Lenina and Henry Foster finish their game and go to his apartment building. He understands Bernard's emotional conflicts rationally and without personal involvement. Helmholtz provides a philosophical understanding of society. Huxley thus suggests that society requires a balance between emotion and reason to maximize human potential. Mond represents a political system that uses only cold rationalism to order society, whereas Helmholtz's reasoning has a creative spark. Huxley does not contrast reason against creativity in Helmholtz’s character in the same way that he does with a character such as Mustapha Mond. Helmholtz, on the other hand, embodies pure reason and intelligence devoid of emotional complications. ![]() However, Marx is also insecure and emotional, and he therefore has difficulty understanding his society. Because of his deep emotions and passions, Bernard often induces empathy from the reader. By identifying in Bernard Marx many of the normal feelings and emotions people normally have, the reader comes to support him as an underdog. Since creativity would lead to attempts to reform the society, the World Controllers root out individual creativity whenever possible.Ī conflict emerges between the rational thinkers and the majority who merely follow orders. This fear of individuality ensures the stability of the society because its absence prevents creativity. Helmholtz Watson also faces the same predicament in the sense that his superiors think he is too good at what he does. Huxley shows society’s abhorrence of rational, independent thought in the mockery of Bernard Marx by his coworkers. Thus, Huxley makes a statement about creativity, progress, and the ability of powerful authorities to stifle such things. This impulse towards the rational comes from differences - physical for Bernard, mental for Helmholtz - that disrupt their ability to accept the ordered world around them. Both Bernard Marx and Helmholtz Watson have deep-seated suspicions of the society that they live in, though they do not know how to put such suspicions into thought or words. Having betrayed his nervousness, Bernard breaks down and tells Helmholtz, "When people are suspicious with you, you start being suspicious with them."Ĭhapter 4 marks a departure from the first three chapters by introducing rational humans. Helmholtz tells Bernard that he has "a feeling that I've got something important to say and the power to say it - only I don't know what it is, and I can't make any use of the power." While he is talking, Bernard becomes afraid that someone is listening to them at the door. He knows that he writes slogans well, but he feels that his words are not important. They go to Bernard's apartment and Helmholtz talks about wanting to be able to create something out of words. However, he prefers intellectual conversations and likes to talk to Bernard Marx. Watson is the antithesis of Bernard he is handsome and sporty and has women fawning over him. Bernard is different because he is physically smaller than the average Alpha, whereas Watson is more intelligent then other men. Both men are individual thinkers who have become friends because they cannot fit well into the society. His specialty is in writing hypnopaedic lines that "pierce" into people's subconscious minds to make them behave in certain ways. Watson is a lecturer at the College of Emotional Engineering. Because physique is an important indicator of caste, it is a sore spot for Bernard and he takes his frustration and insecurities out on those that are inferior to him.īernard enters his private vehicle and flies over to visit Helmholtz Watson. Bernard notes, "Those who meant well behaved in the same way as those who meant badly." He gets his own flying machine and bosses around several Delta-Minus attendants who give him funny looks because he is no bigger than they are. ![]() ![]() Bernard rushes off before even talking to Benito, another sign of his strange behavior.īernard feels both ashamed and uncomfortable by his exchange with Benito Hoover, yet he also realizes that Benito cannot help but act the way that he does any more than the rest of society. Benito Hoover, an Alpha, approaches Bernard as he watches her leave, tells Bernard not to look so glum, and offers him the narcotic soma to make him feel better. They leave London for a round of Obstacle Golf, a game for adults. Lenina laughs at his awkwardness and then takes off with Henry Foster in a helicopter. The public display embarrasses Marx, who would prefer to talk it over in private. She offers to take a weeklong trip to New Mexico if Bernard still wants to have her. In front of everyone, she tells Bernard that she will go on a date with him. ![]() After work, Lenina and Bernard Marx share a crowded elevator heading to the roof.
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