Brave New World Reading Guide
Language Arts 3-4 H
In Huxley’s Brave New World, words like “birth”, “father” and “mother” are considered obscene.
Why?—and what does this suggest about society?
2. Juxtapose Huxley’s Brave New World with the comparative squalor of the savage reservation.
What point is Huxley trying to make about humanity through these settings? Do you think
Huxley’s vision allows for personal freedom and community to coexist? If so, how?
3. Discuss how sex functions in the Brave New World. By inverting our assumptions about sex
(making monogamy seem like an aberration in the world of the book and showing casual,
meaningless sex as ethically correct), what is Huxley saying about sexuality and emotional
relationships? In what way is sexuality connected to the problems Huxley sees inherent in
human nature?
1.
Discuss how the following quotes apply to the meaning of the book as a whole:
"Community, Identity, Stability" (Chapter 1)
"Alpha children wear grey. They work much harder than we do, because they're so frightfully clever.
I'm awfully glad I'm a Beta, because I don't work so hard. And then we are much better than the
Gammas and Deltas. Gammas are stupid. They all wear green, and Delta children wear khaki. Oh no,
I don't want to play with Delta children. And Epsilons are still worse. They're too stupid to be able to
read or write. Besides they wear black, which is such a beastly color. I'm so glad I'm a Beta."
(Chapter 2)
"The greater a man's talents, the greater his power to lead astray. It is better that one should suffer
than that many should be corrupted. Consider the matter dispassionately, Mr. Foster, and you will see
that no offense is so heinous as unorthodoxy of behavior. Murder kills only the individual-and, after
all, what is an individual?" (Chapter 10)
"Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the over-compensations for misery.
And, of course, stability isn't nearly so spectacular as instability. And being contented has none of the
glamour of a good fight against misfortune, none of the picturesqueness of a struggle with temptation,
or a fatal overthrow by passion or doubt. Happiness is never grand." (Chapter 16)
"There's always soma to calm your anger, to reconcile you to your enemies, to make you patient and
long-suffering. In the past you could only accomplish these things by making a great effort and after
years of hard moral training. Now, you swallow two or three half-gramme tablets, and there you are.
Anybody can be virtuous now. You can carry at least half your morality about in a bottle. Christianity
without tears-that's what soma is." (Chapter 17)
"Slowly, very slowly, like two unhurried compass needles, the feet turned towards the right; north,
north-east, east, south-east, south, south-south-west; then paused, and, after a few seconds, turned
as unhurriedly back towards the left. South-south-west, south, south-east, east." (Chapter 19)