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Chapter 8
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Brave New World, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Dystopia and Totalitarianism
Technology and Control
The Cost of Happiness
Industrialism and Consumption
Individuality
Summary
Analysis
Back at the rest-house, Lenina takes six half-gramme soma tablets, which will knock her out for the next 18 hours. Meanwhile, Bernard comes up with a plan. The next morning, he flies to Santa Fe, contacts the World Controller’s office, and before long speaks to Mustapha Mond himself. Mond immediately dispatches special orders for Bernard to bring back two individuals of scientific interest to the World State.
Overwhelmed by the events she’s witnessed on the Reservation, Lenina, like a well-conditioned World Stater, chooses oblivion over facing those emotions. But Bernard, like the individual he is, begins putting his plan of personal revenge into motion—his own way of responding to the strangeness he’s seen.
Themes
Back at Malpais, John briefly weeps when he thinks that Bernard and Lenina have left without him. Eventually, though, he peeks inside the rest-house and sees Lenina’s things sitting there. He steps inside and gingerly goes through Lenina’s suitcase, savoring the sight, smell, and feel of her clothing fabrics and cosmetic powders. Then he finds her sleeping in the adjacent bedroom and is once again moved to tears, this time by the sight of her innocence. He also quotes Romeo and Juliet to himself, inspired by her beauty. Though he longs to touch her and even to unzip her pajamas, he doesn’t dare. Soon he hears a helicopter’s buzz and guiltily rushes outside to meet Bernard.
In contrast to those of an oblivion-seeking World State citizen, John’s emotions are always close to the surface, and he doesn’t hesitate to indulge and express them. Here, moved by passion and by Shakespeare, he falls further in love with Lenina. He is tormented, on one hand, by his sexual desire, and on the other hand, by his guilt over that desire and his love of honor. Angst like John’s is what the World State was built to eliminate. This sets up the main conflict of Brave New World: will John give up or continue to hold onto his pain and angst?
Themes
