Brave New World Study Guide: Questions and Answers
Chapter 1:
1. Why was the fertilizing room an important place?
It was considered important because it was where human eggs were fertilized.
2. How did the Bokanovsky process cause social stability?
The Bokanovsky process created identical humans, which eliminated conflict and promoted social stability.
3. What happened to the female embryos?
Most female embryos were made infertile by being dosed with male sex hormones, rendering them sterile.
4. According to the Director, what was the secret of happiness?
The Director believed that conditioning people to love their predetermined roles in society was the key to happiness.
Chapter 2:
1. What happened when the babies were offered books and flowers the last time?
The babies reacted with horror and moved away from the books and flowers.
2. Why were Delta babies conditioned to hate books and flowers?
Delta babies were conditioned to hate books and flowers by associating them with a mild electric shock, discouraging any interest in nature or knowledge.
3. Why was Reuben’s experience important?
Reuben’s accidental exposure to a radio broadcast while he slept led to the discovery of sleep-teaching, a method used to indoctrinate citizens with propaganda.
Chapter 3:
1. Why didn’t the State allow family life to exist?
The State prohibited family life to prevent emotional attachments and maintain control over individuals.
2. Why was sleep teaching prohibited in the past?
While the text doesn’t explicitly state why sleep-teaching was prohibited in the past, it’s implied that previous societies recognized the potential for manipulation and control it offered.
3. What was soma and why did people take it?
Soma was a government-issued drug designed to provide instant, consequence-free escapism from reality, effectively suppressing any negative emotions or dissatisfaction.
Chapter 4:
1. Why did Fanny disapprove of Lenina’s relationship with Henry?
Fanny disapproved because having a monogamous relationship for an extended period went against the societal norm of casual, short-term encounters.
2. Why did Lenina think the Savage Reservation would be an exciting place to visit?
Lenina was intrigued by the Reservation because it represented a forbidden world untouched by the World State’s technology and social engineering.
3. Why was Fanny horrified to discover that Lenina was interested in Bernard?
Fanny found Bernard strange and solitary, making him an undesirable partner in the eyes of their society.
Chapter 5:
1. Why did Bernard hate Henry Foster and Benito Hoover?
Bernard despised their objectification of Lenina, viewing their casual conversation about her as disrespectful and crude.
2. Why did Lenina speak loudly in the lift?
Lenina spoke loudly to ensure everyone could hear her, seeking validation and attention from those around her.
3. What made Helmholtz an outsider like Bernard?
Helmholtz’s exceptional intelligence and creative spirit set him apart from the intellectually standardized society, leading to a sense of isolation.
Chapter 6:
1. What were the bodies of people used for after they died and what were the advantages of this?
After death, bodies were cremated, and the phosphorus from their remains was used as fertilizer, contributing to resource sustainability.
2. Why did the Director sign the permit for Bernard?
The Director had no choice but to sign the permit because it came directly from the World Controller’s office, demonstrating the hierarchy of power.
3. What happened to the girl in New Mexico?
The text doesn’t explicitly mention what happened to the girl in New Mexico, leaving it open to interpretation.
Chapter 7:
1. What bad news did Bernard hear from Helmholtz?
Helmholtz informed Bernard that the Director planned to transfer him to Iceland as punishment for his nonconformist behavior.
2. What disgusted Lenina when they got to Malpais?
Lenina was disgusted by the guide’s smell, highlighting the stark contrast between the sterile World State and the natural world.
3. Why weren’t there any old or sick people in the New World?
Aging and disease were eradicated through advanced technology and genetic engineering, ensuring a perpetually youthful and healthy population.
Chapter 8:
1. Why was Bernard surprised when he first met John?
Bernard was taken aback by John’s appearance: despite wearing traditional Indian clothing, he had white skin and blond hair, marking him as different.
2. What did Bernard realize about John and Linda and what made him realize this?
Bernard deduced that the Director must be John’s father after learning his name was Thomas, connecting it to Linda’s past.
3. Why did people on the reservation think Linda was bad?
Linda’s promiscuity and inability to conform to the Reservation’s social norms led to her ostracization.
Chapter 9:
1. Why did Linda feel ashamed to be John’s mother?
Linda internalized the World State’s devaluing of motherhood, viewing it as something animalistic and beneath her conditioned upbringing.
2. What did Linda tell John about the ‘Other Place’?
Linda romanticized the World State, describing it as a place free from loneliness and pain, where happiness was guaranteed.
3. Why did Mustapha Mond agree to let John and Linda come to London?
While the text doesn’t explicitly state Mond’s reasoning, it’s implied that he saw John and Linda as a unique opportunity to study the effects of their contrasting upbringings.
Chapter 10:
1. What reason did the Director give the workers for transferring Bernard?
The Director publicly accused Bernard of unorthodoxy and subversive behavior, using his intelligence and influence as justification for his removal.
2. What events caused the Director to feel humiliated?
The Director faced immense humiliation when Linda revealed their past relationship and John publicly addressed him as”father” exposing his hypocrisy and shattering his authority.
3. How did Bernard’s life change after the Controller made him John’s guardian?
Bernard experienced a surge in social standing and popularity as John’s guardian, but it was superficial and fleeting, with many still criticizing him behind his back.
Chapter 11:
1. How did John feel about civilized life in London?
John felt repulsed by the World State’s artificiality, consumerism, and lack of individuality, finding it morally bankrupt and spiritually empty.
2. How did the children learn to accept dying as a routine thing?
Children were conditioned to view death as a normal part of life through regular visits to hospitals for the dying, where they received treats and entertainment, desensitizing them to mortality.
3. Why was Lenina feeling confused and frustrated about John’s feelings for her?
John’s conflicting signals, alternating between attraction and rejection, confused Lenina, who was used to straightforward, casual encounters.
Chapter 12:
1. Why didn’t John want to meet the people at Bernard’s party?
John found the prospect of meeting more people from the World State repulsive, further solidifying his disdain for their shallowness and conformity.
2. Why did Helmholtz’s students report him to the Director of the college?
Helmholtz’s students, unable to comprehend his poetry about loneliness and longing, reported him to the Director for expressing unorthodox and potentially subversive ideas.
3. Why did John protest when Lenina tried to kiss him?
John, influenced by his upbringing on the Reservation, valued chastity and idealized love, seeking a deeper connection with Lenina beyond physical intimacy.
Chapter 13:
1. Why did John’s reaction about Linda surprise the nurse?
While the text doesn’t explicitly state the nurse’s reaction, it’s implied that John’s genuine grief and emotional outburst over Linda’s deteriorating condition contrasted sharply with the World State’s detached approach to death.
2. What was John’s reaction when Linda thought he was Popé?
John was angered and hurt by Linda’s delirious cries for Popé, highlighting the painful reality of their fractured relationship and her longing for the past.
3. Why did John try to stop the people from taking soma?
John viewed soma as a tool of oppression, keeping people enslaved to their artificial happiness, and attempted to liberate them by destroying their supply.
Chapter 14:
1. According to the Controller, how had the world and people changed since the time of Shakespeare?
The Controller argued that the world had achieved stability, happiness, and safety by sacrificing art, individuality, and freedom, contrasting it with the turmoil and passion of Shakespeare’s era.
2. How did Bernard react to the Controller’s decision to send them to an island?
Bernard initially reacted with shock and fear but eventually broke down in tears, demonstrating his cowardice and inability to face the consequences of his nonconformity.
3. What surprising statement did the Controller make to Helmholtz and John towards the end of the meeting?
The Controller acknowledged that those exiled to islands were often the most intelligent and interesting individuals, hinting at his own internal conflict and potential admiration for their independent spirits.
4. Why wasn’t John sent to an island with Bernard and Helmholtz?
The Controller kept John in the World State to continue observing his reaction to civilization, viewing him as a fascinating case study in the clash between nature and nurture.
Chapter 15:
1. Why did John go and live in the lighthouse?
John sought refuge in the lighthouse to punish himself for his harsh treatment of Linda in her final moments, seeking isolation and atonement.
2. How did John’s life change after the film”The Savag” was shown?
The film turned John into a spectacle, attracting hordes of curious onlookers who mocked him, invaded his privacy, and exploited his image for entertainment.
3. What did John do when he saw Lenina?
Overwhelmed by grief, anger, and disillusionment, John lashed out at Lenina, calling her a”whor” and whipping her, symbolizing his rejection of the World State and its values.
4. What happened to John in the end?
Unable to reconcile his ideals with the realities of the World State and consumed by guilt and despair, John tragically took his own life, marking the ultimate failure of bridging the gap between two incompatible worlds.