Brave New World Chapter 10-18 Summary Chapters

Review You read Chp 10-18 Submitted a reading log Submitted your Discussion Duo. Review

Beginning Blog Take a stance: In a short paragraph explain your stance. I support the advancement of civilization through creative science and technology I support individuality at all costs, even if it means overpopulation, riots, and economic instability.

Review of Chapter 10 The travelers return from New Mexico Benard halts his reassignment to Iceland by introducing the director to Linda and John Linda embraces him calling him Tomakin John recognizes him as his father The hatchery staff is repulsed at the idea of viviparous reproduction Review of Chapter 10

Review of Chapter 11 London gossips The Director is embarrassed and resigns from the hatchery Linda, whose health is declining, takes mega-doses of soma Bernard is the local hero John follows Bernard on a guided tour of London Lenina introduces John to the feelies Lenina encourages a sexual liaison with John John is repulsed about her behavior and shouts lines from Shakespeare in outrage John withdraws to read Shakespeare. Review of Chapter 11

John broods over how shallow Londoners are in comparison to the reservation. He refuses to attend a party with Bernard. Lenina leaves with the Arch-Community-Songster Bernard is annoyed that John befriends Helmholtz John has written a poem which violates Utopia Review of Chapter 12

Review of Chapter 13 Lenina has difficulty concentrating at work She visits John and is shocked that he wants to marry her. John learns that Linda is dying soon Review of Chapter 13

Surrounded by soporific sounds, smells, colors and light, Linda barely acknowledges real life John tries to revive his mother John leaves her. Review of Chapter 14

John incites a riot by throwing out the hospital employees soma out the window. Police arrive playing soothing taped music and spray soma. They arrest John, Bernard and Helmholtz Review of Chapter 15

Review of Chapter 16 The trio appear before Mustapha Mond. Mond banishes Bernard and Helmholtz to the Falkland Islands. Review of Chapter 16

Review of Chapter 17 John debates Mond of Utopian principles Mond claims that God cannot exist in a society bent on mechanization. Mond declares that happiness does not parallel God’s direction John declares that Utopia to eventual failure, damnation, and only worships consumerism. John embraces God, literature, freedom, goodness, and the right to sin. Review of Chapter 17

Helmholtz says good-bye to John (who is sick on a concoction of mustard and warm water) because he and Bernard will leave the next day for the Falklands. John had asked the Controller to accompany them but was denied. The next day, John hides out in the Wey Valley in an abandoned lighthouse He hopes to become self-supporting by spring He cleanses himself of sinfulness and lust for Lenina by whipping himself 12 days later, Primo Mellon publicizes John’s agonies in a popular feely. A mob pressures John to join a sex and drug orgy. After midnight, they leave him asleep in the heather. The next morning he gives up all hope of coping with Utopia, and hangs himself in the lighthouse. His corpse dangles like an aimless pendulum, shifting aimlessly. Review of Chapter 18

Interpretive Analysis of the Ideology of BNW We learn that the director made Linda have a baby, who is John thereby breaking the Utopian ideology. This rejection allows Linda to live completely disconnected from reality through soma. The conversation between Mond and John ensues around the high price of happiness being the forsaking of a concept of God replacing it with technology. John contemplates aloud that nobility comes from heroic ideas and action; whereas, Mond says to be happy it isn’t necessary and heroism is replaced with politically efficient, organized stability without wars or people’s varied opinions. To do this, all the pleasures of the body must be easy. John concludes that Utopia is too easy. There is a balance of opportunities for humanity and the expression of free well with John wanting God, poetry, danger, freedom, goodness, sin as a form of consciousness and Mond saying that such a change also carries with it age, disease hunger, fear, insecurity and cruelty The real discourse here is IS SUCH A UTOPIA WORTH THE COST? Interpretive Analysis of the Ideology of BNW

Interpretive Analysis of John’s Suicide Huxley contends that the transition from outcast at the pueblo to museum piece for the curious in Utopia pushes John’s value system where he cannot cope. He therefore purges himself by flagellation. Much like the pseudo church service of Utopia but when he tries to defend his behavior and beliefs by shooting arrows at a helicopter and and then succumbs to Utopia’s orgiastic release, he is defeated and knows he can never be free. Lighthouse is symbolic of discarded technology of pre=Utopian times His retreat and his temptation akin to Christ in the desert being tempted by Satan, lures him from his purpose and draws him into the drama commercialism of Utopia. Finally, hanging aimlessly, John is a symbol for a silent compass swinging without direction says that there is not way out for a a nation so solidly reliant on technology. Admission of even a minor change would bring down a whole house of cars. The deserted lighthouse give not light, no direction. Interpretive Analysis of John’s Suicide

So, what is the final message? Recognize the path that one’s nation and oneself is taking before it’s too late by the fictional yet possible direction of reliance on happiness in the form of Technology Pleasure instead of moral Avoidance of death or pain Distraction through Media in the form of games, movies, and group gatherings based on reinforcing the state’s agenda. A warning to the future in giving up freedom for generic happiness.

Q & A. Questions?

Next: The Philosophy of Life Project The End of Week 5 Lecture