Timothy Hui

A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Study Guide
Utopia vs Dystopia
List all the seemingly positive aspects of Brave New World which makes it a utopia in the left
column and the parallel negative qualities which indicates a dystopia in the right column.

Most people are happy with the way they live
Society is stable
No conflicts occur
Everyone has everything they desire
The happiness arises from ignorance
Stability relies on drugs (soma)
Everyones lives are predetermined
People are created using an unnatural method
Liberty and freedom have been taken away
There is totalitarian control

Brave New World Establishing a Dystopia Study Questions

1. Think about how Aldous Huxley creates his dystopic world through character development.
For each of the characters listed below, think about their respective roles in conveying
Huxleys dystopia.
Explain what role they play in the dystopia (what each character is symbolic of) and
find ONE quote for each character to show this characterisation. You may not use
quotes from the study guide.
Ensure you identify literary techniques in each of the quotes you select and explain
how the techniques are used to create meaning.
I expect you to write a PEEL structured paragraph for each character Point
(character role in the dystopia), Example (quote), Explanation (technique), Link (how
the technique conveys their role in the dystopia).
o Bernard Marx
o Lenina Crowne
o Henry Foster
o Fanny Crowne
o Mustapha Mond
o Linda
o John the Savage

Bernard Marx
Bernard Marx is a character who seems out of place in his society. Being an Alpha male, he has
certain expectations to fulfil with both his actions and his physical characteristics, however, he fails
to meet them. This makes us believe that he is the central character of this dystopian society an
outcast who will rebel against and expose the true nature of the Brave New World. However, as we
soon realise, it is John the Savage who becomes this central character after Bernards morals
overtaken by selfishness. Huxley uses personification in what would it be like if I could, if I were
freenot enslaved by my conditioning to emphasise Bernards open-minded thinking to the
concept of freedom. The word enslaved gives negative connotations to how conditioning affects
the different people. This effectively questions the process of conditioning and leaves readers
wondering if it is really a utopian concept of just a method of control.
Timothy Hui

Lenina Crowne
Lenina Crowne is a vaccination worker at the Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre. At
firsts, she seems like a conventional woman in the Brave New World, seeing comfort, pleasure and
materialism as the only values and expressing it through her promiscuity. However, it is later
revealed that she can see past her conditioning through her actions. She chooses to have an
exclusive sexual relationship with Henry Foster which is quite unusual and also has a relationship
with the social misfit Bernard Marx. Leninas statement "I hadn't been feeling very keen on
promiscuity lately. There are times when one doesn't. Haven't you found that too, Fanny?"
demonstrates that her morals are somewhat different to other people, though she doesnt realise it.
The reflective nature of the phrase there are times when one doesnt portrays to the reader that
she is able to extend past the limits of her conditioning. The character of Lenina is a representation
of the fact that even a perfected process such as conditioning has faults, and those who seem most
affected by it can see past it though they may not realise.

Henry Foster
Henry Foster is one of the least mentioned characters in the novel. He is the prime example of the
optimal Alpha male and serves as a direct contrast to Bernard Marx. He consciously follows what is
expected of him in the Brave New World, happiness through ignorance. Henrys remark "Lenina
Crowneoh, she's a splendid girl. Wonderfully pneumatic. I'm surprised you haven't had her shows
her lack of respect and emotion to those he has sexual relationships with, which is a desired
outcome of conditioning. The word pneumatic is used as a metaphor by Huxley to create a double
meaning it describes her physical aspects as curvy (and hence attractive), but also a depiction of
her mind empty of life and dull. The character of Henry is symbolic of those who accept the
dystopian system and are hence enslaved by it.

Fanny Crowne
Fanny is also less mentioned in the novel. Similar to Henry Foster, Fanny is a representation of the
ideal female in the Brave New World. Fanny (and Henry) are both utilised as comparisons against
those who rebel against the dystopian society and question it. Fanny speaks to Lenina a lot in the
novel, and she expresses her opinions which usually conform to the dystopian values present in the
Brave New World. This is seen when she says "Well, if that's the casewhy don't you just go and
take him. Whether he wants it or no." This follows the thinking that everyone belongs to everyone
else, showing her loyalty to the dystopic system. The truncated sentence whether he wants it or
no uses a change of rhythm to create tension and suspense. This is effective since it mentions the
concept of rape as a social norm in the dystopian world, enforcing the fact that this is not a perfect
world.

Mustapha Mond
Mustapha Mond is one of the controllers and he represents a combination of both the dystopian
world and rebellion. He is knowledgeable on the things other people in society are forbidden to
know and so his understanding is not restricted to inside the present social order. Mustapha was
once discontented with the nature of the dystopia and rebelled, however, he committed himself to
keeping society stable and so maintained the social order to the best of his ability for the happiness
of not his own, but for others. The repetition of the world stability in "Stability, said the Controller,
"stability. No civilization without social stability. No social stability without individual stability
emphasises Mustaphas view that science should be sacrificed for the steadiness of the dystopian
system and hence, the happiness of others.
Timothy Hui

Linda
The character of Linda has a big impact on readers since it demonstrates how someone from the
dystopic society would fit into a world more like ours. Linda is symbolic of the incompatibility
between the Brave New World and our modern-day society. She explains to Lenina, Once a lot of
women came and made a scene because their men came to see me. Well, why not? And then they
rushed at me No, it was too awful. I can't tell you about it." This demonstrates her struggles of
fitting into a society which completely contradicts her conditioning. The rhetorical question well,
why not? is used to accentuate the fact that she is confused and constantly questions how she
should be living. Linda is important to the novel since she is a display of how once you have lived in
the dystopian world and accepted it, you cannot change, even if you leave.

John the Savage

John the Savage is the central character of the novel. He is unique, being a natural born human of
two high caste people from the Brave New World. Since he has grown up in the Savage Restoration,
he is disconnected and does not belong to any world, hence creating worlds for himself from the
stories he hears such as Shakespeare and creation myths. These realms all make it hard for John to
distinguish between reality and beliefs. In Johns attempts to rebel against the Brave New World, he
cries "Listen, I beg of youlend me your earsdon't take that horrible stuff. It's poison, it's
poison." The repetition of the statement its poison emphasises Johns hatred. Johns painful
experiences in the Savage Restoration means that he has also been somewhat conditioned and this
is one of the main contributors to his actions. John the Savage is extremely important since he
provides readers with an extremely conflicted character who rebels against the dystopian society.
Though he is somewhat unsuccessful, he symbolises the link between the different societies
represented in the novel and through this, the reader gains insight as to why these societies cannot
co-exist.

Establishing a believe worldspace is essential in a dystopia. The rules and social norms which guide
the lives of the inhabitants of the created world must be clearly outlined and realistically and
consistently conveyed. Within Brave New World there are three distinct worldspaces created. Think
about how each of these are conveyed by Huxley and what role they play in creating his sense of
dystopia.

Explain what each worldspace is symbolic of in the Huxleys dystopia, and find TWO
quotes that show how Huxley describes each worldspace in a way that creates this
symbolic meaning. You may not use quotes from this study guide.
Ensure you identify literary techniques in each of the quotes you select and explain
how the techniques are used to create meaning.
I expect you to write a PEEL structured paragraph for each worldspace POINT
(what this worldspace is symbolic of in Huxleys dystopia), Example (quote),
Explanation (technique), Link (how the technique conveys this worldspace
effectively and the role it plays). There will be TWO PEELs for each paragraph since
you are identifying two quotes.
o London
o The Savage Reservation
o The old lighthouse in the country (where John the Savage retreats to)
Timothy Hui

London
The majority of novel is set in London, with most characters viewing it as a utopian society. As the
reader, we make our own judgement on the worldspace and through descriptions and the actions of
various characters, London is revealed to be quite dystopian. The setting is designed to be plausible
and parody our modern society, as Huxley was being critical of the governments intruding on
peoples private lives enforcing values as well as the socialist values becoming increasingly
predominant. The quote A SQUAT grey building of only thirty-four stories. Over the main entrance
the words, CENTRAL LONDON HATCHERY AND CONDITIONING CENTRE, and, in a shield, the World
State's motto, COMMUNITY, IDENTITY, STABILITY emphasises the controlling and structured nature
of the dystopian society. The use of a tricolon adds a more structured approach the motto which
creates an atmosphere of power and command. This is very suitable to the totalitarian aspect of the
dystopia. Another factor of the dystopia is the lack of individuality. This is clearly expressed with the
quote Fanny worked in the Bottling Room, and her surname was also Crowne. But as the two
thousand million inhabitants of the plant had only ten thousand names between them, the
coincidence was not particularly surprising. The contrast between this and the motto creates
contradictions within the society which prove that it isnt perfect. This shows readers that though
London may seem like a utopia to many of the characters, it is actually a dystopian setting disguised
only by ignorance.

The Savage Restoration

The Savage Restoration is a worldspace separate from London, where savages or uncivilised
humans live. Those who do not comply to the social norms expected in London live in the Savage
Restoration. Though the people in the Savage Restoration are portrayed as unhuman, the values
more closely resemble our modern-day society. Lindas expression of how she feels about the
Savage Restoration helps readers understand why someone cannot live in both worldspaces: "take
the way they have one another here. Mad, I tell you, absolutely mad. Everybody belongs to every
one elsedon't they? don't they? The rhetorical questions emphasise Lindas confusion and her
insistent tone show desperation to escape. In comparison, Johns confusion towards London is
depicted in But why is it prohibited?" asked the Savage. In the excitement of meeting a man who
had read Shakespeare he had momentarily forgotten everything else. This illustrates how John
cannot comprehend why the Brave New World would restrict a text he loves so much, with the use
of a question to highlight his bewilderment. Hence, the Savage Restoration is a place which is
completely opposite of London and Huxley uses it to demonstrate the many things which the Brave
New World lacks which is why true happiness can never be achieved.

The Old Lighthouse in the Country

The lighthouse is Johns hermitage and is on the rural countryside, away from civilisation in
London. Just like how the lighthouse doesnt fit in with its strange architecture, John doesnt fit in as
well. The quote the building was of ferro-concrete and in excellent condition-almost too
comfortable the Savage had thought when he first explored the place, almost too civilizedly
luxurious. This repetition of the phrase almost too establishes this difference between the
lighthouse and its surroundings. Symbolically, the lighthouse shows direction and this may be why
Huxley uses the lighthouse as a place where John goes for refuge. The description of Johns suicide
slowly, very slowly, like two unhurried compass needles, the feet turned towards the right; north,
north-east, east, south-east, south, south-south-west; then paused, and, after a few seconds, turned
as unhurriedly back towards the left. South-south-west, south, south-east, east. ... is symbolic of a
lack of direction, implying a loss of hope. Hence, the worldspace of the lighthouse is represents how
Timothy Hui

John doesnt fit in with the Brave New World and acts as a refuge for when John lacks direction in his
life. When this sense of direction disappears, all the hope which John had disappears with it.

2. Intertextuality allusions referring to another well-known text either through direct quotes
or thematic links are often used by writers to engage the reader and add depth of
meaning. The reader is engaged because the allusion makes them think of the well-known
text and connect the meaning/ideas in that text with the storyline of the new text. This then
acts as a kind of short-cut to convey meaning without having to explain ideas explicitly.
Huxley makes extensive use of intertextual allusions to Shakespearean plays
Find quotes from FOUR different Shakespeare plays in Brave New World.
Research the plays they come from and explain WHY you think they were used and
what meaning you think Huxley was hoping to convey. Use the Glossary at the back
of the book in order to help you with this question.

The Tempest
"The murkiest den, the most opportune place, the strongest suggestion / our worser genius can,
shall never melt mine honour into lust. Never, never!" (13.71)

These lines are from Ferdinand, confirming to Prospero that Miranda (Prosperos daughter) will
remain a virgin until the wedding night. This is the basis of Johns attitude towards sex and he
commits to this with his approach to Lenina, refusing to have sex with her.

Romeo and Juliet

"Did he dare? Dare to profane with his unworthiest hand that No, he didn't." (9.1.132)

This lines comes up in Romeo and Juliet when Romeo wonders if he is should kiss Juliets hand.
Similarly, John questions whether he should kiss Leninas hand because he is afraid that it may
disrespect their virginal holiness. This is quite ironic since Lenina has had sexual relationships with
many people before and so is definitely not a virgin.

Macbeth
"And all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death." (18.69)

This is in Macbeths Act 5 speech, stating that every day that passes leads closer and closer to death.
John wonders about this when thinking about Lindas death. Lindas death has a big impact on Johns
choice to die.

Hamlet
A good kissing carrion." (18.69)

This line is brought up when John remembers his mothers death. This reference is most likely used
to create the image of a grotesque, decaying body. The comparison of her mother to a carrion
(decaying animal corpse) is also important since she was denying human values by overdosing on
soma every day before her death.
Timothy Hui

Explain how and why the psychological needs and the capacity for self-
actualisation are denied in Brave New World and the impact of this on its
inhabitants.
Psychological needs include intimate and emotional relationships with others as well as feelings of
self-esteem and prestige. This is clearly denied in Brave New World as promiscuity is encouraged
and emotional attachments in sexual relationships is illegal. Sex is dehumanised and only used as a
tool for distraction and pacification. Feelings of accomplishment also do not exist since everyone is
split up into certain castes and only perform jobs they were created to perform. Since nobody does
anything they are not expected to do, there is no accomplishment at all. Self-actualisation refers to
achieving ones full potential. This is not possible since there is a strict set of rules which govern how
each caste should act. As well as this, the process of creating humans uses methods such as
conditioning which modifies them to suit their caste. In many cases, brain development is restricted.
This is a very dystopian control method and though it has some positive impacts such as stability,
true happiness will never be achieved.