In times of distress and misfortune people tend to show their true self. Some become untroubled and show weakness in tough situations. While others seek to improve their circumstances through acts of bravery and determination. . Bernard from Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World desires to break the strong hold that world leaders have on the people and attempts to make a difference. However, once he receives all of the attention he ever wanted, he finds himself changing into something else entirely. Bernard’s intelligence is to be admired but his eventual arrogance and foolishness transform Bernard from the hero to an ignorant fool.
Originally, Bernard Marx’s intelligence is his best perk. In Brave New World, a majority of citizens are conditioned …show more content…
Unlike his arrogance, Bernard is probably a fool throughout his life, but couple events stand out. Yes, Bernard was intelligent, but an intelligent man can always do foolish things. In many social situations, Bernard is always hesitant to reveal his true thoughts. This was specifically true when Bernard talks to the Director of Human Conditioning. When Bernard comes to the Director asking for permission to go to the Indian Reservation, the Director insults Bernard and threatens to punish Bernard by sending him to Iceland. And instead of standing up for himself, Bernard leaves the room in an act of rebellion and assumes that the Director would not follow up on his threat. Bernard is wrong, though. He realizes, “The Director's threats had actually elated him, made him feel larger than life. But that, as he now realized, was because he had not taken the threats quite seriously, he had not believed that, when it came to the point, the D.H.C. would ever do anything. Now that it looked as though the threats were really to be fulfilled, Bernard was appalled. Of that imagined stoicism, that theoretical courage, not a trace was left”. (Huxley 98). Bernard also shows his foolish nature later on when his new friend John is in trouble; Bernard is able to help John and Helmholtz, but instead tries to escape and fails in an act of cowardly and fearful behavior. Huxley describes, “Bernard and, urged by a sudden impulse, ran forward to help them; then thought better of it and halted” (Huxley 214). Foolish behavior like this is unacceptable to supporters of his character and it may cause one to dislike or even hate Bernard for this actions. How Bernard conducted himself drastically changed from the beginning of the book till the end where bigger challenges faced
Originally, Bernard Marx’s intelligence is his best perk. In Brave New World, a majority of citizens are conditioned …show more content…
Unlike his arrogance, Bernard is probably a fool throughout his life, but couple events stand out. Yes, Bernard was intelligent, but an intelligent man can always do foolish things. In many social situations, Bernard is always hesitant to reveal his true thoughts. This was specifically true when Bernard talks to the Director of Human Conditioning. When Bernard comes to the Director asking for permission to go to the Indian Reservation, the Director insults Bernard and threatens to punish Bernard by sending him to Iceland. And instead of standing up for himself, Bernard leaves the room in an act of rebellion and assumes that the Director would not follow up on his threat. Bernard is wrong, though. He realizes, “The Director's threats had actually elated him, made him feel larger than life. But that, as he now realized, was because he had not taken the threats quite seriously, he had not believed that, when it came to the point, the D.H.C. would ever do anything. Now that it looked as though the threats were really to be fulfilled, Bernard was appalled. Of that imagined stoicism, that theoretical courage, not a trace was left”. (Huxley 98). Bernard also shows his foolish nature later on when his new friend John is in trouble; Bernard is able to help John and Helmholtz, but instead tries to escape and fails in an act of cowardly and fearful behavior. Huxley describes, “Bernard and, urged by a sudden impulse, ran forward to help them; then thought better of it and halted” (Huxley 214). Foolish behavior like this is unacceptable to supporters of his character and it may cause one to dislike or even hate Bernard for this actions. How Bernard conducted himself drastically changed from the beginning of the book till the end where bigger challenges faced