Reading log 2: Brave New World

The majority of the conflicts in the novel, both internal and external, are somehow connected to the character Bernard Marx. Struggling with feelings as low self-esteem, social anxiety and alienation, Bernard Marx has a plurality of internal conflicts. Firstly, his problem with self-esteem is based on that the lower casts do not show him any respect, as they, according to the society, should do. Furthermore, Bernard feels that he is an outsider, due to his difference in appearance and that he does not enjoy the same activities as all the other inhabitants. Moreover, he stays away from the drug soma, which results in that he experiences other emotions than happiness, emotions the rest of the population never encounter. The struggle with these feelings is also something that makes him different from the others and increases his feeling of alienation.

    Bernard’s life changes rapidly when he brings home a savage and its mother from a Savage Reservation in New Mexico. His position changes from disrespected to reverenced. This because of that everyone want to have a chance to meet the savage, resulting in that Bernard becomes the centre of attention and the ones who belittled him before, now tries to impress him in order to receive the possibility to see the savage with their own eyes. With his new respected position, Bernard begins to live pursuantly to the society’s structure. High consummation of soma, seeing different women every night and lastly being social extroverted are Bernard’s new traits; he has become an ideal person according to the civilization. However, everything is not executed according to Bernard’s plan. When the savage John controverts Bernard and refuses to attend another of Bernard’s gatherings, where John is supposed to be presented and studied as an exotic plant or an exceptional copy of something unusual, his world falls apart. The conclusive effect of the conflict is that Bernard turns into his old self and the world once again views him in a condescending manner. This external conflict has been alive for a while, but this is the first time John takes a stand and says no.

    Another external conflict is between Bernard and the Director at his work. The Director threatens to expel and send Bernard to Island because of his tendency to act against the norms of the world. This would probably have been performed if it were not for the fact that Bernard brought the savage with him to their civilization, which improved his self-confidence and increased his popularity among the others. With the savage Bernard could prove his usefulness and could stand up against the Director, resulting in the defeat and elimination of the Director.

    Additionally, a conflict where Bernard is not the main character in is the decision between letting the savage John’s mother poison herself to death with soma in the long run or taking away the drug among with her happiness to expand her lifespan. This conflict is a clash between the society, which believe it is her own choice and do not see it as a loss if she dies, and John who loves his mother and wants the best for her. Nevertheless, after numerous discussions John gives in and let them prescript immense quantities of soma to his mother in order for her to reach an imaginative paradise and to stay there until her body cannot function anymore and collapses.

    The biggest conflict is between Bernard and the society, his desire to be himself and to be different conflicts with the society’s wishes that everyone should always be happy and be as alike as possible. In one way or another, this dispute is interweaved in all conflicts regarding Bernard, but it can also be seen as a self-standing conflict, which the novel according to me is based on. In conclusion, to go against and break the rules is creating a conflict. Moreover, to have the nerves to create a conflict self-consciously is courage needed, something I believe Bernard has because I consider that he already has executed this, deciding not to dedicate himself to the commonly performed activities, and suffered the consequences, the threats of the Director, only that he himself yet have to discover it and in addition, what he could accomplish with his courage.

Isabel Vinterbladh, NA11A