Brave New World Review Sheet
Test Format: 50 Scantron questions (multiple choice, matching, etc.), 1 essay (30 marks) = 80 marks
I. Important Major Characters
In your own words, analyze the following characters:
Helmholtz Watson:
Bernard Marx:
Lenina Crowne:
Mustapha Mond:
John:
Linda:
Thomas:
II. Important Plot Events
There are several summaries of the novel online; you might want to read one of them.
III. Important Themes
We discussed several themes in class, such as the following: institutionalized discrimination, the
control of society through distraction and pleasure, the power of individual thought in rebelling against
an unjust society, the loneliness of individualism, the power of social conditioning and culture to shape
people, and so forth.
What other themes can you discern?
IV. Important Literary Elements
A. Symbolism: the use of symbols to represent ideas and create meaning in poems.
In your own words, analyze the following symbols:
soma
Shakespeare
London
The Indian Reservation
Science
All major (and some minor) characters are important symbols for differing ideologies.
B. Satire and Irony
Irony: the actual intended meaning is expressed in words that carry the opposite meaning.
Satire: a literary form of writing which uses humour, irony, and wit to express a critical view for the
purpose of improving human institutions or values.
Questions:
1. What are some examples of satire and irony in the novel?
2. What aspects of modern-day society does Huxley satirize in the novel?
V. The Essay
You may come to the test with a written or typed essay outline. You may use your novel and classroom
book dictionary/thesaurus, if you wish. DO NOT BRING: essay drafts, electronic devices, or notes of
any form. Your essay will be marked on the provincial 6-point scale. In all essay choices, make specific
reference to the novel to support your points.
Some Suggested Essay Topics for Brave New World:
1. Compare and contrast any two characters from the novel (e.g. Bernard and Helmholtz, Bernard
and Lenina, John and Bernard, Linda and John, etc.)
2. The social caste system plays a clear role in shaping and conditioning all of the characters in the
novel, and yet none of the major characters completely fit their predetermined mould. To what
extent are the characters in BNW responsible for their individual actions? How much do
factors like social position, physical looks, education, and so forth predetermine individual lives
in the real world? To what extent can we control our own destinies, in spite of these factors?
3. The ending of Brave New World is dark, and some have criticized Huxley for being too
pessimistic in his view of humanity; by contrast, others argue that the ending is perfect given
the parameters of his fictional world. What do you think?
4. Some argue that true equality is unachievable in our world, and yet others, like Martin Luther
King, Jr. in the following quote, disagree: “I refuse to accept despair as the final response to
history…I have the audacity to believe that people everywhere can have three meals a day for
their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their
spirit. I believer that what self-centred [people] have torn down, [people] other-centred can
build up.” Martin Luther King, Jr. What do you think?
5. Explore any theme in depth (e.g. institutionalized discrimination, the control of society through
distraction and pleasure, the power of individual thought, rebelling against society, the
loneliness of individualism, etc.)
6. Create your own topic! (Check with me first.)