Brave New World

Chapter XVII

Synopsis• After Helmholtz leaves to find Bernard, John and Mustapha Mond continue debating. In

comparison to chapter 16, where the abolishing of literature and freedom is discussed, religion is now the main topic of chapter 17.

• Mustapha Mond shows John a collection of banned religious texts, and tells John that an old philosopher once said that people turned to religion, because they wanted to believe that a miracle could save them from the death and disease that comes with old age. Mond argues that because in the New World Order, there is no old age, only “youth and prosperity”, people have no reason to believe in a God. This makes having a religion seem useless.

• When John asks whether it is natural to believe in god, Mond replies that “People believe in God because they’ve been conditioned to believe in God.” John quotes a passage from King Lear, as proof that God punishes and rewards people accordingly. However, Mond replies that if Edmund had lived in their society, he would be alive and well rather than bleeding to death.

• Later, John declares that without God, people are degraded by their pleasant vices. There was no self-denial, chastity, or noble, fine, and heroic things. The World Controller reasons that chastity and self-denial would cause instability, ruining society, and that nobility is never needed in any situation. If by the slim chance that a situation did arise, soma was still available as a back-up plan. People are also conditioned to have different values from John.

• John says that negative emotions are still needed. He wants all the dangers and nuisances that were removed from society, since nothing in society required any effort. He embraces God, poetry, danger, freedom, goodness and sin, but Mond says all he is asking for is the right to be unhappy. Although John agrees, he does not change his wishes

CharacterisationJohn:• John’s morals revolve around Shakespeare. Since he was born in a savage

reservation, he was not conditioned like anyone else in society.• He is noble, but as very few understand the concept of nobility, he is often

alienated because of his views.• John starts out naïve when he first arrives in society, believing that society was

great. Later he becomes increasingly bitter about it – nothing was particularly difficult, and his Shakespearean values clashed with the reality of the World State.

Mustapha Mond• Mustapha Mond is one of the ten world controllers. He used to be a scientist with

an open mind, but now as a controller, he restricts new ideas.• Although he has knowledge on Shakespeare, he is devoted to keeping the World

State a stable place. He is prepared to make many sacrifices, such as literature and freedom, to maintain stability.

Themes

• Individuality : The theme of individuality is once again expressed in this chapter. It is shown in how both Mond and John have very different opinions on the topic of religion and God. John believes that people should be able to read the Bible and believe in God where as Mustapha believes that a belief in God would lead to an unindustrialised civilisation, which he does not want.

Quotes• “Christianity without tears – That’s what soma is.” Mustapha Mond. John protests that if the

people of the World State believed in God, they would not be degraded by their pleasant vices. They would have a reason for self-denial and chastity. God, John claims, is the reason for “everything noble and fine and heroic.” Mond says that no one in the World State is degraded; they just live by a different set of values than John does. World State civilization does not require anyone to bear unpleasant things. If, by accident something negative occurs, soma is there to take away the sting. Soma, he says, is “Christianity without tears.”

• “But i don’t want comfort. I want God .....” Pg 197. John The Savage. This is when Mond talks about V.P.S and the process and John opposes. It is a good quote as it shows John’s individuality and separated beliefs.

• The passage from Newman that Mond quotes suggests that individuals feel the need for religion as they lose the sense that they are in complete control of their own lives, as they experience loss and the weakening that comes with age. The sense that one is not in control of one’s life precedes the understanding that one is part of something larger (God’s plan). In the World State, no one grows old or experiences loss, so no one ever arrives at religious experience.