Overview of the novel Brave New World

1. Brave New World
Aldous Huxley

2. Overview
1. Overview of Society & Comparison
2. Summary
3. Characterization
4. Evaluation of Message
5. Further Discussion; Analysis

3. 1. Overview of Dystopia; Comparison
Maturing Process
Daily Life; Society
Ideology
Science
Legal System
Comparison to 1930 and 2017

4. 1. Overview of Dystopia: Maturing process
In Vitro Fertilization and ectogenesis (fetus matures outside of a womb)
Bovanofsky Process: Lower-Caste Eggs are multiplied manyfold for “twins”
Fetuses are nourished, given specific hormones and substances depending on
caste they will belong to
Build, growth, appearance altered (taller - higher caste)
Intelligence determined (educational disability induced by alcohol etc.)
Fertility controlled (some females are sterilized, “freemartins”)
From infancy: conditioned to love or hate things (neo-Pavlovian)

5. Maturing Process Comparison
Hormones were just being
discovered and isolated
Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936)
Caste System of India
Hypnopaedia (inconclusive)
Birth Control
Experimental with sex
In Vitro Fertilization Common
Often used for women suffering from infertility
Moral: Determining genetics & gender? (Possible)
Surrogate Womb
“Womb for Rent”: Surrogate Mothers in India
Commercial
Uterus transplant (experimental)
Completely outside of woman?

6. 1. Overview of Dystopia: Daily Life; Society
“World State” (p. 52): No individual countries
Short work hours - lots of free time (travel)
“Solidarity Service” resembles what is left of religion
“Feelies” (“There’s a love scene on a bearskin rug; they say it’s marvellous. Every hair of the bear reproduced.
The most amazing tactual effects” p. 35), Sex
Golfing
Promiscuity and polygamy
Eccentricities result in being shipped to Iceland with like-minded intellectuals who are
dangerous to society

7. Daily Life; Society Comparison
United Nations, other alliances
Cults
Feelies?
Pornography
4-D Theaters
VR: Can we go past visual and audio stimulation?
Polygamy
Open relationships, “Friends with Benefits”
Monogamy postponed for young adults today, focus on fun, little commitment

8. 1. Overview of Dystopia: Ideology
Originated after “Nine Year War”
Violence does not work as suppression
Slogan: “Community, Identity, Stability”
Consumerism and industry support each other
Art, literature, and freedom have to be sacrificed for happiness and stability
Love is replaced with lust (more productive; love is “weird”)
No parents or natural birth - these things are primitive

9. Ideology (comparison)
Millennials are having less sex than Generation Xers in the same age
Freedom of the Press, Truth, Science, Journalism, Expression
Media is questioned, truth is hard to find (facts are treated as opinions and vice
versa)

10. 1. Overview of Dystopia: Science (Soma)
“The perfect drug” (pg. 53) developed A.F. 184
“Euphoric, narcotic, pleasantly hallucinant.” (pg. 53)
Made to have no immediate side effects (large doses could impact health, eventually
causes death)
Eliminated one of the two key problems of humanity: unhappiness
Available everywhere and constantly used (with meals, at events)
Everyone has personal rations in case of unhappiness

11. Soma Comparison
Soma=Distraction from reality=happiness
Trivial news/forms of entertainment/fiction
Drugs
Marijuana: One of the safest drugs, used for relaxation, happiness, escape from reality
Side effects: Blood (pressure, sugar level…) → dizziness, headache…, paranoia, distorted time
perception, forgetfulness, anxiety, depression
Reduces stress → longer life expectancy
Legal or essentially legal
Illegal but decriminalized
Illegal but often unenforced
Illegal
No information

13. 1. Overview of Dystopia: Science (Age)
“Characters remain constant throughout a whole lifetime” (p. 55); “all these
moribund sexagenerians had the appearance of childish girls” (p. 202)
The second key problem of humanity
“Gonadal hormones, transfusion of young blood, magnesium salts…” (pg. 54)
“Hospital for the dying”
“When somebody’s sent here, there’s no [hope of them not dying]” (pg. 199)
People die suddenly in their sixties (due to Soma)

14. Dealing with age (comparison)
Botox (4,250,000 people use it in the US)
Research on:
Antioxidants (can slow aging process)
Specific diets (calorie restriction increases health)
Hormones (levels increase and decrease with age, balancing them could (unlikely) increase life
span)
Drug Cocktails (supplements)
Why is beauty desireable?
Social Media (Comparison, rating system)

16. 1. Overview of Dystopia: Legal system
Ten World Controllers, ten zones
Police is only there to peacefully break up disputes, should they occur
Spray soma vapour
Play calming words (“Anti-Riot speeches”)
Water pistols filled with anaesthetic
The party/parties at fault will be brought to the controller, the others go back to their activities
“Punishments”: “His punishment is really a reward. He’s being sent to an island [...] to a place where
he’ll meet the most interesting set of men and women [...;] all the people who aren’t satisfied with

17. Legal System Comparison
+1930s: World Disarmament Conference (World pacts, negativity of war/violence)
+Globalization, EU, NATO
-Bad relations between countries (Capitalism vs Communism, Religion)
-Punishments: Death Penalty, torture, getting limbs cut off….

18. 2. Summary
Tour in the
Central London
Hatchery and
Conditioning
Centre
Lenina dates
Henry, and
accepts the
date invitation
of Bernard
Bernard and
Lenina date
Lenina doesn’t
understand
Bernard’s
feelings
Lenina and
Bernard visit the
Savage
Reservation
together and
meet John, the
son of the
Director
John comes with
them to London
and helps
Bernard to
become
accepted in
society
The Director has
to resign,
because he has a
son

19. Linda is the mother
of John, she dies
because she took
too much soma
John stops helping
Bernard → Bernard
loses his acceptance
John and Helmholtz
meet
and come along well
John starts a riot by
throwing away Deltas’
soma rations
→ Helmholtz, John
and Bernard get
arrested
and are brought to
Mustapha Mond
John and
Mustapha
Mond
discussing the
current
society
John leaves
and starts
living on his
own in a
lighthouse
John gets
discovered by
curious reporter
and people. They
want, that he whips
himself.
Lenina comes and
he whips her.
John realizes
what he has done
and hangs
himself.
2. Summary

20. 3. Characterization
John - “The Savage”
Helmholtz
Mustapha Mond
Lenina
Bernard Marx

21. 3. Characterization: John - “The Savage”
Grew up outside of the World State in the New Mexico Savage Reservation (Malpais)
Son of the director (Ford) and Linda
Reality vs. beliefs
Unable to fit into the World State Society
Ultimate outsider
Rejected by savage (Indian culture)
Rejected by civilized (World State culture)
Worldview based on Shakespeare’s plays

22. John - “The Savage” World State Society
● God
“Oh, God, God, God…” (p.207)
● Ford
“Ford, whispered the driver” (p.248)
● Beautiful old books
○ e.g. Shakespeare (tragedies, love,
misery, remorse, grief, suicide)
● New books are stupid
(helicopters) → No feelings
● Afraid of death
● Only new books
○ Old is beautiful → cannot be
attracted to old things
○ (Do not fit into the new world)
● Not afraid of death
● Liberty
● Unhappiness
○ Claims the right to be unhappy
● Social stability and happiness
● Controlled with soma
● Parents, children, husband/wife ● No parents/No family
● “Why don’t you make everybody an Alpha
Double Plus […]” (p.222)
● Happy with their choirs
● Hates civilization ● All about civilization and stability

23. Characterization: Helmholtz Watson (1)
Character’s name
Reminds of Hermann von Helmholtz -a German physicist and physician
Last name refers to John Broadus Watson- an American psychologist who was interested
how behavior can be altered with conditioning
Status in the Society
Caste: Alpha-Plus (“in a forcible empathic way, he was handsome and looked, as his secretary was never
tired of repeating, very centimeter an Alpha-Plus”, p. 67)
Lecturer at the College of Emotional Engineering (“By profession he was a lecturer “, p. 67)

24. Characterization: Helmholtz Watson (2)
Helmholtz’s characteristics
Bernard’s loyal friend (“…to listen to his friend discussing…”, page 68 or “when, discomfited, he came and asked once more for
the friendship which, in …Helmholtz gave it “, p. 179)
Strong and attractive („He was a powerfully built man, deep-chested, broad shouldered, massive, and yet in his movements,
sparingly and agile. The round strong pillar of his neck supported a beautifully shaped head. His hair was dark and curly, his
features strongly marked“, page 66 and „this Escalator-Squash champion, this indefatigable lover......this admirable committee man
and best mixer...“, p. 67)
Well liked, respected (“Oh, Helmholtz , darling, do come and have a picnic supper with us on Exmoor”, page 68)
He does not want to participate in social life (“…had suddenly realized that sport, women and communal activities
were only, so far as he was concerned, second best”, p. 67)
“mental excess” makes him feel being different than the others, he realizes to be an individual (“a
mental excess had produced….very similar effects to those which, in Bernard Marx, ..” or” a mental excess, became in its turn a
cause of wider separation”, p. 67)

25. Characterization: Helmholtz Watson (3)
Feels unfulfilled writing endless propaganda verse and wants to write in a different way (“ I’ve
got something important to say and the power to say it- only I don’t know what it is, and I can’t make any use of the
power. If there was some different way of writing…or else something to write about…I feel I could do something much more
important. Yes, and more intense and violent”, page 69)
His Dilemma: "Can you say something about nothing? That’s what finally boils down to. I try
and I try...." , (p. 70) Society has to be changed to overcome this issue
exile as an opportunity for inspiration in his writing

26. Characterization Helmholtz Watson (4)
Helmholtz as an outsider of the World State
Dislikes the World State because he is too strong (mental excess)
Helmholtz’s criticisms of the World State are more philosophical and intellectual as he writes a
poem about the virtues of solitude
His future life on the Falkland Islands gives him the chance for the kind of writing he could not
live out in the World State

27. Characterization Mustapha Mond
Mond → “World” - most powerful character in the novel
Resident World Controller of Western Europe
One of ten world controllers
Used to be a scientist
When work was discovered he had two options
Going into exile
Becoming a World Controller
He exiles people for unorthodox believes

28. Characterization Mustapha Mond
Paradoxical figure
Keeps forbidden literature in his safe
Reads Shakespeare and the Bible
Believes in God (p.234)
“Then you think there is no God?” –John
“No, I think there quite probably is one”
Independent-minded scientist
Mysterious

29. 3. Characterization: Lenina Crowne (1)
Character’s name
Lenina → is a reference to “Vladimir Lenin”
“Crowne” also refers to power
Status in the Society
Caste: Beta
Fetus technician (vaccination worker) at the Central London Hatchery and Conditioning
Centre (“ a nurse was delicately probing with a long fine syringe into gelatinous contents of a passing bottle”, page 16)

30. 3. Characterization: Lenina Crowne (2)
Lenina’s characteristics
A young, beautiful woman (“one could see that, for all the lupus and the purple eyes, she was uncommonly
pretty”, page 16)
“Busty and curvy (“ Oh, she is a splendid girl. Wonderfully pneumatic. I’m surprised you haven’t had her”, page 44)
“pneumatic” = full of air “
Part of the 30% of the female population that are not freemartins (sterile women)
(“Lenina did not forget to take all the contraceptive precautions prescribed by the regulations”, page 77)
Popular (“ Lenina’s entry was greeted by many friendly nods and smiles. She was a popular girl and, at one time or
another, had spent a night with almost all of them”’ page 57) and many men desire her (“Henry!” Her smile
flashed redly at him- a row of coral teeth. “Charming, charming” murmured the director….” page 16)

31. Characterization Lenina Crowne (3)
Lenina as an epitome of the World State’s women:
● Well-conditioned and mostly conforming to the World State’s rules with two
exceptions:
○ When she is in a relationship she has no sex with anyone else during this period
○ Her relationships last longer (“Do you mean to tell me you’re still going out with Henry Foster?”,
page 40)
● Happy, and if not, she uses soma to suppress her negative emotions as expected
by the World State (“I’d better take a couple of grams of soma”, p. 174)

32. Characterization Lenina Crowne (4)
Lenina’s relationships during the novel:
Lenina does not develop true emotions towards other people (one exception: John)
nor is she able to commit to someone
Attracted by someone’s position or physical appearance
She is not used to men taking care of her or being interested in her thoughts or feelings as a person
The relationships with the outsiders evoke misunderstanding and conflicts because
of her conditioning
In the beginning: she dates Henry Foster

33. Characterization Lenina Crowne (5)
Misunderstandings/conflicts arising in the date with Bernard
Bernard wants to walk and talk in the Lake District, Lenina thinks this is odd
Lenina suggests Electromagnetic Golf at St. Andre’s but Bernard says it is a waste of time
She wants to give him Soma and he refuses it (“I’d rather be myself,…myself and nasty. Not
somebody else, however jolly”, page 89)
When Bernard admits to her that he wants to be free and live in his own way (“…if I were free –not
enslaved by my conditioning”, page 91), Lenina is not capable of understanding his meaning of being
free as she represents a “victim” of the conditioning (“I don’t know what you mean. I am free. Free to
have the most wonderful time. Everybody’s happy nowadays”, page 91)

34. Characterization Lenina Crowne (6)
The trip to the Savage Reservation
She does not like being in the Savage Reservation (“I don’t like it. And I don’t like that man.”, page 107)
She experiences a world that stands completely in contrast to her own → she is not open to
the cultural differences (“The spectacle of two young women giving breast to their babies made her blush and
turn away. She had never seen anything so indecent in her life”, page 111)
She is too distracted by the smell, dirt or dust, and other conditions to appreciate anything in
the Reservation (“she liked even less what awaited her at the entrance to the pueblo, where the guide had left them
while he went inside for instructions. The dirt, to start with, the piles of rubbish, the dust, the dogs, the flies. Her face
wrinkled up into a grimace of disgust. She held her handkerchief to her nose”, page 109)
Without consuming soma Lenina feels very uneasy during their stay in the Savage Reservation
(“But it’s terrible,’ Lenina whispered. “It’s awful. We ought not to have come here. She felt in her pocket for her soma-only
to discover that, by some unprecedented oversight, she left the bottle down at the rest-house. Bernard’s pockets were also

35. Characterization Lenina Crowne (7)
Misunderstandings/conflicts arising in the relationship with John
She becomes obsessed with John the Savage (“But he’s the one I want”, page 187)
Is attracted to John initially by his appearance ("…such a nice-looking boy, […] and a really beautiful
body", page 117)
When Lenina tries to have sex with him, she is rejected by him (“but instead of also saying
“Darling!”, and holding his hands at her as tough he were trying to scare away some intruding and and dangerous animal”,
page 193)
John loves and desires Lenina (“ I’ll do anything, he went on more and more incoherently. “Anything you tell
me. There be some sports are painful-you know”, page 190)

36. Characterization Lenina Crowne (8)
He rejects her as an "impudent strumpet" as he has different values (“In Malpais people get
married. For always. They make a promise to live together for always”, page 191) Lenina cannot comprehend
this rejection (“What a horrible idea!’, Lenina was genuinely shocked” or “For Fords sake, John, talk sense. I can’t
understand a word you say”, page 191)
Lenina visits John at the lighthouse (“The young woman stood, smiling at him- an uncertain, imploring
almost abject smile…pressed both hands to her left side, and on that peach-bright, doll-beautiful face of hers appeared a
strangely incongruous expression of yearning distress. Her blue eyes seemed to grow larger, brighter; and suddenly two
tears rolled down her cheeks. Inaudibly, she spoke again; then, with a quick, impassioned gesture stretched out her arms
towards the Savage, stepped forward, page 257) but he attacks her with a whip (“Strumpet!” The Savage
had rushed at her like a madman, page 257)
Lenina flees

37. 3. Characterization: Bernard
- Bernard Marx (flat, outsider)
- purpose→ critique: people that solely want attention,
→ people only start criticizing the system when it doesn’t work
for themselves, when they suffer
- Has been an outsider of the New World → desperate to fit in
- Pretends to search for deeper meaning, yet gives this up as soon
as he is welcomed in the system
Bernard Marx in the Movie
Bernard’s “Development” (for the reader)
1. Bernard wants meaning, depth and identity, criticizes the system, “outsider”
- first appears after the Director explains the elimination of lovesickness → ironic
- during his date with Lenina: “But wouldn’t you like to be free to be happy in some other way Lenina? In your own
way, for example; not in everybody else’s way? [...] I thought we’d be more together here-” (p.91)
2. Shows early signs of wanting to fit in is his actual goal
-as Helmholtz explains to him his search for something more important and deeper he answers “but your things are
good” (p.69) referring to his popularity in the society, especially from women

38. 3. Characterization: Bernard
3. First evidence that he wants to fit in, not rebel
- in the Reservoir as the Warden talks, he his preoccupied with the thought of his Cologne Tap running
- regrets rebelling against the Director, as he hears from Helmholtz, that he will be send off to Iceland, akes Soma to calm himself
4. Desperate for shallow fame
- chooses to cause a scene when exposing the Director, ergo gaining a lot of fame:
- doesn’t mind that the politeness is faked, just due to his fame, doesn’t actually look for something meaningful
- brags about this to Helmholtz and is the offended on his lack of excitement
- seeks the attention from those, that treat him badly again after John didn’t show up
- drains his sorrows with soma

39. 3. Characterization
5. Extreme Desperation, betrays Helmholtz and John
- Afraid of The Controller finding out about John
- Mustapha Mond talks about his transfer to an island: Paradox to how he took complete ownership over John earlier, and now
denies all ties with him → shallow, wants to fit in desperate, even betrays his friend, subservient and cowardly
→ Disappoints the reader as an rebel, outsider, enemy of the system
→ approves of the system and even fake politeness as soon as he fits in,
hypocritical
→ life time of rejection →desperation to fit in
→ shallow, egocentric, self-loathing, desperate, seeks approval, needy, insecure
6. Twist
- Yet he was conditioned as all the other, sometimes cites the hypnopaedic phrases → natural for him to love the system
- desperation to fit in doesn’t make him a hero, yet maybe human?
- Apologizes to John for betraying him ( p.242) → ends as a better, happy human?

40. 4. Message, Evaluation, Applicability
-society is extreme version of Huxleys view of the 1930s
Introduction to society by someone who is content with it
-Lenina
-John is an outside character we can relate to
→ similar values and beliefs as the reader
Goal of society: keep everyone happy

41. Message: Instant gratification is NOT true happiness
Huxley does not fear advanced science and technology, he fears the implications and
consequences advanced science and technology have on humans
4. Message, Evaluation, Applicability

42. 4. Message, Evaluation, Applicability
● John is not happy
● Neither is Helmholtz→ wants to write books with meaning
● John believes that when getting something someone should pay for it
● believes that for there to be true meaning and happiness there also needs to be pain
● Believes in striving for knowledge
John believes in a society that is kept stable by the belief in God
● Religion provides the values that make people act good
The World Controller says that an industrial society is kept stable by self-indulgence
● everyone can have what they want, they don’t need to deny themselves anything
● However knowledge would cause the system to fall apart and is therefore not encouraged beyond what is necessary for people
to do their jobs
→ The society in Brave New World works and on a large scale no one sees any reason on why it should not continue and only John
who comes from somewhere else sees the need to criticise the society

43. How does Aldous Huxley present his message?
● Satire: the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize
people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics
and other topical issues.
● “Supposedly” a utopia
○ sarcastic style of writing
○ describes a dystopia in which intimate relationships, the ability to choose
one's destiny, and the importance of family are strictly opposed
● Satirical approach makes the reader realize that it’s actually a dystopia
○ these three principles are highly regarded as necessary for a meaningful and
fulfilling existence
4. Message Evaluation, Applicability

44. 4. Message Evaluation, Applicability
Relevance for today:
● Should society strive for happiness or knowledge?
● Is a society that is stable better than a society that is free?

45. 5. Further Discussion, Analysis
Stability (applied to today)
Happiness vs. Truth
Feminism
Castes

46. 5. Further Discussion, Analysis
Stability in the society
restriction of literature, religion, etc.
Conditioning of citizens
Consumerism
Soma
Some of these aspects are present today. Where?
China: no access to internet outside of the country
GDR: no opposing opinions tolerated
Nazi-Germany: censorship

47. Freedom of speech
Freedom of press
Freedom of religion
Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press; or the right of
the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of
grievances.

48. Happiness vs Truth
Happiness vs. Truth https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR7PJxCdU-
8&ab_channel=ILoveMovies
Contentment equal to happiness in this society?
society built on work and happiness
Drugs (=oblivion?)
Truth → dissatisfaction
Escaping uncomfortable situations in life
Hedonism

49. 5. Further Discussion, Analysis: Feminism
only male Alphas
men are shown as mentally and physiologically superior to women
male dominance is demonstrated throughout the novel, starting in the first scene
males have a different education (study science etc. while women are taught to be sexual but not get
pregnant)
the only situations in which women are prominent are social, primarily sexual ones
even then, it is preposterous for a man to spend a significant amount of time thinking about any
woman
role of Linda and Lenina vs. the male characters in the story
main active characters are male - Bernard, Mond, John, Helmholtz

50. 5. Further Discussion, Analysis: Feminism
Conclusion: women are severely underrepresented in the novel and in the society as
a whole, especially in positions of power, and have less personal freedoms than
the men
whether this corresponds to Huxley’s personal beliefs or not, there are striking similarities to the
society he lived in as well as ours, for example:
women are held to conflicting standards of being “too prudish” or “too sexual”
men tend to occupy more positions of power than women
men are taught to suppress emotion, or even be ashamed of having a strong emotional
connection to anyone, especially a woman → a bias which harms both men and women
Is Huxley’s representation of women in A Brave New World a satirical approach to
criticizing prejudice against women or is it a (valid) view on what a utopia could

51. 5. Further Discussion, Analysis: Feminism

52. Castes
Alphas(grey): intellectuals, highest, have the highest ranked jobs, kind of free will, no
Bokanovskys process, no alcohol in surrogates
Beta(mulberry);workers with intelligence. no Bokanovsky’s process, no alcohol,
Gamma(green): semi-skilled workers, average caste,Bokanovsky’s process, some alc in
surrogates
Delta(khaki): Bokanosky’s, alc and lower oxygen, trained to despise books&flowers
Epsilon(black): 70% of needed oxygen in surrogates, no reading nor writing, height of
6y/o, worst jobs

53. 5. Further Discussion, Analysis: The Castes
How are the castes distinguished from each other?
What is their purpose?
Do you think they reflect any aspect of contemporary society or are they simply a
hypothetical consequence of a society like the World State?
How does society keeps the classes intact?

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