“There was something desperate, almost insane, about the sharp spasmodic yelps to which they now gave utterance. Their little bodies twitched and stiffened; their limbs moved jerkily as if to the tug of unseen wires” (21) Why is the simile used to describe the movement of the infants’ bodies so appropriate? (Hint: it involves irony.) “What man has joined, nature is powerless to put asunder” (22) What does this quote mean in context and what (language) is it alluding to and for what reason? The conditioning lesson that the students observed taught the infants to have an “’instinctive hatred of books and flowers’” (22) Why are they conditioned to hate books? How would this be beneficial to “community, identity, and stability”? Why are the infants taught to hate flowers yet love country sports (all which much use elaborate apparatus)? How would this be beneficial to “community, identity, and stability”? In telling about Reuben, the director reminds the shocked students that “most historical facts are unpleasant” and “’For you must remember that in those days of gross viviparous reproduction, children were always brought up by their parents and not in State Conditioning Centres’”(24) Why are the children taught that historical facts are unpleasant? What does viviparous mean? What is the purpose of telling about Reuben? As the director discussed Ford’s first T-Model, “[He] made a sign of the T on his stomach and all the students reverently followed suit” (25). What does this seem to symbolize? (hint: this is a parody of what religion?) education, which ought never, in any circumstances to be rational (26)” Hypnopaedia can’t be used for intellectual education yet it’s perfect for moral education. Explain why and use the quote as evidence.
During the lesson on Elementary Class Consciousness, the different classes (castes) are described according to status.(27) Rank the classes in descending (intelligence, work ethic/job, color). What’s the purpose of the class consciousness lesson? Does it support “community, stability, identity”? Hypnopaedia is described as “words without reason” and “The greatest moralizing and socializing force of all time” (27). “The sum of the suggestions is the mind . . . all his life long. The mind that judges and desires and decides- made up of these suggestions. But all these suggestions are our suggestions” (28-29)! Knowing that Huxley is being satirical, what doe these quotes in connection with each other really mean about the minds of the people in the World State? Chapter 3 “’strange to think that even Our Ford’s day most games were played without more apparatus than a ball or two and a few sticks and perhaps a bit of netting’”31) What is the purpose for making sure that involve many apparatuses? What theme is conveyed by this quote? The D.H.C. finds the scene of the children playing a sex game to be charming, but the students touring the facility don’t; to them “it was just a pair of kids fooling about; that was all. Just kids”(31) What does this incident imply about attitudes towards sex in Brave New World? How do they differ from attitudes today? “’History is bunk.’ He his hand; and it was as though, with an invisible feather whisk, he had brushed away a little dust, and the dust was . . . and . . Whisk. . , . . . Whisk, the cathedrals; whisk. . Passion; . .Requiem; whisk. .” (34) How does the image of a whisk brushing away dust help to convey the Controller’s attitude toward history? What theme does the passage reflect? Beginning on page 34, three conversations are going on at the same time, with Huxley switching back and forth between them: between the Controller and the boys, Henry Foster and Benito Hoover, and Lenina and Fanny.
“There were those strange rumours of old forbidden books hidden in a safe in the Controller’s study. Bibles, poetry – Ford knew what” (35) What does this reveal about Mustapha Mond, the Controller? Why would the Controller have access to banned material? The Controller describes home as “reeking with emotion” and full of “suffocating intimacies” and “dangerous relationships” (37) “Our Freud had been the first to reveal the appalling dangers of family life” (39) “Family, monogamy, romance. Everywhere exclusiveness, a narrow channeling of impulse and energy” (40) What do the Controller’s words reveal about the attitude of his society toward family life? What has this new world put in place of marriage and parenthood? “Everyone belongs to everyone else” What is the connection between Mustapha Mond’s comments family life and this motto of the new world? “No social stability without individual stability” (42) Explain this quote, i.e., what do you think the Controller means by “individual stability” and why is it vital to social stability? What is ironic about this notion? How is individual stability achieved in the ? Find two quotes from p.44-45 to support your answer. Do you agree with the quote about stability? Explain the reason(s) for your position. We have all “encountered insurmountable obstacles”, had strong “emotions”, had to wait a long time between having a “desire and its fulfillment” (44-45). The Controller thinks such obstacles are bad and that life is better without them. Do you think your life would be better if you were exempt from such emotional challenges? Explain the reason(s) for your answer. “’They say somebody made a mistake when he was in the bottle-thought he was a Gamma and put alcohol into his blood surrogate’” (46) To whom does this comment refer? Why do people say this about him/her?
“’I really don’t know why I bored you with this trivial anecdote’” (97) What anecdote does the D.H.C. confide to Bernard? (Summarize it.) How is the word “trivial” ironic? Why is he furious for having shared it with Bernard? “’Alphas are so conditioned that they do not have to be infantile in their emotional behaviour. But that is all the reason for their making a special effort to conform. . . It is their duty to be infantile, even against their inclination. . I give you fair warning’” (98) What does the Director mean by the word “infantile”? In what ways are people in the Brave New World infantile in their behavior? With what does the Director threaten Bernard? Why does the threat excite him? Write down the description of the lifestyle of the reservation below (103). Why is it called a Savage Reservation? What keeps the savages on the reservation? Chapters 7-12 Directions: DO NOT write your answers on your own paper; type them on the form and print it OR print the form and write them on the form. Chapter 7 “Naked from throat to navel, their dark brown bodies painted with white lines. . . the dirt, . . the piles of rubbish, the dust, the dogs, the flies.. . [Lenina’s] face wrinkled up into a grimace of disgust” (109) How does the Savage Reservation differ from the “civilized” world of Lenina and Bernard? “She felt in her pocket for her soma-only to discover that . . . she had left the bottle down at he rest-house” (111). What makes Lenina feel the need for soma? What is satirical about the fact that she can’t take soma while having awful, disgusting feelings?
Pages 110-112 What aspect of the Savage ritual does Lenina like? Why does she like it? “’Do you see that damned spot?’. . The multitudinous seas incarnadine’” (117). Whose words is the Savage using? (Hint: he is a VERY famous and important writer.) Why does he want to be the sacrifice? Why wasn’t he allowed to be the sacrifice? Chapter 8 Chapter 8 as a whole List five events that John recalls about childhood that shape his view of people and life. (write the page numbers) John is given a copy of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (131) Why does John like it so much and how does he use this in his life? Present at least two pieces of evidence from the chapter to support your answer. “’If one’s different, one’s bound to be lonely’” (137). Why might this be true? List the characters in the to whom this statement applies. For each, identify the difference(s) that isolates the character from society and how the difference(s) isolates the character. “He hesitated doubtfully. That revolting creature! . . . It suddenly occurred to Bernard that her very revoltingness might prove an enormous asset” (138). What Linda revolting? Why does Linda’s future anywhere look fairly grim? Predict: How do you think Linda might prove to be an asset for Bernard? Chapter 9 Beginning of chapter 9 Why does Mustapha Monde allow Bernard to bring Linda and John back?