a form of juxtaposition in both societies by contrasting the two. I predict that the two societies will somehow end up mixing and create the climax of the novel. I'm interested to see where the author will take the story from here.

Another blog about Bernard (Brave New World-6)

"'But I do,' he insisted. 'It makes me feel as though...' he hesitated, searching for words with which to express himself, 'as though I were more me, if you see what I mean. More on my own, not so completely a part of something else. Not just a  cell in the social body. Doesn't it make you feel like that, Lenina?'" (Brave New World, page 90)


So, I know my past 2 blogs have been about Bernard, but as of right now, he seems like the only character in the book that has some hope. Every other character in this book is so wrapped up in their own self-pleasure & hedonistic world (it has become even more apparent in the past chapter than it was when I wrote about hedonism in my third blog). It actually kind of makes me really disturbed to thing about the type of world that these people live in. This society is based around the fundamental principles of the technological advances of the time of President Ford. So much so that they revere Ford as a god. These people are disgusted and embarrassed of the thought of having actual parents. Every being in society regards their sexuality as something to use for their own benefit rather than it's actual purpose. I know that I am a sheltered, conservative Catholic girl, but still, these concepts on which their society is based is just absolutely absurd. This is why I'm writing about Bernard again. Bernard is still a little confused right now with everything that is going on in the culture in which he lives. However, as the quote above shows, Bernard knows that there is more to life that having sex and living as a community to create this happy-go-lucky, "pretend that everything is okay" world. Bernard is searching to find himself. Bernard feels and knows that he is stuck in this society where "everyone belongs to everyone" and he doesn't want to be apart of it anymore. It is all of these little details about Bernard's demeanor that give me hope for his character. There is more to Bernard than the rest of the characters in this book. Bernard sees that there is an actual human being with feelings beyond the fixated version that everyone is "created" to be. He also realizes more than anyone what is going on and he may be the one person that changes things in this world.

Bernard's Internal Conflict (Brave New World-5)

"The sight of her transfigured face was at once an accusation and an ironical reminder of his own separateness. He was as miserably isolated now as he had been when the service began--more isolated by reason of his unreplenished emptiness, his dead satiety. Separate and unatoned, while the others were being fused into the Greater Being; alone even in Morgana's embrace--much more alone, indeed, more hopelessly himself than he had ever been in his life before." (Page 86, Brave New World)


Bernard's conflict is very evident in this chapter. While attending his weekly Solidarity Service of hymns and people sleeping together, Bernard feels even more separated and isolated from society. Bernard feels empty and alone. This is contradictory to everyone else at the service. This is apparent through the woman, Fifi Bradlaugh,  who excitedly and contently states her bliss. She felt complete and she was "made perfect". This peaceful and replenishing moment was the sole purpose of the Solidarity Service. To the people who all participate in the service, they come together and fulfill their own desires and also fulfill the basis on which the society runs. Consequently, Bernard feels empty because of his internal conflict. Bernard is beginning to recognize that he feels differently on his societies approach to everything. He is beginning to question himself and his actions. Thus, a conflict is presented. Until Bernard takes some course of action, his internal conflict  will only increase. Therefore, I believe that Bernard is going to be the character in this book that begins to take a different approach to life in their world; an approach contrary to what everyone else believes.

Similar to the foreshadowing, by establishing the internal conflict of the character Bernard, the reader is able to see where the story may head. The internal conflict that Bernard is faced with demonstrates the type of person that Bernard is. As was aforementioned, the fact that Bernard seems to be one of the only characters who feels differently about the way their society runs, makes me think that the internal conflict that is being experienced will lead to some course of action.

Something else...(Brave New World-4)

"Speaking very slowly, 'Did you ever feel,' he asked, 'as though you had something inside you that was only waiting for you to give it a chance to come out? Some sort of extra power that you aren't using--you know, like all the water that goes down the falls instead of through the turbines?' He looked at Bernard questioningly." (Page 69, Brave New World)

This quote comes for the character Helmholtz Watson. Helmholtz is a lecturer at the College of Emotional Engineering. He is similar to Bernard in the sense that he is looked at differently from others in his caste because he is a little bit smarter just as Bernard is smaller. Helmholtz feels that he is empty and  as if there is something more meaningful inside of him and his work. Helmholtz wonders if there is some kind of happiness or something else outside of the stability that society presents. In this way, I believe that the author is foreshadowing Helmholtz and his role later on in the novel. Similar to Bernard, Helmholtz is in his beginning stages of rebelling against the normality of society. He is content with the way things are, but realizes that there is something else. It is possible that this "something else" may be presented to Bernard and Helmholtz later on.

Through the author's foreshadowing, the reader is able to establish who may be the protagonist and antagonist in the story. By establishing this, the reader is also able to get a glimpse of what may happen throughout the rest of the book. Also, it makes the reader more aware of the important details that are crucial to the plot of the story. I think that the rebellion that Helmholtz and Bernard are feeling will make an impact to where the story may head in the future.