Brave New World, Chapter Thirteen Essay Example
Brave New World, Chapter Thirteen Essay Example

Brave New World, Chapter Thirteen Essay Example

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In Brave New World, Huxley effectively uses character interactions to convey the prevalent values and ideals. Chapter thirteen specifically demonstrates this through the exchange between Henry Foster and Lenina. Henry invites Lenina to the 'feelies', but when she declines, he questions if she's going out with someone else and shows interest in which friend is involved. This conversation highlights not only Henry's values, but also those of society as a whole, where possession is favored over morality.

Henry noticed that Lenina's purple eyes showed signs of fatigue, the lupus-like pallor beneath them, and the sadness evident in the corners of her unmoving crimson mouth. Despite his concern for her wellbeing, Henry was unable to determine the cause of her distress and asked whether she was unwell. In response, he recited a hypnopaedic saying he had pr

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eviously learned - "'A doctor a day keeps the jim-jams away'" - which is a common occurrence in Brave New World when characters are unable to come up with a suitable response. It became apparent that Lenina's thoughts were preoccupied with various unrelated issues, which caused her to be distracted when contemplating John, a person for whom she also had feelings - "'John,' she murmured to herself, 'John...'"

Lenina had a moment of uncertainty as she contemplated whether or not she had administered the sleeping sickness injection to her Ford. The fact that she experienced these emotions reveals a lack of appreciation for love within her society. Despite Lenina's dynamic actions, she struggles to comprehend the feelings she experiences. Her behavior appears unusual in the context of Brave New World, as Lenina cannot process her emotions as John does. At first

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glance, it may seem that Lenina holds deeper values than those accepted by society's characters.

Despite being conditioned to believe otherwise, the protagonist experiences emotional monogamy that differs from societal norms. However, her feelings may not be genuine as they could merely stem from her inability to be with John. Unable to deal with this unfamiliar situation, she becomes threatened and insecure. Fanny serves as a representative of society in Brave New World, using hypnopaedia to reinforce the importance of conforming. She dominates conversations with Lenina, portraying her as unconventional in their society.

Lenina follows the advice of conforming to society as she feels ashamed of her different emotions. She speaks hesitantly and sometimes leaves her sentences unfinished. Fanny dominates conversations and has the final say, embodying the unchangeable nature of society and its obligation to comply. This scene confirms the predetermined paths for John and Bernard in the story. The interaction between John and Lenina is crucial in portraying the values, or lack thereof, in Brave New World's society. Lenina's idea of love involves sex, while John experiences deeper emotions that we as an audience recognize as love.

During a dispute, John declares his love for Lenina, prompting her to assume he desires sex. However, the scene lacks any display of individuality. In their argument, Lenina also cites hypnopaedic teachings to John, saying, "A gra-amme is be-etter..."

In this scene, John becomes enraged with Lenina when she undresses for him. It's possible that he sees this as degrading for Lenina, as an individual who is unimportant in the society. He may also be upset as it goes against the notion of love. Furthermore, it could be triggering memories

of his mother and Popi. This scene showcases the depth of John's emotions, allowing the audience to relate to him, while highlighting the Brave New World's lack of emotional depth and warped morals and values. The balance of power shifts during the scene as Lenina initially dominates most actions and conversation.

As time passes, the woman becomes more annoyed and fed up with the man because she cannot comprehend his desires. He wants to do something noble, but she cannot comprehend his symbolism, as their society does not act in such a manner. "'I'd like to undergo something nobly. Don't you see? ' 'But if there are vacuum cleaners...'"

This piece of writing showcases a cleverly crafted interaction between John and Lenina. John interrupts Lenina mid-sentence in an attempt to convey his emotions, but is unsuccessful in making her understand. Lenina's character is typically emotionless, making the use of dynamic verbs to describe her behavior unusual. Negative post and pre-modifiers such as 'irritated' and 'annoyed' are used to emphasize her frustration. John's nonconformity is also depicted when he receives a call about his mother, Linda, who is critically ill.

Despite only one person speaking, we can understand the tone of the conversation through the use of rhetoric. The speaker's use of archaic language, such as "If I do not usurp myself, I am" and "Yes, didn't you hear me say so? Mr. Savage speaking," highlights the lack of historical and literary knowledge in Brave New World society. The person on the other end of the phone couldn't comprehend the language, leading to a strange reaction from John due to the stark contrast with his own

knowledge.

The book emphasizes the insignificance of personal relationships, illustrated by the continued importance of Soma for characters like Fanny and Lenina. Lenina relies on this substance in uncomfortable and unfamiliar situations, such as when visiting John. Overall, the depiction of dependency on objects rather than individuals, thoughts, or emotions reinforces the novel's thematic commentary.

'Lenina's fears and embarrassments seem ordinary in her circumstances, but she resorts to taking soma to alleviate them. The language employed when Lenina is influenced by soma imitates her fluid and decisive demeanor. Though it seems like she's in command, she's actually under the sway of soma.'

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