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Identity In Aldous Huxley's 'Brave New World'

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In the novel “Brave New World,” the author, Aldous Huxley, carefully scopes the life of John “the Savage” as a specifically distinct character from the rest of the other characters, whether civilized or not. Born and raised in an environment of some individual thinking, self- thought, and human expression John’s ability to accept or reject ideas, fits in with today’s society of what we coin as the word identity.
John represents the most important and complex character of Brave New World. John is willing to face the truth about his own problems in different situations. Unlike Bernard, whose discontentment with his society conveys itself as cowardly and egotistical, John lives out his ideals, however unwisely. For example, he dauntlessly attempts …show more content…

When John and Helmholtz meet, John reads a part in the scene where Juliet’s parents were trying to persuade her to marry Paris. Hearing this absurdity of marriage, Watson couldn’t help but to burst into laughter. His reaction greatly surprises John and takes it as a sign of an insult. These kinds of human relations the World State bans such as tragic, sadness, passion is why Watson reacted that way, and this greatly wounds John. Before Watson and John’s meeting, he never felt any negativity towards Watson, he was even finally relieved to be able to find someone to share the artistic value of Shakespeare’s language, but disdains Helmholtz’s laughter to both his cultural values and innermost feelings. This demonstration of the power of conditioning makes John hate the World State. John finds out the truth about the World State and perceives the World State society as materialistic, superficial, and immoral.
John’s feeling of apprehension ever since arriving at the World State from the Savage Reservations, makes him realize that he never could fit in with this society. Although happiness is the dominating force within the World State, John never finds himself truly happy.

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