Brave New World
• Historical context
• Literary context
• Cautionary Tale (Speculative + blasphemous)
Chapter 1: In the year 632, the Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning in Central London gives a group of students a
tour of a factory that produces human beings and conditions them for their predestined roles in the World State. The
Director goes on to explain the five castes, as well as the Bokanovsky Process, which facilitates social stability, and
the Podsnap’s Technique, which speeds up the ripening process of eggs within a single ovary. The students are
introduced to Lenina Crowne, and when Henry Foster proposes showing the students the conditioning of Alpha Plus
Intellectual fetuses, the Director suggests moving on to show the students the Nurseries.
Chapter 2: The students are led through the Nurseries, where the Director explains how the different castes of
children are conditioned to become loyal World State citizens that will serve the interests of production and the
interests of the whole economy and society.
Chapter 3: The Director leads the students to the garden and explains that the children are encouraged to participate
in erotic play because, in the past, sexual repression led to negative effects. Mustapha Mond, the Resident Controller
for Western Europe and one of only ten World Controllers, describes to the children the time before the World State
began its policy of tight control over reproduction, child-rearing, and social relations. In the changing room at the end
of the workday, Bernard Marx overhears Henry talking with the Assistant Predestinator about Lenina and is disgusted
by the conversation. Meanwhile, Lenina chats with Fanny Crowne and decides to accept Bernard’s invitation to visit
the Savage Reservation.
Chapter 4: Lenina embarrasses Bernard by accepting his invitation in front of a big group of co-workers and then goes
off on a date with Henry. Bernard visits his friend Helmholtz Watson, a lecturer at the College of Emotional Engineering,
who shares Bernard’s mutual dissatisfaction with the status quo and the inclination to view himself as an individual.
Chapter 5: Henry and Lenina play a game of Obstacle Gold, head to the Westminster Abbey Cabaret, and go back to
Henry’s apartment, all the while taking soma, which makes them oblivious to the world around them. Every Thursday,
the narrative explains, Bernard takes part in Solidarity Service at the Fordson Community Singery, where a sex orgy
occurs at the end, but this leaves Bernard feeling more alienated than before.
Chapter 6: On their return trip to a wrestling match, Lenina convinces Bernard to take soma and have sex. Bernard is
able to get the Director’s permission to visit the Reservation, but is criticized for his antisocial behavior and is
threatened to be exiled if his impropriety persists. While at the Reservation, Bernard remembers having left the scent
tap on in his apartment, forcing him to call Helmholtz to turn it off for him, but when he calls Helmholtz informs him that
the Director is planning to carry out Bernard’s exile, sending Bernard into a panic as a result.
• Historical context
• Literary context
• Cautionary Tale (Speculative + blasphemous)
Chapter 1: In the year 632, the Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning in Central London gives a group of students a
tour of a factory that produces human beings and conditions them for their predestined roles in the World State. The
Director goes on to explain the five castes, as well as the Bokanovsky Process, which facilitates social stability, and
the Podsnap’s Technique, which speeds up the ripening process of eggs within a single ovary. The students are
introduced to Lenina Crowne, and when Henry Foster proposes showing the students the conditioning of Alpha Plus
Intellectual fetuses, the Director suggests moving on to show the students the Nurseries.
Chapter 2: The students are led through the Nurseries, where the Director explains how the different castes of
children are conditioned to become loyal World State citizens that will serve the interests of production and the
interests of the whole economy and society.
Chapter 3: The Director leads the students to the garden and explains that the children are encouraged to participate
in erotic play because, in the past, sexual repression led to negative effects. Mustapha Mond, the Resident Controller
for Western Europe and one of only ten World Controllers, describes to the children the time before the World State
began its policy of tight control over reproduction, child-rearing, and social relations. In the changing room at the end
of the workday, Bernard Marx overhears Henry talking with the Assistant Predestinator about Lenina and is disgusted
by the conversation. Meanwhile, Lenina chats with Fanny Crowne and decides to accept Bernard’s invitation to visit
the Savage Reservation.
Chapter 4: Lenina embarrasses Bernard by accepting his invitation in front of a big group of co-workers and then goes
off on a date with Henry. Bernard visits his friend Helmholtz Watson, a lecturer at the College of Emotional Engineering,
who shares Bernard’s mutual dissatisfaction with the status quo and the inclination to view himself as an individual.
Chapter 5: Henry and Lenina play a game of Obstacle Gold, head to the Westminster Abbey Cabaret, and go back to
Henry’s apartment, all the while taking soma, which makes them oblivious to the world around them. Every Thursday,
the narrative explains, Bernard takes part in Solidarity Service at the Fordson Community Singery, where a sex orgy
occurs at the end, but this leaves Bernard feeling more alienated than before.
Chapter 6: On their return trip to a wrestling match, Lenina convinces Bernard to take soma and have sex. Bernard is
able to get the Director’s permission to visit the Reservation, but is criticized for his antisocial behavior and is
threatened to be exiled if his impropriety persists. While at the Reservation, Bernard remembers having left the scent
tap on in his apartment, forcing him to call Helmholtz to turn it off for him, but when he calls Helmholtz informs him that
the Director is planning to carry out Bernard’s exile, sending Bernard into a panic as a result.
