Character analysis
Brave New World, the best selling dystopian novel by Aldous Huxley, explores a society left Godless and dependent on corrupt leaders and synthetic happiness. While Mustapha Mond sees God as a no longer needed crutch and his society as effective and imperative, John sees God as a intensely burning desideratum and Brave New World’s society as presumptuous and vacuous, thus leading to their disagreement and ultimately John’s suicide. This book could be interpreted as a warning to the future generations. There have been recent technological advances that have opened doors that people never thought could be opened; we simultaneously have the ability to destroy everything or the ability as a generation to save ourselves.
As illustrated in the book, John and Mustapha have conflicting views on society, and rightfully so; both have been raised to believe and value very different things. John, raised on the reservation, was brought up in a much less pleasant place full of pain and suffering, thus providing the foil for Mustapha Mond. While John was raised with the ever present harsh realities of extreme poverty and the grievous conditions on the reservation, Mustapha Mond was raised with the sumptuous splendors and happiness of Brave New World. When John confronts this apparently rapturous and luxurious society he is taken aback by the dramatic change in conditions and human behavior; however, when Mustapha sees his society he sees a highly functional and happy society with the people acting how he was raised with them acting; doing the ‘right’ things. Perhaps given the right circumstances John and Mustapha would have been friends, as they are both extremely knowledgeable about their passions, thus leading to the next motif, religion.
John, the savage, the misfit, the splash of color on the starchy black and white canvas of Brave New World, provides a perfect foil for Mustapha Mond. John is passionate about the unseen God, the masquerade of society and the reason behind suffering; Mustapha Mond values God as a past tense tendency, not a current day necessity and pain as foolish if it can be avoided; soma for example. “All the advantages of Christianity and alcohol; none of their defects.(Aldous Huxley, BNW Page 54 Paragraph 2)” John has been exposed to such different experiences that Mustapha Mond has not come close to experiencing, which highlights Mustapha Mond’s conditioning. Mustapha was not born with God, he was conditioned just like every other Alpha Plus in Brave New World, and just as John he was set apart from others. However, while Mustapha’s differences led to world domination, John’s differences led to suicide. Mustapha’s experiences with God have been from afar, from books, and from what other people in power thought and or knew; he thinks God is there, just as an absence, not an omnipresent figure of ultimate power. John’s experience with God has been a discovery in a time of devastation and utter hopelessness. There is no doubt about God’s existence for John, no question in his mind whatsoever.
John has severe convictions and commitment to his God, and is soon confused and adrift by the pressures and expectations of Brave New World. He finds that these things are discordant with his virtues which leads to his relocation. Once there he starts to self-punish and purge himself from the contamination of civilization. He is spotted performing these rituals and anon a flock of reporters and citizens descend, including his previous love interest, Lenina. Seeing her again sends him into a frenzy, whipping her and participating in everything he stands firmly against. Once he is conscious again the following morning, he realizes what he’s done and hangs himself. Some people opine that Huxley is illustrating what he envisions to be the perfect society however, others suggest that a perfect society is not what Huxley is aiming for; that he is giving a warning against what we the people have control over, our technological advances and our ability to make everything in the book reality.
In conclusion, John and Mustapha have very different views on God and Brave New World. John believes in the right to God, purity and suffering. Mustapha believes in efficiency and stability. Their differences provide an excellent foil for each other; which helps readers understand both characters on a deeper level. By providing readers with in depth character foils, it also helps understand the meaning of the book; it helps by showing how Huxley uses these characters to represent not only the different societies, but the different beliefs. Understanding the book is crucial to interpreting the warning that some people see in Brave New World. This warning of technological advances, human behavior and turning away from what this country was founded on. As Mustapha Mond says, “Providence takes its cue from men. ( Huxley, 236)”
As illustrated in the book, John and Mustapha have conflicting views on society, and rightfully so; both have been raised to believe and value very different things. John, raised on the reservation, was brought up in a much less pleasant place full of pain and suffering, thus providing the foil for Mustapha Mond. While John was raised with the ever present harsh realities of extreme poverty and the grievous conditions on the reservation, Mustapha Mond was raised with the sumptuous splendors and happiness of Brave New World. When John confronts this apparently rapturous and luxurious society he is taken aback by the dramatic change in conditions and human behavior; however, when Mustapha sees his society he sees a highly functional and happy society with the people acting how he was raised with them acting; doing the ‘right’ things. Perhaps given the right circumstances John and Mustapha would have been friends, as they are both extremely knowledgeable about their passions, thus leading to the next motif, religion.
John, the savage, the misfit, the splash of color on the starchy black and white canvas of Brave New World, provides a perfect foil for Mustapha Mond. John is passionate about the unseen God, the masquerade of society and the reason behind suffering; Mustapha Mond values God as a past tense tendency, not a current day necessity and pain as foolish if it can be avoided; soma for example. “All the advantages of Christianity and alcohol; none of their defects.(Aldous Huxley, BNW Page 54 Paragraph 2)” John has been exposed to such different experiences that Mustapha Mond has not come close to experiencing, which highlights Mustapha Mond’s conditioning. Mustapha was not born with God, he was conditioned just like every other Alpha Plus in Brave New World, and just as John he was set apart from others. However, while Mustapha’s differences led to world domination, John’s differences led to suicide. Mustapha’s experiences with God have been from afar, from books, and from what other people in power thought and or knew; he thinks God is there, just as an absence, not an omnipresent figure of ultimate power. John’s experience with God has been a discovery in a time of devastation and utter hopelessness. There is no doubt about God’s existence for John, no question in his mind whatsoever.
John has severe convictions and commitment to his God, and is soon confused and adrift by the pressures and expectations of Brave New World. He finds that these things are discordant with his virtues which leads to his relocation. Once there he starts to self-punish and purge himself from the contamination of civilization. He is spotted performing these rituals and anon a flock of reporters and citizens descend, including his previous love interest, Lenina. Seeing her again sends him into a frenzy, whipping her and participating in everything he stands firmly against. Once he is conscious again the following morning, he realizes what he’s done and hangs himself. Some people opine that Huxley is illustrating what he envisions to be the perfect society however, others suggest that a perfect society is not what Huxley is aiming for; that he is giving a warning against what we the people have control over, our technological advances and our ability to make everything in the book reality.
In conclusion, John and Mustapha have very different views on God and Brave New World. John believes in the right to God, purity and suffering. Mustapha believes in efficiency and stability. Their differences provide an excellent foil for each other; which helps readers understand both characters on a deeper level. By providing readers with in depth character foils, it also helps understand the meaning of the book; it helps by showing how Huxley uses these characters to represent not only the different societies, but the different beliefs. Understanding the book is crucial to interpreting the warning that some people see in Brave New World. This warning of technological advances, human behavior and turning away from what this country was founded on. As Mustapha Mond says, “Providence takes its cue from men. ( Huxley, 236)”