Chapter 1

2. The novel we are about to read starts with full on scientific talk. This makes Mr Edgecombe uncomfortable (he did pass Year 11 Science – but was mostly sent out of the room when experiments happened – teacher said something about safety, heck, who knows). To come to grips with the first part of the novel, we need to work out what is happening with the science of the novel. Aldus Huxley is creating a dystopian society, where birth has been changed dramatically (amongst other things). For a start, let’s look at language in chapter 1. There are heaps of difficult words, and interesting concepts...

3. Chapter 1 • Soliloquy • Callow • Embryo • Incubator • Burgeon • Viviparous • Optimum • Pituitary • Predestination • Recede • Enumerate • Freemartin • Decant • Vivacious Copy down the words, down the left hand side of the page. Find and copy down meanings. Expressive writing: you have 13 minutes to write a story. It can be about ANYTHING, but must use all of the words listed.

4. Chapter 1 • In this chapter people are ‘streamed’ before they are born. • This streaming is a straight ‘A, B, C, D, E’ system. • It uses the Greek alphabet. In order... • Alpha • Beta • Gamma • Delta • Epsilon

5. Chapter 1 • How has the birth process been altered? List five ways. • What is the Bokanovsky process? • What reasons are given for altering the birth process?

6. Henry Ford From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American industrialist, founder of the Ford Motor Company and developer of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry. As owner of the Ford Motor Company, he became one of the richest and best-known people in the world. He is credited with “Fordism”, that is, mass production of inexpensive goods coupled with high wages for workers. Ford had a global vision, with consumerism as the key to peace. His intense commitment to systematically lowering costs resulted in many technical and business innovations, including a franchise system that put a dealership in every city in North America, and in major cities on six continents. Ford left most of his vast wealth to the Ford Foundation but arranged for his family to control the company permanently.

7. Key concepts for Brave New World… • Consumerism - • Dystopia - • Totalitarianism - • Q: how has the novel presented each of these concepts so far? Take 4-6 lines to write on each of these.

8. Chapter 2 • This chapter, along with Chapter 1 and 3, is largely put in the novel to introduce us to Huxley’s dystopian ‘new’ world. Here, we get many of the features of this world. As you read, answer... • Baby training... • Summarise what happens in the baby training process. • What are the scientists trying to achieve here? • Why are they trying to achieve this? • There’s lots of talk of Ford. In every case, what has ‘Ford’ replaced? What do you think is the significance of this? • What is hypnopaedia? • Why is hypnopaedia better for MORAL education than it is for INTELLECTUAL education? – • Complete the quote )(pg 20 or 21) ‘...which ought never, in any _________, to be _________.’ • Society is colour-coded, with Alphas wearing one colour, and Betas another, Gammas yet another etc. Next to each class, write down the colour they wear.

9. Chapter 3 – let’s talk about sex baby • Some vocabulary to come to grips with... • monogamous • promiscuous • viviparous • liberalism • hypnopædia • pneumatic • A few conversations are juxtaposed in this chapter. Huxley jumps often between the conversations • Summarise what is being discussed in each. • What common thread do they have? • In your opinion, why is he writing in this way? • For each of the following quotes, explain how they link ideas presented in the chapter. Write a paragraph for each. • “Stability," said the Controller, "stability. No civilization without social stability. No social stability without individual stability." • "Fortunate boys!" said the Controller. "No pains have been spared to make your lives emotionally easy–to preserve you, so far as that is possible, from having emotions at all."

10. Key ideas in the novel... • Huxley is against the idea that economic stability should be obtained at all costs. • Huxley rejects a world that is stable, economically prosperous and lacking in strong emotions in favour of the opposite – instability but with strong emotions.

11. JE insert something on narrative point of view in here • Think about the use of the protagonist to position the reader – manipulate our sympathies – in the novel.

12. Chapter 4 • PART 1... • In chapter 4 we are given a contrast between Lenina and Bernard. The key difference between them is that Lenina is totally ‘conditioned’ and accepting of the brainwashing that her community has put on them. However, Bernard does not accept the ideals of the new world. • As you read, find and write down 3 examples for each character that indicates they are either accepting, or rejecting of the ideals of the World State. • Part 2 • In this part, we are introduced to Helmholtz Watson. In what ways is Helmholtz similar to Bernard? How is he different? READ DO THIS COPY

13. Chapters 5-6 • Draw up a T chart with Bernard on one side and Lenina on the other. • As you read through these two chapters, make note of the ways that Lenina is seen to be a total product of her society. • Make note of all the ways that Bernard is rebelling against that same society. QUOTE READ DO THIS COPY

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15. What is the purpose of all the rhymes in the novel? Not only what is he saying, but why has he turned his sayings into these sickly rhymes? • ‘When the individual feels, the community reels.’ • ‘A gram’s better than a damn.’ • ‘A gram in time saves nine.’ • ‘Everyone belongs to everyone else.’ • ‘More stitches less riches.’ • ‘Ending is better than mending.’ • ‘One cubic centimetre cures ten gloomy sentiments.’ • ‘Never put off til tomorrow the fun you can have today.’ • ‘No leisure from pleasure.’ READ DO THIS COPY

16. Fast finishers... • In the expressive writing part of your books, create the rules for any of... • Electromagnetic Golf • Obstacle Golf • Escalator Squash • Centrifugal Bumblepuppy • South-American Riemann Surface Tennis. • OR if you wish to invent your own – IT MUST rely heavily on lots of expensive equipment. READ DO THIS COPY

17. After Chapter 6 • Why has Huxley chosen to juxtapose these characters in this scene? READ DO THIS COPY

18. Chapter 6 • As Mr Edgecombe reads 6.1 to you, keep the T chart going. • What is the most significant quote in chapter 6? Explain why this is the most significant quote. READ DO THIS COPY

19. Chapter 7 • In this scene, Lenina and Bernard are visiting the savage Reservation. • They see some form of savage ritual – which is kind of a spiritual ceremony. As this scene plays out, they are introduced to Linda and John. • Linda has been part of the ‘new’ world ( a Beta) but has been isolated and forced to live in the savage reservation, due to accidentally becoming pregnant (very shameful) • John has grown up with knowledge of the new world, passed on to him by Lind BUT with knowledge of other things, like Shakespeare. He hasn’t bee brainwashed by the new world. READ DO THIS COPY

20. Chapter 7,8,9 • Summarise your part of chapter using • 2 compound sentences • 2 complex sentences • 1 compound-complex sentence • 2 simple sentences. • After that • What clash is presented between the Reservation and the New World? • Why is this clash present? • In your opinion, why does Huxley highlight this clash? (write one paragraph) READ DO THIS COPY

21. What is the point of good literature? Why study Shakespeare? • Summarise chapters 9-10 • John quotes Shakespeare • Summarise what is happening when he quotes Shakespeare. • Summarise what is happening IN THE PASSAGES he quotes • How does our knowledge of Shakespeare help us to interpret this scene? • What are the suggested benefits to us of knowing such texts?

22. Summary of Chapters 9-10 • Bernard calls up the World Controller and gets permission to take John and Linda back to the new world. • John, thinking that Lenina and Bernard have gone back to the new world without him, breaks into their cabin. • John sees the sleeping Lenina, and stands over her, watching her ‘soma’ sleeping. • The Director wants to banish Bernard, because he has become too intelligent/ individual/ unstable/ liberal – to fit in the new society. • In response, Bernard brings in Linda and John. • The Director is embarrassed, because John is HIS son (natural birth is dirty to them). • Therefore, The Director quits his job, and Bernard stays on.

23. Summary of pg 125 • He is quoting Shakespeare • He is looking at Lenina sleeping. • He thinks about her naked. He thinks too about having sex with her. He thinks about unzipping the zippyjamas to look at her nudie. • John is almost falling in love with Lenina. • Passage 1 comes from Troilus and Cressida (Act I, Scene i) • The play starts with Troilus telling another bloke that he has met Cressida, and has fallen in love with her. • Passage 2 – comes from Romeo and Juliet

24. How does John’s knowledge of Shakespeare affect this scene? • He is able to use Shakespeare’s words to make sense of his own feelings. • There are parallels between Romeo/Juliet, Troilus/Cressida and John/ Lenina – both coming from different sides. • In all 3, there are things that stop the love. Tension that exists in the love • For John, later when Lenina is dead keen to have sex with him, his MORALS prevent him from doing so. • His morals have been shaped by Shakespeare, and reading Shakespeare. This is his own conditioning. He views love as AMAZING, and thinks the beloved as being pure and noble. • His Shakespearean conditioning (love as pure) means that he won’t unzip the zippyjamas, for it is wrong – a defiling of the pure. • Partly, his Christian/ religious upbringing plays into this. • We later find out that in his village, men need to prove WORTHINESS. • For John, love is sacred and something to be earned. For Lenina, everyone belongs to everyone else. Just do it.

25. Troilus and Cressida – Act I, scene i CONTEXT: In the seventh year of the Trojan War, a Trojan prince named Troilus falls in love with Cressida, the daughter of a Trojan priest who has defected to the Greek side. At the start of the play, Troilus is speaking to another man about how amazing Cressida is... (original Shakespeare) Troilus speaking about Cressida... Her eyes, her hair, her cheek, her gait, her voice, Handlestin thy discourse, O, that her hand, In whose comparison all whites are ink, Writing their own reproach, to whose soft seizure The cygnet's down is harsh... (Paraphrased) Troilus speaking about Cressida... Her eyes, hair, voice, the way she walks, are amazing. Her skin is so white, that it makes all other whites seem like black ink, writing about how dumb they are. Compared to Cressida, the soft down feathers of a cygnet bird seems harsh and scratchy.

26. The context of these lines is this: Romeo becomes madly in love with Juliet, the very second he sees her. In this scene, they have just got married. However, Romeo has killed a man in a fight, and has gone into hiding. Therefore, he cannot see Juliet. Romeo and Juliet – Act III, scene iii (original Shakespeare) On the white wonder of dear Juliet's hand And steal immortal blessing from her lips, Who even in pure and vestal modesty, Still blush, as thinking their own kisses sin; They can take hold of Juliet’s wonderful white hand and they can kiss her sweet lips. Even while she remains a pure virgin, she blushes when her lips touch each other because she thinks it’s a sin

27. Chapter 12 • Starts with a party at Bernard’s place that John refuses to turn up to. • It was the sort of idea that might easily recondition the more unsettled minds among the higher castes – make them lose their faith in happiness as the sovereign Good and take to believing, instead, that the goal was somewhere beyond, somewhere outside the present human sphere; that the purpose of life was not the maintenance of well-being, but some intensification and refining of consciousness, some enlargement of knowledge. 154-5 • ‘...I’d rather be unhappy than have the sort of false, lying happiness you were having here.’

28. Chapters XI and XII

29. Chapter XI • Bernard has changed into a promiscuous man. • Bernard’s mother Linda has taken a permanent soma holiday. • Lenina takes John to the feelies (146-9)She tries to have sex with him, and fails to do so. • How has John’s conditioning affected him? • How has • Conditioning

30. Chapter XI – a trip to the feelies. • Re-read the account of John and Lenina at the ‘Feelies’. (146-9) • What are the Feelies? • Why does John decline Lenina’s sexual advances after the show? • Why can Lenina NOT understand his rejection? • Why do you think Huxley has included this scene? (use at least 5 bullet points to answer this question)

31. Chapter 12 – Part 1: A party at Bernard’s place • At the party, John won’t come out to meet the guests. What reasons can you think of that he wouldn’t do this? • What is the reaction of the guests to John’s no-show? • Is Bernard the same character that we first met? If he is different, how? Give a quote for this. • Why is John reading Romeo and Juliet? Again, what parallels exist between his own situation and that of Romeo? – hold on to answer this. Mr Edgecombe will talk you through the story of Romeo and Juliet

32. Chapter 12 – A summary of Romeo and Juliet • Romeo and Juliet is a love story and a tragedy – the love story doesn’t work out well. The story is set in Verona, where two large families hate each other. Romeo is a Montague, and Juliet a Capulet. • The opening words of the play talk about ‘star-crossed lovers’. The star bit means fate, and crossed means things won’t work out well. • Secretly, Romeo gate-crashes a Capulet party for a laugh, with his mates. At the party he meets a young woman (Juliet) who he falls madly in love with. • Before he leaves the party, he is told that she is a Capulet. He is gutted to hear the news. However, after the party is over, in the dead of night, he returns to her house, sneaks into the yard and talks to her under the window. • They become in love and they agree to secretly marry. They do so. However, Juliet’s father and mother want her to marry some other bloke. Juliet argues with her parents then goes to a priest for advice. The priest gives her a potion to drink that will make people believe she is dead for 42 hours. She sends word to Romeo telling him the plans. • Romeo doesn’t get the message. He goes to see Juliet, thinks she is dead. He drinks real poison. AFTER he’s drunk the poison, she wakes up, only to discover it is too late – Romeo has killed himself. • Distraught, she stabs herself with a dagger and dies. End of story.

33. Chapter 12 – A summary of Romeo and Juliet • We know that JOHN is helped by his understanding of Shakespeare. How does the understanding of Romeo and Juliet help US make sense of John and Lenina’s romance?

34. Chapter 12 – A summary of Romeo and Juliet • It was the sort of idea that might easily decondition the more unsettled minds among the higher castes – make them lose their faith in happiness as the Sovereign Good and take to believing, instead, that the purpose of life was some intensification and refining of consciousness, some enlargement of knowledge.” • What is the topic of the poem that Helmholtz has written? • How does it get him in trouble? • Helmholtz tells John ‘I feel… as though I were just beginning to be a ble to use that power I feel I’ve got inside me – that extra, latent power.’ What ‘power’ is he referring to?

35. Chapter 13… • Summarise the almost-sex-scene between John and Lenina. What happens? Use six bullet points. • In this chapter, conflict arises due to different paradigms. John values commitment and sacrifice. Because of this, he views quick sex as repulsive. Lenina values instant gratification, and sees sacrifice as repulsive. • Find a quote for each of them that summarises what they value. • Chapter 14… • In your opinion, why is the new world conditioning children to not fear death?

36. Chapter 14 • “as though death were something terrible, as though any one mattered as much as all that!” • Why does the New World condition children to not fear death? • The price of happiness – Huxley is at pains to point out that if we keep happiness as our life’s goal, then we must sacrifice many things for this. • Education • Meaningful relationships.

37. Chapter 12 The role of Literature. • In the new world they can’t advance very much because that might create QUESTIONS in the higher castes. This would be destabilising. • Good literature can change our views about life. This is threatening to the new world. • Mustapha knows that these views are true. BUT he feels he has to bury the truth, to stability and happiness. • Good literature helps us to see true human behaviour and makes us at times unhappy, because we can identify with the traits that we read about. • Having a variety of opinions helps us to form our own thoughts – again, destabilising. • Literature expands our horizons – makes us bigger people, more conscious of the world about us.

38. Chapter XII – the role that literature plays in our lives • Mustapha Mond’s rejection of a biology paper. • John’s reading of Romeo and Juliet • Helmholtz’s job – he is in trouble for

39. Chapter XII • Bernard runs a party, with John as the main attraction. • John doesn’t want to come out. • Pg 154, Mustapha Mondis reading a Biology paper, and decides that it cannot be published. “once you began admitting explanations in terms of purpose – well you didn’t know what the result might be... Make them lose their faith in happiness as the Soverign Good and take to believing , instead, that the goal was...some intensification and refining of consciousness, some enlargement of knowledge.” • Helmholtz tries out a ‘new’ rhyme with a class. He is in trouble for it. • Helmholtz, Bernard and John meet together. Bernard and Helmholtz are

40. Chapter XIII • Lenina tries to have sex with John. He rejects her. • He gets angry with her, and she has to hide in the bathroom. • 166 – Lenina throwing herself at John. ‘At Malpais,... You had to bring her the skin of a mountain lion...’ • ‘I’d like to undergo some form of nobility.’ (167) – John wants to win Lenina’s love.

41. The economics of immaturity • Aldus Huxley thinks that if you want economic stability, you must keep people emotionally immature. Then, they will be happy, and will be consumers without thinking. Each of these things plays a part in our maturity, or lack of... COPY DO THIS

42. Sex • ‘I had six girls last week,’ (Bernard, boasting to Helmholtz) • ‘Not nearly so pneumatic as Lenina’ (sex ONLY physical) • ‘And that’s why we went to bed together yesterday, like infants, instead of being adults and waiting.’ [Bernard] ‘But it was fun’ [Lenina] • Drugs – ‘the infinitely friendly world of soma-holiday’ (Lenina & Henry on drugs) • Work • Education • ‘The young Etonians fair shouted with laughter’ while watching a religious ceremony on video. • Director talks about education ‘For of course, some sort of general idea they must have, though as little of one, if they are to be good and happy members of society as possible.’ (2) • ‘Don’t you remember the Nile is the... The Nile is the longest river. So, what’s the answer? I don’t know.’ People don’t THINK, they just RECITE. • Literature • Relationships/ Family • ‘Throw them away and buy new ones.’ – applies to BOTH physical possessions and relationships. Don’t commit. • On marriage, linda says ‘It does seem a lot of fuss to make about so little.’ • Religion • Rhetoric (argument – basically, debating skills) • ‘‘Why do you need to keep the embryo below par?’ Asked the student. ‘Ass!’ said the director.’ • Death • ‘Fine to think we can go on being socially useful, even after we’re dead, making plants grow. ‘ (people as fertilizer)

43. What to do... • Pick 2 of the things above • Discuss • How our knowledge of them leads us to become more mature • How this might cause us to being less ‘stable’ • Summarise the views about this aspect that is presented in the novel.

44. Chapter XIII - xv • This plots John’s conflict with the new world, to the point of crisis (ch 15). • The big question is what has led him to this conflict? Why is this conflict important?

45. Chapter XIII • Pg 167 John talking to Lenina. He wants ot prove himself worthy “I’ll do anything...I mean I’d sweep the floor if you wanted.’ • ‘But we’ve got vacuum cleaners...’ • John quoting Shakespeare all through this chapter. • John declares his love for Lenina. Lenina disrobes to have sex. This enrages John who lashes out at her, and she hides in the bathroom.

46. Chapter XIV • John visits the hospital, for his mother is dying • Pg 178 John has an altercation with the nurse, who is ‘death-conditioning’ children. • Pg 180 Linda dies with the final words ‘Everyone belongs to every...’ • Pg 181 John mourning ‘...as though death were something terrible, as though anyone mattered as much as all that!

47. Chapter xv • John, on leaving the hospital, finds the Bokanovsky group’s supply of soma, and then throws it away. This starts a riot. He is arrested, along with Bernard and Helmholtz.

48. Chapter xvi • Mustapha Mond: ‘you can’t make tragedies without social instability. The world’s stable now.’ • You’ve got to choose between happiness and what people used to call high art. • It is idiotic. Writing when there’s nothing to say...’ Helmholtz (194) • ‘Knowledge was the highest good, truth the supreme value; all the rest was secondary and subordinate. True,ideas were beginning to change even then. Our Ford himself did a great deal to shift the emphasis from truth and beauty to comfort and happiness. Mass production demanded the shift. Universal happiness keeps the wheels steadily turning; truth and beauty can’t.’ Mond pg 200-1 • Pg 201 ‘Happiness has got to be paid for. You’re paying for it, Mr Watson – paying because you happen to be too much interested in beauty. I was too much interested in truth; I paid too.’

49. Chapter xvi • Why is it not possible to have a whole world of Alphas? • How are happiness and stability in conflict with beauty and truth? • What are the best 4 quotes in this chapter. Write them down. • What role does the World controller play in this chapter?

50. Chapter XVII – philosophical discussion between Mond & John • Pg 207 Mond ‘God isn’t compatible with machinery and scientific medicine and universal happiness. • 211 John ‘...I don’t want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want feedom, I want goodness. I want sin.’ • ‘In fact,’ said Mustapha Mond, ‘you’re claiming he right to be unhappy.’ • JE Note: this is pretty difficult. Suggestion: skip over most.