Reading log 2- Brave New World

Bernard Marx is eight centimetres short of the standard Alpha height and is slender in proportion. Consequently, when he meets members of lower casts he is always painfully reminded of his physical inadequacy. The mockery (from people) makes him feel as an outsider, which makes him behave as one. He feels alien and alone. In addition, he suffers from the consciousness of being separate from the others. Did you ever feel, he asked, as though you had something inside you that was only waiting for you to git it a chance to come out (emotions). Bernard pretends he hears Ford coming (the greater being), although he does not hear anyone coming. ..more isolated by the reason of his unreplenished emptiness, his dead satiety. Furthermore, he is miserable that the others are fused into the greater being, while he is not. Perhaps it is my fault, he sometimes considers?

Not only does he want to look at the sea in peace, due to that he in that case feels more as me, and not so completely a part of something else (not want to be a part of the social body), but he also considers how it would be to be free and not enslaved by “my conditioning”. Moreover, he reflects how it would be to be happy in your own way, not in everybody else´s way. However he still is as the others, since he continues to do as he had done “before” for example to fondle her breast (p.80). At the same time, he both wants to know what passion is and to sense something strong.

Another internal conflict Bernard struggles with is his resentment that he should never have brought Helmholtz and John (the “savage”) together. In all these weeks he had never come so close an intimacy with the savage as Helmholtz immediately achieved ( p.159). For this reason he feels a sharp pang of jealousy. In order to delete this, he takes soma. Due to his envy he acts with vengeance, through for instance interrupting and disturbing his friends conversations. Consequently, creating an external conflict between them and him.

Lenina has an internal conflict as well, that is, feels “brainwashed” when she listens to Bernard´s unconventional explanations of for example not wanting to go directly to bed. Bernard and Lenina have view external conflicts, as a result of their differences.

Bernard for example wishes to only walk and talk alone, while Lenina does not.

You´re not feeling ill, are you?( p. 165) asked Henry Lenina, whereas she did not look so bright. She wants to talk to the savage about her affection towards him, since he is the only one she wants. However, she is afraid, on account of his very queer behaviour. This internal conflict is the cause to her mistakes, while for instance labouring. When she finally takes courage and admits her love, she discovers he shares her feelings. However, when Lenina begins to undress, then the Savages begins to shout Whore! (p.170). In conclusion, he shouts standing over her menacingly, ´get out of my sight or I´ll kill you´(p. 171).

Although the savage is in love with Lenina, he avoids her and at the same time doesn´t dare to touch her. He looked down at her for a moment, pale, pained, desiring, and ashamed of his desire. He was not worthy, not…Owing to these fact there is a struggle within him. However, he reckons that if he does something, then he might prove himself not absolutely unworthy to be together with Lenina. What is more, he does not want to remember Linda´s love affairs and struggles to forget them. Why wouldn´t she allow him to forget(p.179). After his mother´s death he is broken-hearted. But his mind was elsewhere-with death, with his grief, and his remorse; mechanically, without consciousness of what he was doing, he began to shoulder his way trough the crowd. John moves lastly to a lighthouse, since he wants to escape further contamination by the filth of civilized life; it was to be purified and made good; it was actively to make amends. He had sworn to remember Linda. But it was still the presence of Lenina that haunted. Lenina whom he had promised to forget (p. 222). These quotations obviously indicates that John fights against some memories from his past.