Brave new world – reading log 1, the exposition

 The first three sentences

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.

The enormous room on the ground floor faced towards the north.

I have not found these lines particularly catching, or at least not more than the average novel. However the words written in the capital letters are somewhat catching to me. This because I believe they say quite a lot about the novel, maybe not the plot, but the society.

I believe that, what the building described is a place for some animals, or people are hatched and conditioned to be and act in a certain way. The state motto may tell us about a society, which is based upon the beliefs that they are part of the community and that’s their identity, and stability comes through that. This makes me believe the novel will be about the society, and perhaps some people trying to defy the norms of the society.

The beginning

The novel starts with a director giving students, of the caste Alfas, a tour around the factory where people are made. From the earliest stages to the final product, which will be taught in its sleep about what is socially acceptable in the society. They are being taught about the five castes, Alfas, Betas, Gammas, Deltas and Epsilons. They will learn to which caste they belong and why they are happy to be that caste and do not want to be any other.

The tour ends with a World Controller, one of only ten of these, comes and teaches the group of Alfas about how the world came to be as it is. From the earlier days when feelings and desires controlled the world to the present (in the novel) where such distractions no longer exists. During the stories told by the World Controller, some characters are presented, Lenina Crowne, Henry Foster and Bernard Marx.

The Characters.

I believe the two main characters will be Lenina Crowne and Bernard Marx. That because though the first third the point of view alternates between looking at Lenina and looking at Bernard, and the group being taught about the making of people.

Lenina

Lenina is a woman from the Beta caste. Even tough the people are taught to have sexual relationships with more than one person. Lenina seems very unwilling to have that kind of relationship with any other than a man by the name of Henry Foster. After being lectured by fellow Beta, and friend, Fanny, she decides she will begin a relationship with Bernard and asks him to go to New Mexico with her.

Bernard

Bernard is a male Alpha-plus, however he is described as slightly smaller than the rest of the Alphas. Being an Alpha-plus, he is part of the highest caste. Since he is slightly smaller than the rest of the Alphas and has very little company by other people, it is rumoured that he was mistaken for a gamma during when he was made, and thus injected with alcohol and thereby did not become as develop as the others. I feel like he has a free mind unlike Lenina, and that makes me like him.

The Title

I have not seen any clear signs of why the novel is titled “Brave New World”. However I am fairly certain, that the part “new world” comes from the fact that the novel is about the future and humanity has gone through a transformation in their look on life. Brave, on the other hand, may come from the people being brave in the way they live or the transformation, however that seems not quite right to me. I believe there is a better chance Brave comes from them doing something brave latter part of the novel.