Name: _____________________
Block: ___________
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Reading Schedule and Unit Guide
In 1931, Aldous Huxley published Brave New World, one of the most controversial, dark and disturbing
prophesies of a new world devoid of human emotion and family, and dominated by technology. In Brave New
World, Huxley ruminates on the “advancement” of society and technology, and whether having “more” will be
the end of life as we know it.
In Aldous Huxley’s vision of our future:
 Embryos are cloned to meet the needs of the global workforce and community.
 Children are socialized for a collective society… there are no more families.
 Group thinking has replaced individual views.
 Casual sex is obligatory and mandatory pills prevent pregnancy.
 The euphoric drug, Soma, is used to control the masses. It would calm tempers, bring peace and
happy feelings, even stir mystical or religious experiences.
 People are kept too busy with work, entertainment, and stimulation to think or complain.
 Peer pressure and constant surveillance ensure compliance.
Reading Schedule
You must have each section read by the date indicated. Most reading sections will be started in class and
completed at home. Quizzes will be given without notice to assess your understanding of the reading.
Date Due
A/B
Chapters
Wed./Thurs. Sept.
17/18
1-2
27
______
Fri./Mon.
19/22
3
27
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Tues./Wed.
23/24
4-5
28
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Thurs./Fri
25/26
6
19
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Mon./Tues.
29/30
7
16
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1/2
8
19
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Fri./Mon.
3/6
9-10
12
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Tues./Wed.
7/8
11
19
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Thurs./Fri.
9/10
12
15
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Mon./Tues.
13/14
13-14
22
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Wed./Thurs.
15/16
15-16
21
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Fri./Mon.
17/20
17-18
31
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Wed./Thurs.
Oct.
Total Pages (Approx)
Done:
Key Terms and Language Specific to Brave New World:
Pneumatic – “full of air.” Many things in this society (including people) are referred to as pneumatic, a positive
description which should be interpreted literally and metaphorically, depending on the subject.
Ford (“Year of Our Ford”) – citizens of the World State have replaced God or Lord with the idol “Ford,” for
Henry Ford, demonstrating that religion has been replaced by technology.
Malthusian Drill – a device meant for unsterilized women to prevent pregnancy, named after English political
economist Thomas Malthus, an early proponent of birth control for population regulation.
Bokanovsky Process – a process by which a human egg has its normal development arrested, causing it to bud
and produce many identical eggs, potentially creating large groups of identical twins.
Pavlovian Conditioning – reference to Russian scientist Ivan Pavlov and his conditioning techniques (see
Pavlov’s dog), which are used here on infants.
Centrifugal Bumble-Puppy – a game in which children throw a ball onto a rotating disk that throws the ball
back in a random direction, and is meant to be caught (think “tech-y” racquet ball)
“Feelies” – movies of the future are called “feelies” because they involve a more sensory experience, with
apparently specialized seats and screens that produce sensations in the viewer
Freemartin – a sterile person; the World State makes 70 percent of its females freemartins by dosing the
embryos with male sex hormones. They still have female sex organs, but they also have beards…
Surrogate – something selected as a substitute: embryos grow in blood surrogate instead of real blood because
they grow outside a mother's body. Morocco-surrogate is imitation leather. Violent Passion
Surrogate floods the body with the same hormones that fear and rage would.
Chapter Summaries
For each chapter, you will be expected to write 2-3 concise sentences summarizing what happened. Be sure to capture the
most important events, interactions, character and plot insights or revelations.
Ch. 1 (p. 1-17)
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Ch 2 (p. 18-28)
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Ch 3 (p. 29-56)
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Ch 4 (p.57-71)
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Ch 5 (p.72-86)
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Ch. 6 (p.87-106)
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Ch 7 (p. 107-123)
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Ch 8 (p. 124-141)
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Ch 9 (p.142-147)
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Ch 10 (p.148-154)
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Ch. 11 (p. 155-174)
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Ch 12 (p. 175-189)
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Ch 13 (p. 190-202)
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Ch 14 (p.203-213)
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Ch 15 (p.214-222)
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Ch. 16 (p. 223-235)
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Ch 17 (p. 236-247)
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Ch 18 (p. 248-267)
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