Brave New World Chapters 4-6 Flashcards

Class and Society

• The elevator operator belongs to the Epsilon class, characterized by his tall stature and black tunic.
• Bernard Marx, an Alpha, stands out as he is short and slender, rumored to have been affected by alcohol during gestation, highlighting societal rejection of differences.

Individuality and Alienation

• Bernard feels alienated due to his physical appearance; Helmholtz Watson feels out of place due to his intelligence, both representing individuals in a conformist society.
• Helmholtz grapples with a lack of poetic inspiration, illuminating themes of creation and self-expression amidst oppression.

Transportation and Class Privileges

• Alphas and Betas can utilize helicopters for transport, while Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons lack this privilege unless they pilot the vehicles themselves, reflecting mobility disparities.

The Crematorium's Role

• The crematorium is utilized to burn corpses and recover phosphorus for agricultural use, showcasing a utilitarian approach to death.
• Lenina finds it irrational that all castes produce the same emissions from cremation processes.

Reaction to Death and Engineering

• Henry views the crematorium as a marvel of engineering, contrasting with Lenina's more casual acceptance of the process.

Cultural Commentary

• The "Bottle of Mine" song expresses a bleak irony; its upbeat delivery contrasts with the dark sentiment of wishing not to be born.

Conditioning and Control

• Lenina's ability to remember birth control protocols, despite being under the influence of soma, results from years of hypnopaedia, beginning training at age 12.

Collective Experiences

• The Solidarity Service features rituals combining social bonding with hedonism, replacing traditional religious practices.
• Bernard's desire for solitude during the Service exemplifies his deeper disconnection from societal norms.

Personal Relationships and Societal Expectations

• Bernard's unconventional wish to walk alone on a date with Lenina reveals his nonconformity, as he initially resists societal expectations of sexual promiscuity.

D.H.C.'s Past and Discipline

• The D.H.C. recounts a past incident involving a lost date, emphasizing the disconnect between personal history and societal norms.
• Bernard is threatened with exile to Iceland for his behavior but responds rebelliously, indicating a sense of personal agency.

Setting and Contextual Contrast

• Bernard and Lenina's hotel room is filled with advanced technology and various services that emphasize the stark differences between their world and current times, lacking basic toiletries.

Bernard's Domestic Concerns

• Bernard's concern over a running Eau de Cologne tap symbolizes his internal struggles with conformity; he is hindered from addressing it personally, hinting at his precarious position within society.