How are Bernard and Helmholtz Alike Summaries

(4) 1. How are Bernard and Helmholtz alike? Both had something occur to them when going through the Bokanovsky process, which caused Bernard to be shorter than the rest of his cohorts, and Helmholtz was much brighter than his cohorts. They both “shared the knowledge that they were individuals.” They also both share a common dissatisfaction with life and enjoy their time being alone. (4) 2. What is a Solidarity Service? What in our society does it satirize? - The Solidarity Service is the version of religious services in BNW. The individuals sit in a circle of 12 people with equal amounts of both genders, and the people sit in an order that alternates between each gender (boy girl boy). During the service, individuals listen to a hymn and sing/ chant songs such as, “Orgy-progy, Ford and fun, kiss the girls and make them one. Boys at one with girls at peace; Orgy-porgy gives release.” While they sing these songs, they pass the drug soma, in both ice cream and tablet form, around in the circle, and the service ends with an orgy. The purpose of this service is to make individuals feel a sense of unity or oneness. - The Solidarity Service satirizes religious services in our society, such as church services. It pokes fun at individuals who go to services and praise how they feel the presence of a higher being, much like what the individuals were saying when claiming that they hear him (the entity of Ford) coming. We see a connection in Christian services where wine is served; in BNW, soma is administered in the service. Much like prayers in a church, BNW society has its form of worship. (3) 3. Why is Bernard unable to feel the oneness with his solidarity group? - Bernard has never felt as though he belongs anywhere in this society, and it is apparent to see during and after the Solidarity Services. One leading cause for Bernard’s lack of feeling oneness is he has a hard time believing in the ‘faith’ of the BNW version of religion. During the service, he pretends that he feels what everyone else is feeling and goes as far as copying what the collective is doing. On top of the lack of faith, we see Bernard’s focus on Morgana’s eyebrow rather than the service. He is constantly pointing her eyebrow out, as well as wishing he had come earlier so that he could have picked a better spot. (3) 4. How does Bernard want to spend his dates with Lenina and why does Lenina find this odd? - Bernard is not like other individuals in this society. Bernard does not want just to have sex with someone and move on to the next like an infant; he wants a relationship where they wait to have sex like adults. Bernard has taken Lenina on a date previously, and during this date, he wanted to take a walk so that they could be alone to talk. - Lenina finds Bernard and how he wants to spend his dates with her very odd, as it goes against the social norms of society and what had been conditioned in their minds. For example, relationships are frowned upon, and waiting for sex goes against what is taught. (3) 5. Why does the Director threaten to send Bernard to Iceland? - The Director threatened to send Bernard to Iceland because of the many reports he had been getting about Bernards behaviours outside of work. There is suspicion that Bernard is going against the conditioned thought surrounding emotional behaviour. The Director states that if he hears of “any lapse from a proper standard of infantile decorum” again, he will be sent to Iceland. (5) 7. Look at all the “insect words” from pages 66 – 68, and list four of the words. What idea does Huxley wish to communicate in the passage where he describes London as an anthill and uses so many words describing insects. - Hornet, wasp, mosquito, bumble-bee - In the beginning, Huxley uses insect words to describe the different speeds of the helicopter propeller. When he talks about ant hills, he uses imagery to explain the individuals who are like worker ants, and the anthill is the system in which these ants or individuals participate. Every individual is like an ant in which they know their role and position in society. (3) 6. In point form, describe a day in the life of a Brave New World citizen. (Look at Lenina and Henry’s date - pp. 76 to 81). - - Citizens wake up and work till an announcement is made to let them know they are off. They go to their dates; in this case, they went to Obstacle golf Eight o’clock “light (is) failing,” and loudspeakers let citizens know that the course is closing Lower-caste members would take “monorail trains- back from their separate course to the metropolis.” While members of upper-caste would take helicopters A “dividing wall separates lower and upper-caste living quarters.” Lower-caste would live in group homes or ‘barracks, while upper-caste would live in small houses Citizens would then have dinner in dining halls, and soma would be served After dinner, citizens would then go to evening musical shows such as “Calvin Stopes and His Sixteen Sexophonists” and “London’s Finest Scent and Colour Organ. All the Latest Synthetic Music.” At these evening shows, they would dance while on a holiday from reality soma gives them. Individuals would take another dose of soma half an hour before closing time. Loudspeakers would then announce that it was time for bed Citizens would go home of their date, and from there have sex (5) 8. What ideas about equality are presented in Lenina and Henry’s conversation on pages 77 (halfway down) to 78. How does Huxley deal with/solve the problem of equality in the world state? - - We learn about the cremation process and how 98% of phosphorus, which is about “more than a kilo and a half per adult corpse,” is recovered during the process and then used. Lenina brings up how it is odd that the Alphas and Betas produce the same amount of phosphorus as a Gamma or Delta or even an Epsilon. Henry replies with the statement that “all men are physico-chemically equal.” Hence, no matter what class you are born into, at the end of the day, we are all equal in the physico-chemical composition of our bodies, and all serve a purpose even after we are dead. We read later that while we are all born “physico-chemically equal,” every individual serves a purpose in society, even the Epsilons. Huxley deals with/ solves the problem of equality by using conditioning. Every individual is conditioned to be grateful for the class they are in and work for everyone else. We remove individualism and bring in the idea that everyone is working for the common greater good. Statements like “Everyone works for everyone else.” and “we couldn’t do without anyone” prove how the individuals in this society are a collective. Even though there are classes, this society would not work without Epsilons, Gammas, or Deltas.