Choose nearly any scene from these chapters and relate it to a similar problem you see in our society today. Explain what you think Huxley would feel is wrong with how we act or what we do in today's society as reflected in this scene from the novel that you have chosen.
Along a similar line of thinking, there are a lot of allusions and symbols operating in this chapter. Can you pick out a few and explain them to us?
As always, you may ask/answer any questions you might have over our reading for today.
The climax of the novel is taking place. Johns growing anger towards the World State(and grief of Linda) finally comes out and John confronts this to society, and the police are forced to intervene. In general, this reminds me of politics/religion today. It only takes one person to stand up for what they believe in(John) against many who disagree. But that one person has an effect on others and he/she may also be supported(Helmholtz Watson). John would rather have the truth and freedom be out than experience the slavery of soma, like Linda. Huxely would not approve of this violent outbrake. I think Huxely is emphasizing that, like politics and religion today, people can be blinded into believing something that isn't true due to the influence of others. Also, the Deltas make no personal decisions on their own, but rather they all act in a raging mob. No individualism is recognized when talking about the Deltas. John, on the otherhand, reminds me of Jesus.
ReplyDeleteQUESTION: Would you consider Bernard a friend of John due to his actions in these chapters?
I had a couple of questions from these chapters:
ReplyDelete-When John is talking on the phone and says "Mr. Savage speaking." Is he mocking the name that the people know him as or is he finally learning to accept the fact that's what they refer to him as?
-Even though Lenina pleads for John not to hit her does he just hit her out of his ongoing rage that he had at that time?
-I didn't really understand what "A, B, C vitamin D: The fat's in the liver, the cod's in the sea." meant?
-Maranda Metz
One scene that reflects problems in society today is the scene where Lenina is hiding in the bathroom. She is scared that John will hit her again, or become angry with her again. She doesn't want to come out, and when she does she runs out of the room, even though she isn't sure if it is safe. This is similar to abusive relationships. Although I wouldn't call John/Lenina an abusive relationship, it could easily lead to one if it were to continue.
ReplyDeleteMaranda: For your last question, it is just a rhyme that Linda would say to John. It is like a nursery rhyme, so it doesn't make much sense.
A question of my own would be similar to Maranda's: Is savage the last name he informally adopted or is he just used to being called that?
Liz- The Savage is not John's real name. The BNW people call him that instead of his real name. He is just used to being called that.
ReplyDeleteMaranda- John hits Lenina because of his disgust with her. He is disgusted that her (and all the people of the BNW) don't actually feel the emotional and spiritual side of love, just the physical.
The people of the BNW allow Linda to die, even giving her the soma to kill herself. I relate this to Euthanasia. People of our society are getting so inhuman as to help someone kill themself. Huxley, who mocks suicide already, would go crazy mocking this concept.
Nicholas Seymour
The scene I chose to relate to a problem in our society today is the scene when John visits Linda in the hopital as she's dieing. Linda is just about to die, but nobody (except John) cares. They thinm dieing is no big deal, and should not be grieved over. They show no feelings; are just worried about the conditioning of the kids being ruined. I think Huxley is mocking us here. Today, so many people take life for granted. We don't realize what we have; just complain about the negative things. He is showing us a world of where life really is completely taken for granted. He wants us to see what it would be like if no one cared that we died. He wants us to appreciate life how it is, and never take anything for granted.
ReplyDeleteAllusion: I don't know if this is right; I'm just taking a guess.. on page 188, it talks about a Y.W.F.A. lecturer, is that alluding to the Y.M.C.A. or not?
One problem in our society that Huxley writes about is that drugs are a big problem and no matter what law enforcement does, it can't completely wipeout illegal drugs. When the Savage tries to throw out the soma, he gets arrested and eventually they bring in more soma for the people.
ReplyDeleteAn allusion that I found was when the Savage says, "lend me your ears", this is from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. This is when Antony is speaking at Caesar's funeral.
One thing that is a problem in our society is when people are too persistent. They try to persuade others to do things that they don't want to do, and it never turns out well. This is shown in chapter 13 when Lenina finally thinks that she has gotten John to admit that he likes her and that she has successfully persuaded him to go farther with their relationship. I think that Lenina belives she likes John so much is because it would improve her social status and she would be able to answer the question, "what is the savage like in bed?" However, this is not what is going on inside of John's head. We see him resorting to his familiar traditions that he learned at the reservation. He simply wants to prove his love to Lenina and marry her, not have sexual relations with her immediately. But Lenina is too persistent and starts doing things that John is uncomfortable with. When she does these things, this is when we see John lash out at Lenina.
ReplyDeleteA common problem in our society portrayed in these chapters is anger. John continually runs into situations that make him mad and he gets to the point with Lenina where he boils over and hits her. He also directs his anger at twins in a physical way by pushing them across the room.
ReplyDelete--Cassie Shedenhelm
A common problem in our society that is shown in chapter 13 is giving into one's sexual temptations when we know it's not right. Lenina forces herself onto the Savage because she can't hold her desires back anymore when he isn't even returning the sexual acts, with kissing or hugging etc. I think Huxley would say "I told you so." He knew from the very beginning of this book that sexual promiscuity would increase rapidly when he writes the quote "Everyone belongs to everyone else." I think he would be sad that people today aren't saving that special act for the one they love.
ReplyDelete-Ariana Shockley
"The Savage's voice was trembling with indignation. 'What are these filthly little brats doing here at all? It's disgraceful!'
ReplyDelete"Disgraceful? But what do you mean? They are being deathconditioned. And I tell you,' she warned him truculently, 'if I have any more of your interference with their conditioning, I'll send the porters and have you thrown out!'"
This part is as Linda is dying. In the Brave New World they are used to this, but it shows how desensitized society is. Our world today deals with insensitivity daily. Whether it be internet/text bullying or just not being understanding to another person's problems, insensitivity rules our lives. Many things like what happens to John happen in today's society as well and most of the time it is just rude.
I hated the scene with Linda and John. I have gone to two funerals in my life: My Grandpa Jerry's and Grandma LeAnna's, each one from a different side of the family, and I was very close to both of them.
ReplyDeleteMy grandma's was a shock, whereas with my grandpa, he was dying slowly due to a breathing problem, pulmonary fibrosis. He often had to wear an oxygen mask in the house. Somedays, I can't believe that they were whisked away in the blink of an eye. I can honestly say I have never looked at life through the same, naive eyes I had been seeing through before sixth grade, especially having to watch my grandpa die very slowly and painfully.
The fact that these children were playing at this "hospice" made me feel ill. I never have liked it when people allow their kids to run around at funerals, especially at cemetaries, which are hallowed grounds. To have kids run around screaming and laughing during a funeral is insulting, so you think that someone would scold them.
The death-conditioning system was horrid-- I mean, giving them chocolate eclairs after insulting Linda? I have never liked Linda as a character, but nevertheless, she DOES deserve some way to rest in peace. The way those kids made fun of her really irritated me.
You don't make fun of someone who's trying to deal with the loss of a loved one. I've been through that, and whether the people understood how bad you're hurting or if they don't, it's still a really painful process of healing, and the pain of loss still lingers.
I remember people calling me "emo" and stuff like that in middle school. Believe it or not, that's not a funny name to be given. It's really base and insulting.
That's my biggest pet peeve- when someone says something like that when that other person is falling apart inside. Although they may appear happy on the inside, more than likely, they could be suffering on the inside.
One problem I see is Linda's overdose of soma. She takes it because she believes it will make her feel better. She starts talking about Pope and acting not like herself until it's just to much for her body to take. This relates to modern day because deaths resulting from overdoses are common, people start taking drugs until they can't live without them. Also, if it continues, it takes their life. I think Huxley would think it's wrong that we put our lives in so much danger just to feel happy. Through the way John reacts, we can understand that Huxley thinks it's a stupid thing to do. He feels that drugs affect more than just the person taking them, because throughout the novel we see how the drug "soma" not only affects the people taking it, but everyone around them too.
ReplyDeleteIn one scene, John hits Lenina. This is similar to abusive relationships in our society today. Huxley would really hate this because men should not hit women.
ReplyDeleteAllusion: Lenina is wearing a sailor outfit when she is with John which alludes to Shirley Temple because she wore a sailor outfit for one of her shows and it basicallly is symbolizing innocence and that Lenina really does not know what she is doing. She is just doing what she has been taught to do.
One bad thing that is going on in this chapter is that people are giving in to sexual temptations. This is bad beacause we need to no when to say no. Huxely would say that this is a big problem because so many people today are giving in to many temptations and sex is a main concern.
ReplyDeleteI choose the scene where John visits Linda in the hospital. No one in the hospital seems to care that she is dying except John. They are conditioned to show no feeling and they believe that death is nothing to be sad about. Huxley is mocking our society by saying we take life for granted. He is showing us what it would be like if no one cared if we died. We should appreciate life and mourn the loss of others.
ReplyDeleteIn this section Huxley presents Linda as she is watching television. She is mindlessly watching it without actually comprehending what is going. Its pretty crazy that he was able to predict this. The television was only invented a few years before the book. He must have known how dominant the television would become. He is criticizing the people who just "zone" into their TV shows. There was better examples but they all got taken haha.
ReplyDeleteOh was 15 the climax?
The scene with John and Lenina is one of those shakey relationships that should have never happened. The scene in the hospital where Linda dies and no one cares really is disturbing. People don't when others die in that world. It's the same in this world sometimes too. Some people have the idea 'it's not me so who cares' which exactly how Huxley showed them in BNW.
ReplyDeleteA scene that relates to today's society is when Bernard stands up for what is right and throws the soma out the window. Everyone got mad and the police had to come and artificially break it up by making everyone "happy" again. In today's society, if someone stands up for what's right, people immediately judge them, and the person's friends deny their friendship with the "rebel."
ReplyDeleteAshley: I would not consider Bernard a good friend to John because when John starts throwing the soma out, he doesn't support him even though he knows that John is doing the right thing; Bernard just goes along with the crowd, and almost denies his friendship with John when the police ask.
One scene that reflects society today is when Lenina realizes that John loves her. Then her conditioning kicks in and even though John is trying to explain marriage to her all Lenina can think about is soma and finally being with John. Today in society many people are to anxious about being with other people. They don't take the time to truly get to know each other and see that they are truly in love.
ReplyDeleteI am also a little confused on what happened with John in the Hospital after Linda died...
How was John stopped finally?
Also does Lenina ever hear about this?
Towards the beginning of chapter 13, why does John try to kill lenina?
ReplyDeleteJacob- I think the climax of the novel can be an opinion at this particular point, and could possibly even come later in the novel. What I meant to convey is that the hospital scene is a highpoint, or turning point, in the story. :)
ReplyDeleteNick- John's emotions overcome him in this scene because he is terrified/horrified at Lenina's actions. He doesn't know what to do with his physical desires so he tries to push them away entirely, and insists on looking at Lenina innocently and purely.
Throughout these chapters we see a recurring problem that is a similar problem we also see in our society today. When John numerous times struggles to control his anger we can compare this to the feelings of people in our today’s society. In chapter 14, John visits his mom, Linda, in the hospital. As he is sitting over the bed with her, a group of identical eight-year-old male twins surround John and Linda. The boys ask question after question "Why is she so fat? Whatever is the matter with her? Isn't she awful?". All these questions start to swirl in Johns head and he becomes angry and frustrated with them. He picks one of the boys up by the collar and throws him across the room. This is only one of the many examples in this chapter that shows John not being able to control his anger.
ReplyDeleteI think allowing Linda to kill herslef slowly wit soma shows a problem today. Assisted suicide and euthanasia are becomeing more problametic.
ReplyDeleteAlso, what really does john think of bernard??? bc bernard thinks of him as a friend...
Mollie- I think that John actually liked Bernard at first when they met at the reservation, but as he got to know Bernard for who he actually was, a coward, John became dissatisfied with Bernard.
ReplyDeleteQuestion- Why does John freak out at the Hospital for the dying, if he had made a plan, he could've systematically taken down society, instead of getting arrested so early.