A Savage Way of Life
Baylie Fox
In Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, John the Savage offers an alternative worldview to the Fordian conditioning that the members of the World State share. While he impacts those around him, both as individuals and as groups, his attempts to fight against the Fordian system, freeing those around him, are ultimately ineffective because his own emotional life is too influenced by Shakespearean dramatic violence. This tendency towards dramatic violence interferes with John’s ability to interact helpfully with his mother, Lenina, and the crowd of Deltas, and it ultimately leads to his suicide.
One of the reasons why the Mustapha Mond, the Resident World Controller of Western Europe, one of ten Controllers, keeps the Fordian society under control is the lack of individuality and lasting relationship. When John traveled into London, what he considered a ‘Brave New World,’ he posed as a large curiosity to the citizens of the World State due to his uniqueness. The people of the Fordian society are not used to the idea of savages- let alone standing in the presence of one. Many lower caste people are ignorant to the fact of their existence.
John unknowingly changed the everyday lives of many Fordians, just by his coming to London. Because the lower caste people cannot form free thought, John did not immediately affect the lower caste peoples, but he did immediately affect “all [of] upper-caste London [who were] wild to see this delicious creature [that] had fallen on his knees before the Director…” (Huxley 103). The new man intrigued the people of London and they became obsessed with meeting him. This shifted the priorities of the Fordians by introducing an “unknown element” into their lives.
For one, Helmholtz, an Alpha lecturer, critiqued the World State through poetry, focusing on the exploration of solitude, a forbidden thought. Helmholtz lived as an outcast and knew both his life and poetry lacked a “special something.” When Helmholtz first met John, they took to one another immediately. They continued to meet and at these meetings, they explored Shakespeare’s works, especially Romeo and Juliet. John and Helmholtz seemed to fit together perfectly as friends (Huxley 122). Unfortunately, Helmholtz’s incapacity to understand the parts of Shakespeare that explore marriage, love, and family limited a true understanding of one another. Helmholtz laughs at these ideas, essentially laughing at John, who lives by these “rules” that Shakespeare formed. Ultimately, John opened the door of exploration through poetry for Helmholtz, which eventually led to his happy exile to the Falkland Islands (Huxley 156).
John also influenced Lenina’s actions and thoughts. When they met in the Savage world, John immediately recognized her beauty. She held “the face of a girl whose cheeks were not the colour of chocolate or dogskin, whose hair was auburn and permanently waved, and whose expression (amazing novelty!) was one of benevolent interest,” something he had never seen on a female before (Huxley 79). After few interactions with Lenina, John decided that he “loved her more than anything in the world” (Huxley 129). Shakespeare emphasized woman’s beauty in his plays and this detail obviously structured John’s idea of love. Because Lenina’s beauty and scent captivated John, he devoted his heart to her. Lenina’s feelings for him might have been much deeper had she not been conditioned to hate love, but since the Fordian society did condition her, the only way she knew how to show affection to someone she cared for was with sex. In fact, Lenina obsessed herself with trying to “have” John stating, “he is the one [she] wants,” and “[she] shall always like him,” to her close friend, Fanny (Huxley 126). His intriguing presence made it hard for Lenina to follow the ‘everyone belongs to everyone’ rule.
John did not only influence individuals, but whole groups. John saw how the soma drug affected his mother, Linda, and with his good-natured, uncomprehending heart, he attempted to prevent a routine soma distribution to the Delta caste. John believed “others should live in freedom” (Huxley 144), and he demanded the distributers throw away the soma. John did not realize that the Deltas focused on only one thought- getting to the soma. When they heard John mentioning the removal of the soma, the Deltas, who held no free thought which could have allowed them to react to John’s statement in a more civil manner, allowed their natural instinct to take the better of them and instead reacted viciously to John. After he began throwing the soma away from the Deltas, they charged at him and a riot formed (Huxley 146). This uprising caused a burst of anger in the Deltas, an action that could have unlocked other emotions in a more comprehending caste such as the Alphas or Betas.
John the Savage’s Shakespearian emotions prove a poor alternative to an emotionless society. Just as how he handled himself poorly during the Delta riot, he made many surprising gestures in handling Lenina’s coming on to him, his mother’s death, and his own death after the orgy at his lighthouse. After Lenina attempted to seduce John, he became repulsed, quoting “ The murkiest den, the most opportune place the strongest suggestion out worser genius can, shall never melt mine honour into lust. Never, never!” (Huxley 129), basically saying he refused to give into lust before he got married. Lenina, not understanding, continued to attempt an amorous rendezvous. John then abused her physically, pushing and slapping her and calling her a ‘whore’ (Huxley 130-31). John was unaware of the World State’s customs when it came to sexual relationships and had gone off of only the knowledge of marriage he gained from Shakespeare’s works.
When Linda lay on her deathbed, John reacted similarly to her dying as he had in other situations-with violence. The Fordian society calls for its people to think of death as almost as game, and to not give it or the people it takes a second thought. When Linda goes to the Park Lane Hospital for the Dying, John receives the news and predictably rushes to her side. Having grown up with death being a heavy, dreadful, thing, John is shocked when a group of eight year old twins came to Linda’s bedside making jokes about how frightfully ugly and fat she appeared. John went as far as to pick up one boy by his collar, then boxing his ear and then push down a separate twin. Linda made the whole situation worse when she mistook John for Popé, her abusive lover from the Savage Reservation. This pushed John over the edge. He shook her shoulders in anger, only for Linda to lose her breath and die (Huxley 138-39). John took out his anger on his mother when her dying moment should have been one of compassion and understanding. This reaction of violence mimicks how he acted toward Lenina when she reacted to John’s confession of love in the “Fordian” way instead of a “Shakespearian” way John grew up thinking was the only set of rules of which anybody should live.
John lived mentally in Shakespeare’s world where violence solves everything. More often than not, Shakespeare’s characters fought (like in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, where an obscene gesture by Romeo to Juliet’s cousin turned into a street riot) to solve their problems (Hylton). Over the years, Shakespeare was the only material John had available to read. In reading the same plays, all of a similar “fight to solve your problems” context, John subconsciously absorbed the violent nature found in many of Shakespeare’s characters. John’s physical abuse toward others became a self- defense mechanism when he found himself in frightening or new situations. In all three situations (the riot, Lenina’s advances, and Linda’s death), John quite literally fought back against the Fordian society’s ways. John also reacted to his own mistakes by self-inflicted violence. If he did something he thought of as morally wrong, such as lustful temptation, he would often whip himself in an attempt for redemption.
Mustapha Mond eventually sentenced John to ‘banishment’ from London after the chaos he had caused. He chose to reside at an old abandoned lighthouse, where he planned to spend the rest of his life in solitude. Unfortunately, John was an object of entertainment to the Fordians since he did believe in physical self-punishment, a concept humorous to them. When he whipped himself for his wrongdoings, people came from London to watch the savage’s obscure way of living. The newscasters followed right behind the Londoners, prepared to make John into a mockery. The final time those of the World-State traveled to John’s lighthouse for a show, a woman whom the audience assumes to be Lenina, came John’s safe haven. John’s memories of her frightened him and he slashed his whip at her. Turmoil then ensued. It soon turned into an “orgy-porgy” and soma gas was brought in to calm everyone down. All of these events overwhelmed John. His conscience overcame him and, in a Shakespearian way, John ended his own life by hanging himself. If John had kept control of his emotions when he saw Lenina, he could have avoided the ordeal, perhaps preserving his life.
Shakespeare writes for theatrical purposes and overdramatizes many situations, Since John only knew Shakespeare, the theatrical emotions portrayed in his plays impacted John. John’s mother had little to do with raising John since he was her birth-child (a concept perceived as morbid to those of the Fordian society). John received no compassion from the other savages from his home because he was different, and Popé only showed the abusive side of man to John. Shakespeare’s over dramatic emotions were the only positive influence in John’s life, therefore he always reacted in a way others have never experienced.
One of the reasons why the Mustapha Mond, the Resident World Controller of Western Europe, one of ten Controllers, keeps the Fordian society under control is the lack of individuality and lasting relationship. When John traveled into London, what he considered a ‘Brave New World,’ he posed as a large curiosity to the citizens of the World State due to his uniqueness. The people of the Fordian society are not used to the idea of savages- let alone standing in the presence of one. Many lower caste people are ignorant to the fact of their existence.
John unknowingly changed the everyday lives of many Fordians, just by his coming to London. Because the lower caste people cannot form free thought, John did not immediately affect the lower caste peoples, but he did immediately affect “all [of] upper-caste London [who were] wild to see this delicious creature [that] had fallen on his knees before the Director…” (Huxley 103). The new man intrigued the people of London and they became obsessed with meeting him. This shifted the priorities of the Fordians by introducing an “unknown element” into their lives.
For one, Helmholtz, an Alpha lecturer, critiqued the World State through poetry, focusing on the exploration of solitude, a forbidden thought. Helmholtz lived as an outcast and knew both his life and poetry lacked a “special something.” When Helmholtz first met John, they took to one another immediately. They continued to meet and at these meetings, they explored Shakespeare’s works, especially Romeo and Juliet. John and Helmholtz seemed to fit together perfectly as friends (Huxley 122). Unfortunately, Helmholtz’s incapacity to understand the parts of Shakespeare that explore marriage, love, and family limited a true understanding of one another. Helmholtz laughs at these ideas, essentially laughing at John, who lives by these “rules” that Shakespeare formed. Ultimately, John opened the door of exploration through poetry for Helmholtz, which eventually led to his happy exile to the Falkland Islands (Huxley 156).
John also influenced Lenina’s actions and thoughts. When they met in the Savage world, John immediately recognized her beauty. She held “the face of a girl whose cheeks were not the colour of chocolate or dogskin, whose hair was auburn and permanently waved, and whose expression (amazing novelty!) was one of benevolent interest,” something he had never seen on a female before (Huxley 79). After few interactions with Lenina, John decided that he “loved her more than anything in the world” (Huxley 129). Shakespeare emphasized woman’s beauty in his plays and this detail obviously structured John’s idea of love. Because Lenina’s beauty and scent captivated John, he devoted his heart to her. Lenina’s feelings for him might have been much deeper had she not been conditioned to hate love, but since the Fordian society did condition her, the only way she knew how to show affection to someone she cared for was with sex. In fact, Lenina obsessed herself with trying to “have” John stating, “he is the one [she] wants,” and “[she] shall always like him,” to her close friend, Fanny (Huxley 126). His intriguing presence made it hard for Lenina to follow the ‘everyone belongs to everyone’ rule.
John did not only influence individuals, but whole groups. John saw how the soma drug affected his mother, Linda, and with his good-natured, uncomprehending heart, he attempted to prevent a routine soma distribution to the Delta caste. John believed “others should live in freedom” (Huxley 144), and he demanded the distributers throw away the soma. John did not realize that the Deltas focused on only one thought- getting to the soma. When they heard John mentioning the removal of the soma, the Deltas, who held no free thought which could have allowed them to react to John’s statement in a more civil manner, allowed their natural instinct to take the better of them and instead reacted viciously to John. After he began throwing the soma away from the Deltas, they charged at him and a riot formed (Huxley 146). This uprising caused a burst of anger in the Deltas, an action that could have unlocked other emotions in a more comprehending caste such as the Alphas or Betas.
John the Savage’s Shakespearian emotions prove a poor alternative to an emotionless society. Just as how he handled himself poorly during the Delta riot, he made many surprising gestures in handling Lenina’s coming on to him, his mother’s death, and his own death after the orgy at his lighthouse. After Lenina attempted to seduce John, he became repulsed, quoting “ The murkiest den, the most opportune place the strongest suggestion out worser genius can, shall never melt mine honour into lust. Never, never!” (Huxley 129), basically saying he refused to give into lust before he got married. Lenina, not understanding, continued to attempt an amorous rendezvous. John then abused her physically, pushing and slapping her and calling her a ‘whore’ (Huxley 130-31). John was unaware of the World State’s customs when it came to sexual relationships and had gone off of only the knowledge of marriage he gained from Shakespeare’s works.
When Linda lay on her deathbed, John reacted similarly to her dying as he had in other situations-with violence. The Fordian society calls for its people to think of death as almost as game, and to not give it or the people it takes a second thought. When Linda goes to the Park Lane Hospital for the Dying, John receives the news and predictably rushes to her side. Having grown up with death being a heavy, dreadful, thing, John is shocked when a group of eight year old twins came to Linda’s bedside making jokes about how frightfully ugly and fat she appeared. John went as far as to pick up one boy by his collar, then boxing his ear and then push down a separate twin. Linda made the whole situation worse when she mistook John for Popé, her abusive lover from the Savage Reservation. This pushed John over the edge. He shook her shoulders in anger, only for Linda to lose her breath and die (Huxley 138-39). John took out his anger on his mother when her dying moment should have been one of compassion and understanding. This reaction of violence mimicks how he acted toward Lenina when she reacted to John’s confession of love in the “Fordian” way instead of a “Shakespearian” way John grew up thinking was the only set of rules of which anybody should live.
John lived mentally in Shakespeare’s world where violence solves everything. More often than not, Shakespeare’s characters fought (like in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, where an obscene gesture by Romeo to Juliet’s cousin turned into a street riot) to solve their problems (Hylton). Over the years, Shakespeare was the only material John had available to read. In reading the same plays, all of a similar “fight to solve your problems” context, John subconsciously absorbed the violent nature found in many of Shakespeare’s characters. John’s physical abuse toward others became a self- defense mechanism when he found himself in frightening or new situations. In all three situations (the riot, Lenina’s advances, and Linda’s death), John quite literally fought back against the Fordian society’s ways. John also reacted to his own mistakes by self-inflicted violence. If he did something he thought of as morally wrong, such as lustful temptation, he would often whip himself in an attempt for redemption.
Mustapha Mond eventually sentenced John to ‘banishment’ from London after the chaos he had caused. He chose to reside at an old abandoned lighthouse, where he planned to spend the rest of his life in solitude. Unfortunately, John was an object of entertainment to the Fordians since he did believe in physical self-punishment, a concept humorous to them. When he whipped himself for his wrongdoings, people came from London to watch the savage’s obscure way of living. The newscasters followed right behind the Londoners, prepared to make John into a mockery. The final time those of the World-State traveled to John’s lighthouse for a show, a woman whom the audience assumes to be Lenina, came John’s safe haven. John’s memories of her frightened him and he slashed his whip at her. Turmoil then ensued. It soon turned into an “orgy-porgy” and soma gas was brought in to calm everyone down. All of these events overwhelmed John. His conscience overcame him and, in a Shakespearian way, John ended his own life by hanging himself. If John had kept control of his emotions when he saw Lenina, he could have avoided the ordeal, perhaps preserving his life.
Shakespeare writes for theatrical purposes and overdramatizes many situations, Since John only knew Shakespeare, the theatrical emotions portrayed in his plays impacted John. John’s mother had little to do with raising John since he was her birth-child (a concept perceived as morbid to those of the Fordian society). John received no compassion from the other savages from his home because he was different, and Popé only showed the abusive side of man to John. Shakespeare’s over dramatic emotions were the only positive influence in John’s life, therefore he always reacted in a way others have never experienced.
Works Cited
Frey, Charles. The Tempest and the New World. Vol. 30. No.1. Folger Shakespeare Library. Web. 1 May 2014.
Huxley, Aldous L. Brave New World. 1932. PDF.
Hylton, Jeremy. "Romeo and Juliet: Entire Play." Romeo and Juliet: Entire Play. The Tech, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
Stetskovitch, Tina. "Shakespearean Influences in Brave New World by Aldous Huxley." Prezi.com. n.p. 26 Apr. 2013. Web. 1 May 2014.
Frey, Charles. The Tempest and the New World. Vol. 30. No.1. Folger Shakespeare Library. Web. 1 May 2014.
Huxley, Aldous L. Brave New World. 1932. PDF.
Hylton, Jeremy. "Romeo and Juliet: Entire Play." Romeo and Juliet: Entire Play. The Tech, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
Stetskovitch, Tina. "Shakespearean Influences in Brave New World by Aldous Huxley." Prezi.com. n.p. 26 Apr. 2013. Web. 1 May 2014.