‘Brave New World,’ written by Aldous Huxley, is a classic dystopian novel set in a futuristic society in which, through advances in technology, a powerful government has eliminated pain, suffering, and conflict in its society. Citizens are conditioned from birth to accept their roles in a caste system and encouraged to engage in consumerism and pursuits of pleasure.
“Spoiler-Free” Summary of Brave New World
The story of ‘Brave New World‘ primarily follows three key characters: Bernard Marx, an intelligent but physically small and socially awkward man who finds it hard to fit into his society; Lenina Crowne, Bernard’s love interest who struggles with his individualist tendencies; and John “the Savage,” a young man from outside the controlled society who becomes a central figure in challenging the established order. Through these characters and their interactions, we explore questions about individuality and freedom in the rigid society they inhabit, founded on human conditioning, fixed social roles, and pleasure on demand.
Full Summary of Brave New World
Warning – This article contains important details and spoilers
The story begins at the Central London Hatching and Conditioning Centre, where the Director of the Hatchery, the DHC, and one of his assistants, Henry Foster, give a tour to a group of boys. The boys learn about the technology that allows the Hatchery to produce thousands of nearly identical human embryos. During the gestation period, the embryos travel in bottles along a conveyor belt through a factory-like building and are modified to belong to one of five castes: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, or Epsilon, in their decreasing order of intelligence.
The Director explains various conditioning techniques used on the infants, the most important of them being hypnagogic learning. As a later part of the orientation tour, Mustapha Mond, the Resident World Controller for Western Europe, whose role is the management of that society, explains the workings of the society and the reasoning behind the motto “Community, Identity, Stability.” He maintains that even though people in that society are fixed in different castes and roles determined from birth, everyone was content with their place and everybody was equally important.
Lenina Crowne, a Beta employee at the factory, is introduced. Lenina Crowne and Fanny Crowne discuss Lenina’s four-month monogamous relationship with Henry Foster, a situation frowned upon by their society which promotes promiscuity. A common axiom in their society is that everyone belongs to everyone. To deflect from this criticism, Lenina mentions that she is interested in Bernard Marx.
Bernard Marx is a psychologist and an Alpha. He is shorter in stature than the average member of his high caste, which gives him an inferiority complex. His work with sleep-learning allows him to understand and makes him disapprove of his society’s methods of keeping its citizens peaceful, which includes their constant consumption of a soothing, happiness-producing drug called “soma.” He and his friend Helmholtz Watson, a propaganda writer bored with the dullness of his work, often discuss their dissatisfaction with their society. Bernard is strongly attracted to Lenina, which is unusual in his society as sex is casual and devoid of passion.
Lenina and Bernard Marx go on a date. Lenina is puzzled by Bernard’s preference for privacy, desire for a deeper romantic connection, and general dissatisfaction with his life and his position in society. She nevertheless agrees when Bernard invites her to join him on a trip to a Savage Reservation in New Mexico.
Bernard applies for permission to visit the reservation and the DHC approves. Thinking aloud, the DHC reveals that in the past, he had gone on a trip to the reservation with a lover but had lost her and returned alone. The DHC also reprimands Bernard for his deviant attitude which was becoming obvious. When Bernard departs, he learns on a phone call from Helmholtz that the DHC is making plans to exile him to Iceland. Bernard is so distressed at the news that he takes soma, which he has expressed distaste for.
Bernard and Lenina arrive at the reservation. They are shocked to witness for the first time a society in which diseases, old age, religion, family, and dirt are commonplace, things unheard of in their world. The tourists watch in horror as the inhabitants of the community perform a brutal ritual where the members of the community whip a boy until he collapses.
As they explore the reservation, they meet John, a man born naturally and raised outside of their civilization but who is different from the other members of the reservation. John reveals that his mother was a former citizen of World State abandoned at the reservation during a group trip. He introduces them to his mother Linda, and from their conversation, Bernard suspects John to be the son of the DHC.
Linda’s background as a citizen of World State puts her at odds with the inhabitants of the reservation. The harsh reality of life on the reservation is different from her former life in London, and to cope, she becomes addicted to mescal. She is promiscuous, which was a norm in London but taboo in the reservation where traditional sexual mores and family values rule. As a result of this culture clash, she and her son are treated as outcasts. Bernard, who feels like an outcast in his society, develops a kin-like attraction to John.
Lenina is so horrified by the things she witnesses on the reservation that she takes a greater dose of soma and goes on a “soma holiday”, an extended period of drug-induced sleep. During this period, Bernard calls London and gets approval from Mond to bring John and Linda back to London with him.
On Bernard’s return to London, the DHC publicly threatens to exile him to Iceland. However, Bernard springs a surprise and presents Linda and John to the public. John calls the DHC “Father,” an act that disgraces the Director and forces him to resign—fatherhood being a social taboo in World State. Thus, Bernard is saved from exile.
Circumstances change for Bernard, John, and Linda. Because Bernard brings John to London and all who want to see John have to go through him, Bernard becomes a minor celebrity and revels in his changed status. John, for his part, finds it difficult to adjust to his new life in London. He becomes increasingly disillusioned with London society’s values. John’s education consisted mainly of reading Shakespeare and his romantic view of life that was different from what he witnessed in society. Linda, grown old and ugly, is shunned by the Londoners. To deal with her disappointment and hurt, she goes on a permanent soma holiday—taking the drug non-stop to remain in a perpetual daze.
As John becomes a sensation among the citizens of London who are curious to see “the savage,” he becomes more disgusted by them. He cannot stand their values and their attention. He and Helmholtz Watson become friends, however, sharing a common interest in Shakespeare and the true expression found in his poetry. Bernard is unhappy for he feels this newly formed friendship excludes him. Also, with John losing interest in entertaining society on Bernard’s behalf, Bernard finds that he is losing his newly-won popularity, too.
Lenina and John are sexually attracted to each other and have been since the time they met each other at the reservation. They have different ideas of what expressing these feelings means. John held to romantic ideals found in Shakespeare, particularly the chaste romance between Romeo and Juliet. Lenina, on the other hand, goes for a straightforward seduction, and when she acts on this John turns against her. He attacks her and she escapes by barricading herself behind a door. In that instant, John receives a call bearing news of his mother’s death.
John’s expression of grief on seeing his dead mother shocks the hospital staff and visitors. This is because there were no familial relationships in the society, and people were conditioned to treat death casually and without emotion. John is offended when a child in one of these conditioning excursions makes a rude remark about his mother and makes a scene by throwing soma rations out of the window. Bernard and Helmholtz arrive and try to stop him, and the ensuing riot is stopped by the police. The trio are detained and are subsequently presented before Mustapha Mond.
For failing to fit into society, Mustapha Mond sentences Bernard and Helmholtz Watson to exile. Bernard is initially distressed, but Helmholtz accepts the news gracefully, choosing a place where he would have creative liberty and inspiration. John and Mustapha Mond discuss history, philosophy, happiness, and religion, with John criticizing the World State society and Mond defending it. Mond refuses to exile John, claiming that John’s presence in London is an experiment of great interest to him.
As a concession, John finds and retires to an abandoned lighthouse and wards off intruders who follow him out of curiosity. He chooses solitude to purify himself from the corrupt influences of London’s society, and he does this by self-flagellation. While occupied in this activity, he is spied out by a nosy journalist. The news of his actions spreads quickly and attracts the citizens of London whom he had abandoned. A crowd gathers and urges him to flog himself and this sets him on edge. He spies Lenina in the crowd, attacks her with his whip, and flogs himself as well. In the frenzy, the crowd join in flogging each other and soon the situation degenerates into an orgy.
At the end of the orgy, the crowd disperses, and John is stricken with guilt. He believes that society has defeated him in a battle of wills and morals. The next day, when the people of the city visit John’s lighthouse again, they discover he has committed suicide.
