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Similes
Chapter 11
Explanation and Analysis—Bernard's Fame:
In Chapter 11, Bernard takes John on a tour of Eton, accompanied by its attractive Headmistress. While on tour, Dr. Gaffney arrives and begins to discuss the operation of Slough Crematorium and the concept of death conditioning. This is an entirely new concept for John, who is unused to this society and its lack of concern for the seriousness of death. From the reader's perspective, this way of thinking about death, human individuality, and value is likely also jarring—the reader, like John, was not raised with this propaganda. Thus, when Bernard takes the time to flirt with the Headmistress in the midst of this conversation, it reads as situational irony:
‘Just returned,’ explained Dr. Gaffney, while Bernard, whispering, made an appointment with the Head Mistress for that very evening, ‘from the Slough Crematorium. Death conditioning begins at eighteen months. Every tot spends two mornings a week in a Hospital for the Dying. All the best toys are kept there, and they get chocolate cream on death days. They learn to take dying as a matter of course.’
One might expect Bernard to be horrified, by modern societal standards, but he isn't. He has no care or respect for the dead, because he doesn't need to—he can set up a date in the midst of a discussion about death without batting an eyelash. Such is the difference propaganda makes, even when dealing with as heavy and universal a topic as death.
Related Themes:
