1. Discuss the characteristics of a dystopian novel that are prominently illustrated in Brave New World.

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley does a sumptuous job at describing the perfect dystopian
society. One common characteristic found in dystopian novels that are present in Brave New World is
the worshiping of a figurehead. Throughout the book, many citizens including major ones, such as
Helmholtz Watson, Mustapha Mond, and Lenina Crowne are seen saying Our Ford (Huxley, 23).
It is revealed by the then end of the Book that Ford is the founder of their current society and he is the
one that made all the rules and plans for their society; citizens worship him and thank him for what he
has done for them, comparable to someone thanking God. Another characteristic of a dystopian
society seen in Brave new world is that fact that information and independent thought is restricted. It
is made clear in the book that olden day history before Ford is only known by a privileged few as
shown by this quote, But if you know about God, why don't you tell them. Why don't you give
them these books about God? For the same reason as we don't give them Othello: they're old;
they're about God hundreds of years ago. Not about God now." (Huxley, 231). On top of this, the
thought is also restricted because people are conditioned to have certain views about society and their
function in society. A quote that exemplifies this is, And that," put in the Director sententiously,
"that is the secret of happiness and virtue liking what you've got to do. All conditioning aims
at that: making people like their unescapable social destiny. (Huxley, 16). One last
characteristic that really shows the books dystopian nature is the fact that society is an illusion of a
perfect world, The worlds stable now. People are happy; they get what they want, and they
never want what they cant get. Theyre well off; theyre safe; theyre never ill; theyre not
afraid of death; theyre blissfully ignorant of passion and old age; theyre plagued with no
mothers nor fathers; theyve got no wives, or children, or lovers to feel strongly about; theyre so
conditioned that they practically cant help behaving as they ought to behave. And if anything
should go wrong, theres soma. (Huxley, 220). This quote really shows you how Mustapha Mond,
truly thinks that he and the other world controllers have created a utopian place for mankind.

2.

Discuss how Huxley uses actual historical names as character names in the novel. In what ways do the
characters reflect their historical names?

If one were to simply read Brave New World they would not notice anything special about the
characters names other than Ford, but when the names are looked up one sees that they have so much
more meaning. The one obvious one that stood out was Ford. Multiple instances of the book
characters say ... Our Fords Model T (Huxley, 52), this seems to be a big sign that the name was
picked with Henry Ford in mind. Fords name suits him as a character because in the book Ford is
praised for being the person who started their society after the Nine Years War, and the society he
crated changed the world with its assembly line of human creation. Henry Ford did almost the same
thing he made his Model T in 1909 and by 1927 he had created the assembly line and he changed the
world by changing how consumer items are produced. After research, it seems to be that John (the
savage) had his names picked as an allusion to John the Baptist. After thinking about it and putting in
some research into John the Baptist, this allegory seems to be on point. John the Baptist is biblically
known for being a prophet who predicted a new future with Christianity and more. In the book, John
does something similar in going around and telling Bernard, Helmholtz, and Mustapha himself all the
things wrong with their society and what it should be like. One that was not obvious but stood out was
Mustapha Mond. During world history, it was taught that there were sultans named Mustafa, and
although not spelled the same their characteristics as strong, central leaders match that of Mustapha
Mond. Bernard Marx name was given to him George Bernard Marx, this one took some research to
find the connection. The connection is that George was a feminist in the 1920s advocating for equal
rights and this fact makes sense because Bernard wants women to be respected too. This is evident by
the fact that Bernard is always saying, ...look at them treating her like some bit of meat
(Huxley, 45). The last name is one that needed some research and that was Helmholtz Watson. It
seems that he was named after a psychologist. This in mind, the name suits his character because in
the story Helmholtz is an emotional engineer and he works with getting an emotion from the mind.

3. How does Bernard Marxs physical description match his personality?

In Brave New World Bernard is portrayed as being an outcast from society, and this
looks are also abnormal. The exact quote of his appearance is, For whatever the cause
Bernards physique was hardly better than that of the average Gamma. He stood eight
centimeters short of the standard Alpha height and was slender in proportion. (Huxley, 64).
Throughout the book, it is explained how Bernard also has an outlandish personality (in regards to
their society). One example is that he has respect for women and doesnt simply believe in having
them, as shown by the quote, Taking about here as though she were a bit of meat. (Huxley, 45).
Another example is that he loves to be alone and that is very strange in his society, And then he
spends most of his time by himself. (Huxley, 45). These quotes show how his personality matches
his physical appearance because it points out how in both regards he is an outlier from his societal
norms. Alphas are expected to be tall and buff, yet Bernard, as stated, has a gamma physique; on top
of that people are expected to be social at almost any given time of the day, yet Bernard does his own
thing and just sits at home alone. Another way that Bernards physical description matches his
personality is that because of his Gamma physique he is cranky and angry when he deals with lower
caste members, and like his build, it is also abnormal to be cranky in this society. In the book, Bernard
is always disturbed when dealing with lower caste members because it makes him even more insecure
about how abnormal his build is as shown by the quote, Bernard gave his orders in the sharp,
rather arrogant and even offensive tone of one who does not feel himself too secure in his
superiorityContact with members of lower castes always reminded him painfully of this
physical inadequacy. (Huxley, 64). The last connection between Bernards appearance and
personality is that because of his physical stature, he had great envy and hatred, in most cases, for
anyone that epitomized the typical Alpha male such as Henry Foster. The quote helps prove this is,
How bitterly he envied men like Henry Foster and Benito Hoover! Men like that never had to
shout at an Epsilon to get an order obeyed... (Huxley, 65). Overall it is clear that Bernards
Physical appearance has a sizeable effect on his personality.

4. Compare and contrast Bernard Marx with his friend, Helmoltz Watson. Who is the stronger
character and why?
Bernard and Helmholtz are two red fish in a sea of all blue fish, and that is what initially
brings them together. Bernard and Helmholtz are similar in the fact that they are both outliers from the
typical member of society, and thus are really good friends. The difference though is that Helmholtz is
an outcast because of his intellectual prowess; he thinks above and beyond in a philosophical and
passionate way, but since this is prohibited in his society he feels different and alone because almost
no one can understand him other than John and Bernard. This is exemplified by the quote, Did you
ever feel 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 arent using (Huxley, 69). As opposed
to Bernard who is an outcast because of his out of place looks and his treacherous actions against
societys norms. Another way that the two are similar is that they know that certain aspects of their
society are bad, and could be better. As shown by the quotes, How is it that I cant, or rather
because, after all, I know quite well why I cant what it would be like if I could if I were free
not enslaved by my conditioning. (Huxley, 91), and, Because it is idiotic. Writing when theres
nothing to say (Huxley, 221). In regards to who is the stronger character, it would seem to be that
overall Helmholtz is the stronger character. The reason being, Bernard knows that there are things
wrong with society, yet all he ever does is complain in obscurity and is never willing to stand up for
what he thinks. This is shown by his break down in front of the world leader, Oh, please dont send
me to Iceland. I promise Ill do what I ought to do. (Huxley, 226). What this really shows is that
Bernard though knowing the errors of societys ways, is not brave enough to stand up for what he
believes due to the overwhelming fear of the outcome. Helmholtz, on the other hand, know that his
society has flaws, but unlike Bernard, he is willing to act upon those beliefs. This is shown by how he
joins in with John as he is freeing the Gammas and Epsilons from their soma induced prisons. On top
of that, he even goes and writes a poem that spoke of individuality and went against all things that
they were to do in society and gave it to his students as if it were no big deal.

5.

In what ways is John the Savage consistently the outsider?

One has to feel sorry for John because its seems that no matter where he was, he never fit
in with the people around him. He grew up in Savage Reserve, and in here he was different in almost
every regard: he was white, he knew a different language, and his moms culture went against
everything the Indians did. Because of these differences he never fit in and he got severely bullied for
it as shown by the quote, Not for you, white hair! Not for the son of the she-dogGo! (Huxley,
136). Once John leaves the Savage Preserve, he imagines that he would finally be going to a place
where he would be excepted for who he is, but yet again he was disappointed. In London John is
treated like some sort of show animal, because he is not conditioned to societys norms and thus has
different actions and thoughts. One example of this is how when Linda was first confronting the
D.H.C at the center everyone was laughing at him for calling the D.H.C his father. In addition to that,
all throughout that section of the book people were visiting him as if he had come from another planet
and they wanted to see what the magical beast could do. One direct quote that does a great job at
portraying this is, the savage wasnt coming to the party (Huxley, 174). The significance of this
quote is that it shows how John is continuously called the Savage even though people know his name,
and thus they have always seen him as some sort of inferior beast thats not even worth calling by a
name. Another prime example of how John is consistently treated as an outsider is in regard to the
punishments given to him and his friends by Mustapha Mond, I went to see the Controller this
morning. . To ask if I mightnt go to the islands with you. He wouldnt let me.
(Huxley, 243). This quote is important because it shows that even when John, Bernard, and
Helmholtz are guilty of the same crimes/actions, John is still treated differently in that he is given a
completely different punishment (if punishment is considered a punishment). The last instance where
John is considered an outsider is the one that would eventually lead to his death. John is out in the
middle of nowhere almost, and people find him and approach him only to laugh at his differences and
have a show to the weird creature that does weird things. Sadly, this last bit would lead to the John
taking his own life.

6.

What aspects of modern life can you infer that Huxley dislikes? What do you think his ideal society
would look like?

Aldous Huxley wrote Brave New World to describe a dystopian future that he feared our own
world was on the track to become. One aspect of modern life that Huxley would seem to dislikes is all
the war that is going on in at the moment. This inference comes from the fact that in Brave New World
Aldous talks about how war almost destroyed the world, thus forcing the society they live in to be
created. This dislike of war is exemplified by how he described the 9 Years War in such a terrifying
way, The Nine Years War, the great Economic Collapse. There was a choice between World
Control and destruction Between stability and Liberalism, of course, was dead of anthrax
(Huxley, 48-49). Huxley hated war most likely because he wrote the book only a few years after
World War I which was the deadliest point in history at that time. Another aspect of life modern life
that Huxley would dislike is the fact that women dont respect themselves as they used to do in the
past. The inference comes from the fact that he picked a major character, Lenina, to have the throw
myself at any guy mentality, countered with the two main characters, Bernard and John, who wanted
women to be respected and not be treated like meat. One last thing that Huxley would dislike about
modern life is all the bullying and hate that goes towards certain people with certain beliefs. In the
book, Huxley tries to point out, through Bernard and John, how much it sucks to isolated and alone,
If ones different, ones bound to be lonely. Theyre beastly to one. (Huxley, 137). Huxleys
ideal society would encompass a lot of features, one of those being no war; it is evident that Huxley
dislikes war because it causes countless deaths for arguments that can be solved peacefully. Another
aspect of Huxleys ideal world would be one where people could voice and read about any
opinion/information they had without feeling all alone or attacked for having that belief. Furthermore,
in this society, there would be respect for both men and women when it comes to relationships and not
promiscuity. The last feature that would top of Huxley society is that it would technologically
advance. It is made clear in Brave New World that Aldous has a lot of respect for technology the only
thing is that there would be laws to make sure no one got abusive with the technology.

7.

Cite incidents in the novel to support this theme: He who controls and uses knowledge wields the power.

He who controls and uses knowledge wields the power, is a very bold statement to
proclaim, but in Brave New World this theme is prevalent in many instances. For example, at the
beginning of the book, Mustapha is talking about the creation of their society and he says,
Governments an affair of sitting, not hitting. You rule with tour brains and the buttocks, never
with the fists. (Huxley, 49). The significance of this quote is that it shows that the
government/World Controllers have been able to keep society functioning so fluidly not because they
use weapons and wars, but because they rule with logic and intelligence. Another example of this
theme popping up in the book is when Helmholtz and John are throwing out the soma and yelling be
free; at this point government workers come in and instead of just shooting them down in a violent
fiasco, they decided to use science and technology, which is considered knowledge, to calm down to a
point that they could actually control them into hugging each other and surrendering nonviolently.
Finally, the most prevalent example of this theme would be Mustapha Mond himself. Mustapha Mond
is the epitome of this theme because he is one of the 11 people in the world who controls the
knowledge of all the inhabitants of Earth. The thing is, though, on top of wielding the power to control
knowledge, he is very wise and cautious in how he uses the knowledge he controls. It is for this
reason, Mr. Mond is a very powerful man; he knows exactly what type of knowledge to give and what
type of knowledge to conceals so that the world he must overlook will continue to revolve happily and
stable, while still keeping him on the top of the food chain of power. But thats the price we have to
pay for stability. Youve got to choose between happiness and what people used to call high art.
(Huxley, 220). This quote is very significant because its a key example of Mustapha Monds powerknowledge complex; Mustapha sacrifices a lot of things like art and books in society so that they can
always be happy and stable, and thus it ensures that he gets to stay in a position of power overlooking
everyone else while he gets to enjoy all the things that have been hidden for their benefit.

8.

In the novel, how have science and technology made the world better? Worse?

Brave New World takes place in a future time period where technology and science have
advanced remarkably from what is around in todays age. With the great leap forward in technology
and science came a lot of good things in the world of Brave New World. One way that technology has
made the world better is that it has made transportation really quick and reliable allowing people to
cover large distances in no time, as shown by how quickly Lenina and Bernard traveled to New
Mexico from London. Another benefit of technology is that it has prevented people from aging and
getting ill from diseases. This was seen in the book when Bernard mentioned he did not know what
age the D.H.C was because people never aged. The last, but a most important benefit of technology in
Brave New World is that it has produced stability. Stability is key because with stability comes so
many things such as no hunger, no wars, no animosity, and no surprises of what going to come
tomorrow. Although technology and science have brought so many good things for the world, it did
bring a good amount of negatives too. One example of this is soma, some can say that soma is a good
thing because it makes you happy, but frankly thats just being ignorant. Soma is an addiction that
shortens your life but is endorsed by the government because it keeps the world stable. A prime
example of this is Linda, she was so addicted to soma that she spent her last days in her soma
imagination rather than with her son. Another negative of science and technology is that it has stripped
the world of individuality, with so many clones being made and then force-fed what they are expected
to act like and how they should live life it limits the room for improvement because new creative ideas
are being limited. On top of all this science has affected the world for the worse by making the world
fear science and technology itself. Through science a stable, perfect society was created, and it is
because of that that science and technology cannot have advanced. The world controllers have no
intentions of beginning all the new technology and science because they fear its power to destroy the
utopia they have created. The last major flaw of technology is that it has prevented people from
having true deep feelings, instead, they get to use feelies to compensate for passion and love.

CITATIONS

(1) Student Web Pages. (n.d.). Retrieved August 26, 2016,

from http://facweb.northseattle.edu/