Although many try to blend in with the rest of the population, the few who break away and think with eccentricity stand out and make a change. In Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, Bernard Marx, John the Savage, and Helmholtz Watson all use their knowledge and ability to be an individual in order to understand freedom and escape from average society and community.
Bernard is very important in the plot of the story because he is the one who first openly shows individuality and freedom, and inspires other characters to do the same. He starts off as the protagonist of the story, but quickly declines once John is introduced. He is individual because he does not understand the norms, but wants to. “Too little bone and brawn had isolated Bernard …show more content…
His individuality comes from the start of his life when he was not conditioned in the savage reservation. Without this conditioning, John thinks freely without any barrier on emotion or personal beliefs. This is the main reason why he is so crucial in describing the importance of individuality and freedom. John is labeled as an outsider throughout the story, both in the reservation and out. At first, he is angry and sad that he is different. “‘Why wouldn’t they let me be the sacrifice?... But they wouldn’t let me. They disliked me for my complexion. It’s always been like that. Always.’ Tears stood in the young man’s eyes; he was ashamed and turned away. (116-117)” While on the reservation, he is taught how to read and reads sophisticated books by Shakespeare. These texts help John be able to verbalize his emotions and helps Helmholtz understand his capability to burst out of his conditioning. But, as he becomes oriented with the “Brave New World” and has a heated conversation with Mustapha Mond over the morals of the World State, he realizes that his previous life on the reservation was much better and wants to return to it. He decides that he wants nothing to do with this New World. “I claim them all (240).” He tries to escape from the wicked world but is unable to. The result of the conflicting reality of the world and his values end with his suicide, the only option for him to be completely cleansed of the immoral
Bernard is very important in the plot of the story because he is the one who first openly shows individuality and freedom, and inspires other characters to do the same. He starts off as the protagonist of the story, but quickly declines once John is introduced. He is individual because he does not understand the norms, but wants to. “Too little bone and brawn had isolated Bernard …show more content…
His individuality comes from the start of his life when he was not conditioned in the savage reservation. Without this conditioning, John thinks freely without any barrier on emotion or personal beliefs. This is the main reason why he is so crucial in describing the importance of individuality and freedom. John is labeled as an outsider throughout the story, both in the reservation and out. At first, he is angry and sad that he is different. “‘Why wouldn’t they let me be the sacrifice?... But they wouldn’t let me. They disliked me for my complexion. It’s always been like that. Always.’ Tears stood in the young man’s eyes; he was ashamed and turned away. (116-117)” While on the reservation, he is taught how to read and reads sophisticated books by Shakespeare. These texts help John be able to verbalize his emotions and helps Helmholtz understand his capability to burst out of his conditioning. But, as he becomes oriented with the “Brave New World” and has a heated conversation with Mustapha Mond over the morals of the World State, he realizes that his previous life on the reservation was much better and wants to return to it. He decides that he wants nothing to do with this New World. “I claim them all (240).” He tries to escape from the wicked world but is unable to. The result of the conflicting reality of the world and his values end with his suicide, the only option for him to be completely cleansed of the immoral