In Brave New World we often see Bernard Marx as the only person who thinks about things differently in their society, with soma and physical relationships especially. In our world, if a man respects a woman's body and does not want to participate in abusing drugs they are seen as a good man! However, in Huxley's made up society, Bernard is a misfit with odd morals.
Bernard is a character that changes quite a bit throughout the story from a man that the readers love to a man that we fall out of love with! This is because he starts off as a character that would fit wonderfully into our society, not theirs. I predicted that maybe he would break free of the horribly structured society, but unfortunately, the opposite happened! He conformed into being quite selfish and superficial.
An example of when he started to change was when he decided to uproot John and Linda from the Reservation to the World State, for he only brings them for his own selfish needs. He brings them because his boss,who is going to find him a new job elsewhere, will be totally threatened by the fact that he is bringing his very own child to him! The shame of having a child in the World State is heavy, and Bernard knows that when John is present there is no way the Director can transfer Bernard to Iceland.
-Alexa Moore
I also agree that Bernard Marx has transformed from a very likable and relatable person to someone who is not much likable at all. In the first chapters concerning him, he proves to have a mental awareness that not very many of the other people have. This can be shown through his conversations and interactions with the characters. For instance, in chapter six he asks Lenina if she wishes she were free, but she doesn't understand what he is trying to tell her because she believes she is already free and happy. I think that because he is someone who is able to come to reality, this is one of the many important traits that makes him very likable.
ReplyDeleteAs you said, Bernard does seem to become selfish after using John and Linda for his own advantages. While using John and Linda to get rid of the boss, he was focusing on his own benefits, and when he uses John for popularity he was caring for only himself regardless of anyone else. Not only does he begin to show traits of selfishness, but he also becomes jealous of the bond between John and Helmholtz.
I, too, agree that Bernard Marx changed from being a brilliant and lonely individual to a selfish and somewhat cowardly human being by the end of the novel. In the beginning, I found Bernard to be an intelligent and very relatable character. I sympathized with his agressive behavior toward the Gamma-plus flight attendants in chapter four. Due to his unusually small stature for an Alpha, he felt that he had to be forceful and authoritative, otherwise those of an inferior caste would not respect him. I also understood his frustration with Lenina in chapter six as he tries to have a deep conversation with her. Lenina showed fear and incompetence of understanding Bernard's thoughts. She was distracted by the radio (which she called 'lovely') and she reapeated phrases that had been engraved in her mind through sleep-teaching. In these scenes, Benard shows great awarness of his empty life. He seems to be searching for someone to share his views about the robotic world they live in. Bernard does not support the popular dependence on soma because he does not want to be controlled by a drug; he wants to be himself. Bernard also does not agree with the blatant physical relationships in his society. This is shown when he expresses discomfort as Lenina discuses their relationship in public in chapter four.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Bernard Marx's moral collapse begins when he brings John and Linda to the New World. Everyone was interested in meeting the "savage" brought from the Reservation, and Bernard escalated to fame. He was respected, but only beacause people were interested in John. Bernard let this success fill his head, and he became overconfident, unplesant, and selfish. An example of this is when Bernard asks several important people to meet John before he even asked John himself. As you said, it is clear that Bernard is only using John for he personal gain. When John refuses to show at the party, the unhappy guests express their contempt toward Bernard and he sees that he is not respected, but detested.
Bernard's final act that shows his cowardice is when he has a breakdown in chapter sixteen when he realizes he will be sent to an island. As he begs the Controller to let him stay, it is displayed how much Bernard has changed since the beginning of the novel. He had declined to a pitiful individual no longer wise and firm in his beliefs, still yearning for acceptance in a society he initially did not agree with.