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Brave New World- Characters

 

             As we enter the strange society of Brave New World, we find some difficulty deciding the ethics of it. Huxley presents us with a world where everyone is functional, civilized and happy (at least, in the sense that we use for society). After all, if people are happy, there can be nothing wrong with the society. But, as the readers, we begin to realize one factor that cannot be ignored, and that is that you can only live without truth for so long. Like many other philosophers, Huxley has presented the world with the question: What is more important, truth? Or happiness? We know that the society has simulated a happy environment with all the drugs, distractions and sexual endeavours to support it, but in return, the citizens have lost the freedom of learning truth (as well as true happiness.) The only aspects that can prevent this happy hallucinogenic society from remaining static are people like Bernard Marx, John and Helmholtz Watson. Although containing very different characteristics, these three people cause the same effect to brave new world, and that is unrest. .
             When we first meet Bernard Marx we find that he could be, possibly, the perfect character to cause a revolution. The first time we are introduced to him, he seems profound, intelligent and conscious of his actions. On a date with Lenina, Bernard remarks,.
             "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.".
             And later, he comments on Lenina;.
             "Perfect she thinks of herself that way. She doesn't mind being meat." P. 83.
             Bernard understands the society thoroughly, from the doses of soma to the class system. He processes and criticizes the environment like a true human. Unfortunately as the book develops, one realizes that the soul reason of his unhappiness is not the need to be humanized, but as a result of jealousy. He is odd for being an Alpha, and is physically smaller than the others of his class, therefore making him something less than the perfect citizen, The rest of the society, of course, is not going to sympathize with this jealousy; they have been conditioned not to, and have no deficiencies themselves.


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