These chapters involve Bernard Marx quite a lot. He is really quite different from the other characters we meet in this society. Give at least two examples from these chapters showing he is different and explain a bit what you think Huxley is saying about this Brave New World through his character.
If you chose not to do the above, would you please ask a question or two you have over today's reading, or/AND try to answer questions your classmates pose over these chapters. Remember, you can certainly post more than one time!
I was wondering what caste Henry Foster was in. I thought he was a Alpha or Beta but when he was going home with Lenina they said that they were going to his apartment. I am confused because prior to this Huxley stated that everyone lived in apartments, except the Alpha's and Beta's who got small houses.
ReplyDeleteOne example that shows he is different is when he and Lenina are in New Mexico and he is trying to get her to understand that she is very controlled through hypnopaedia when she is young, but she fails to comprehend this. Another example is when people talk about him they always bring up the fact that his there was too much alcohol in his blood-surrogate. I think that Huxley keeps constantly telling us this because he wants us to get the picture and realize the potential that Bernard Marx has to challenge the authority. I find it ironic when Henry is talking about Bernard and says, "I think he is pretty harmless."
Bernard Marx is different: he refuses soma (happy drugs) and enjoys nature. The rest of the population has been "trained" not to like nature and that soma fixes all problems. Huxly is saying that this world isn't perfect and there are mistakes made, like in the training of Bernard Marx.
ReplyDeleteWhy do these people leave an Indian Reservation, if no one wants to learn from it and they are trying to destroy the old way of life?
Sorry, that last comment was me.
ReplyDeleteNicholas Seymour
I have a few questions over the reading that are a bit random- (1) Since the people are artificially made, does this mean they don't have bellybuttons? (2) What are the random letters that are right next to each other in the book? Is that just the font or does it have some significance, it always occurs with the word hypnopaedia.
ReplyDeleteSome ways that Bernard is different because he is shorter, and so this might give him more mental capacity. When he was with his friend it was mentioned that he was extra large, and had a hard time carrying on normal conversation. Another difference about him is how he tries to tell Lenina that she was too controlled. He also didn't like her speaking about their private affairs in public when Lenina and Bernard were in the elevator.
Is the only way you are able to be widely recognized in this world is by being known for being with the most girls in a certain amount of time? Or are there other things that people look up to others for? what is the significance of the Solidarity Hymns?
ReplyDeleteOne difference that is clearly stated and known by the other characters in the book is that Bernard had too much alcohol put into his blood surrogate. And another difference is that he refuses to talk to Lenina about going to New Mexico with her, he thinks that they shouldn't be talking about it in public.
I think Huxley is trying to say that not in any world are there going to be perfect people, they are always going to have flaws (like Bernard and everyone else in the book) and make mistakes. But we have to be able to accept these flaws and embrace our individuality in the world.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete(ch.6) Another example that isolates Bernard from others is Lenina's opinion of him. She has concluded that he is rather odd and has strange habits, such as the desire to always be alone with her and his rejection of the popular games/activities because they are "too crowded." It sure doesn't help when he behaves bronchitic when Lenina attempts to introduce him to some friends and offers him Soma. Bernard just always leaves Lenina confused, making her think he has weird mood swings and an odd laugh. Another reference to the sky...the night sky makes Bernard feel complete, while it frightens Lenina and gives her an eerie/empty feeling. I think Bernards main flaw is his self-coniousness.
ReplyDeleteQUOTE QUESTIONS: Lenina comments these quotes of her hypnopaedia to Bernard to encourage him to take the Soma...
-"One cubic centimetre cures ten gloomy sentiments."
-"A gramme is always better than a darn."
What are your thoughts on what these quotes mean?
Later, Lenina again comments to Bernard...
-"When the individual feels, the community reels."
What did she mean by this?
QUESTION: Did the Director accidentally tell Bernard of his girlfriend's disapearance on the Reservation, or was the story intended?
QUESTION: Why is there so much effort put into the "conditioning" of people and what is Huxley emphasizing in our society today?
~Ashley Phillips
One observation as to why Bernard Marx is different is the way he reacted when Lenina announced their New Mexico trip in front of a room full of Alpha Males. He was astonished at the attention Lenina was presenting and he was rather uncomfortable with the whole situation. Also, Bernard compared the blue sky horizon to Lenina's beautiful face, while Lenina took it as a wonderful day for Obstacle Golf.
ReplyDeleteQUESTION(s): [ch. 4] Helmholtz Watson is dissatisfied w/ his own writing due to the fact that something is missing (although he is claimed to already be a clever writer)...he wants to write more piercinlgy so that it really makes an impact on the people (metaphor-words compared to x-rays). What do you think he is referring to? What is the "power" within that he is missing? What does he want to write about that is more important than the typical topics of that day?
ANSWER to Mikayla: I understand your question, for I don't recall the book specifying his position. But I think a few hints were displaced within the reading. When Lenina and Henry are in the helicopter, Lenina comments "I'm glad I'm not a Gamma." "I'm glad I'm not an Epsilon." Surely she would not say this in front of a Gamma, or any caste below that which means Henry would have to be an Alpha or Beta, my guess Alpha, as it would be reasonable for Alphas to date Alphas. Also, in the helicopter Henry states "We'd mind, of course. But then we've been differently conditioned. Besides, we start with a different heredity." Because he refers to Lenina and himself, and knowing Lenina is an Alpha, we can infer that Henry is an Alpha as well.
~Ashley Phillips
One example of Bernard Marx being different is how he doesn't want to be in large crowds when he is with Lenina. For example, he doesn't want to go to see the Women's Heavyweight Wrestling Championship with Lenina and her friends. Another example is how he pretends that he thinks that the "Greater Being" is coming while he is in a group doing chants. Everyone else believes that the Greater Being is coming, but Bernard just goes along with it so that he can fit in.
ReplyDeleteThrough the character of Bernard Marx, Aldous Huxley is telling us that there are some characters that are against the status quo, and that not everyone believes that what is going on is right. Huxley shows us that certain characters will possibly try to change the current society.
One example that shows Bernard is different from the rest of the society is when the Director threatened to send him off to Iceland because of his behavior outside of work, Bernard said the threat made him feel "larger than life." He also said "he longed for affliction...courageously resisting, stoically accepting suffering without a word." Another example is Bernard told Lenina he wished they didn't end their night by going to bed. He told her he wanted to know what passion is and he wanted to feel something strongly. -I think that Aldous Huxley is showing that in every society there will be someone that will rebel against authority. Bernard is trying to show us that we shouldn't have to conform to what our society wants us to be, we shouldn't be afraid to be individuals.
ReplyDelete-Ariana
Two examples of Bernard Max being different for the rest of the society is when they say how there was too much alcohol in his blood surrogate. Another example is his physical disability, he is shorter than most of his Alpha class. His physical being is short enough to be in a Gamma class.
ReplyDeleteI think that Huxley is trying to show that even though they try to make everyone in the same class identical, there are still some mistakes and some people can turn out differently than the rest.
My question is what is soma? I kind of have an idea but I am not quite sure.
Ben: Soma is a legalized narcodic-medicine hybrid that this society uses for both treatment and pleasure. Huxley says that different dosage amounts cure a different number of sad thoughts.
ReplyDeleteBernard Marx is different physically and mentally. Physically he is far below the height requirement of his class. Mentally he has much more capacity for independent thoughts and feelings. He is against society and is not usually well-tempered.
Two examples of how Bernard is different than the rest of the characters in these chapters are:
ReplyDelete1) When Lenina brings up the New Mexico trip in front of other people and Bernard beomes embarrassed that she would bring up something so personal in front of others.
2) His physical traits. He is shorter than the rest of his caste.
3) He enjoys nature and he is okay with sitting and talking as opposed to doing something all the time.
I think Huxley is saying that the Brave New World still makes some mistakes in its people.
Annie Schulte
Bernard Examples: Bernard wants to feel emotion other than what society feels is happiness. He was almost envious of how horrible the director felt when his girl left him in New Mexico. The cloudy sky (nature!) made him happy. He wants to feel real emotion, so he tries to avoid soma.
ReplyDeleteI think Huxley is saying that everyone in society can't all believe in the same things, and Bernard models how we should stand up for our own opinions.
Bernard likes nature and refuses to take soma. He's physically different from his caste.
ReplyDeleteI think Huxley is saying that one person can change the world.
An example of how Bernard is different then the other characters is that he likes to be alone and he likes to handle his relations with others in quiet places, not in public where everyone can hear. Also, even though he is a man of a high caste, he only feels that power and pride when he is demanding that people of lower caste do things for him.
ReplyDeleteI think that Huxley is trying show that even in this world that everyone is happy, like the books tells us, their are people who don't seem to be happy and some people find happiness in things that make the rest of the world unhappy.
One example is that he doesn't like socializing with other people, and he is very shy and self-conscious. Another example is that he is shorter than the standard Alpha and more slender.
ReplyDeleteI think Huxley is trying to tell us that even though everyone in this new world is supposed to be the same and all perfect, mistakes are always going to happen and people aren't supposed to all be the same. He is saying that individuality doesn't have to die out.
Why didn't they put Bernard in a lower caste if he is different than the other Alphas? I thought they wanted everyone the same.
Bernard really is the only person who gets what is going on. No one else understands it and thats one of the reasons he's different. Also Bernard doesn't want to be around lots of people and likes to look at nature. Basically, what I got from this section is that there are bound to be flaws in society.
ReplyDeleteMaranda: From what I got from the Solidarity Hymns is that they are that world's verison of church.
Why is Bernard being sent to Iceland?
Lukas- Bernard is being sent to Iceland because of his behavior outside of work. The Director is feeling threatened by Bernard because he is different from the rest of society. Examples are everything that we've been listing.
ReplyDelete-Ariana
One example that shows that Bernard is different from everyone else is that he was not excited to take Lenina to travel with him, instead she pretty much invited herself. A second example which shows that Bernard is different is that he told Lenina he liked the way the ocean made him feel like he was an individual and something special instead of everyone being the exact same.
ReplyDelete--Cassie Shedenhelm
Throughout these chapters there are many situations and flaws that show Bernard Marx is different from the rest of the characters. One example would be that he is unusually short for an Alpha. A second example would be that Bernard doesn't seem to get as much joy from the soma as the other characters do. Lastly, another example would be that Bernard seems to see things differently. In the book, Bernard asks Lenina to turn off the radio and to just look at the sea in peace, but Lenina is confused by why he would want to do such an unusual thing. Many of Bernard's differences are thought to be caused by an accident with alcohol in his surrogate. Overall, I think what Huxley is trying to say through this character is that humans are not God and we make mistakes even if we are in a highly advanced world.
ReplyDelete-Brooke Walding
2 ways Bernard is different: He is not affected in the Soldarity Service like everyone else. He likes being alone, and private conversations.
ReplyDeleteWhat Huxley is saying: Bernard seems "different" compared to everyone else in the book. But, in reality, Bernard Marx is who we should be like. He know his true self, and experiences more feelings than everyone else. Nobody know what life should really be like, except for him.
Questions: What is Obstavle Golf? Is this supposed to be significant in the book? And I also don't get what the whole Solidarity Service was that Bernard Marx went to.
The first way that Bernard is different is that he likes so be alone and he likes to speak to others in private. The second example is that after the Solidarity Service Bernard has a totally different feeling then everybody, he feels very isolated from everyone else.
ReplyDeleteI think that Huxley is trying to tell us that God has all power and that not everyone in this society is going to be perfect. Bernard is a good example because he is not like everyone else even though he has to do the same stuff his character is so different from everyone else.
-Katie Renteria
Bernard is different in a lot of ways:
ReplyDelete1.) He is smaller and slimmer than the rest of the Alphas
2.) He likes keeping things private and is embarressed/almost disgusted that everyone else runs about flaunting their personal relationships in the open.
Questions~ How did Bernard and Helmholtz meet?
Did the book say Helmholtz was an author or did i completely misread that...?
What was the point of the Solidarity Service they had?
Two examples that Bernard Marx is different are:
ReplyDelete-One he thinks that the other people participate in weird activities that do not make sense to him. He does understand why?
-Two he is shorter than all the other Alphas
I am a little confused on how Helmholtz is a writer in this society? I understand that he is controlled but what are his limits?
"All men are physico-chemically equal"
What does Henry mean by this?
Mollie- the book doesn't say how Helmholtz and Bernard meet. Helmholtz is an author of sorts, he is one of the main people that writes the hypnopaedic verses to condition the kids to be like they want them to be. The Solidarity Service sort of serves the same purpose as our mass, that is it helps to encourage social unity and makes people interact with the community.
ReplyDelete-Andrew Suiter
I didn't really understand the whole part about the 12 people drinking from the same cup in the circle. I thought it was representing church and everyone said they could hear Ford but Bernard couldn't and he was saying he could just to fit in. I'm not certain on this part though.
ReplyDeleteI also didn't understand why they talked about a
"sexaphone" instead of a "saxophone". Is it supposed to be talking about their promiscuity again or is it just a futuristic instrument?
Bernard shows he is different by not wanted to sleep with everyone like everybody else in this society. He is disgusted with Henry treating Lenina like meat. He also doesn't like to be in a crowd like Lenina does, he would rather talk and be alone.