Summary- John rushes to the hospital in order to see his dying mother. He asks the nurses about the whereabouts of his mother. The nurses are surprised at the hurry of this visitor and the fact that he has a mother. Linda was surrounded with a sea of appliances like the radio, television and a music box to try to make her passing easier. Linda smiles at John, finally at home and dies happy. Then a group of delta twins are brought in for death conditioning. They comment on Linda's unpleasant appearance and John lift one of them up threatening to hurt them if they did not stop talking. The nurse in return threatens to kick John out of the hospital. John runs out by pushing people out of the way. Outside of the hospital is a person giving soma distributions. John runs up to the man and makes a speech about how soma is poison and that the people were slaves of society. He throws it all away, creating a huge commotion. Bernard and Helmholtz were walking by when they saw this incident. They tried to save John from the maddened crowd of deltas when the police came. They took the three to the controller's office. There they were met with Mustapha Mond, the World Controller of Western Europe. It is revealed that the controller is also educated in reading. John and Mustapha go on in a huge debate over the reason that education, religion, and art are prohibited in society. Mustapha ultimately responds that it is because it threatens world peace and stability. Mustapha was very much like Helmholtz, an alpha too smart for his own good. He was about to be sent off to an isolated island himself, but he decided he would be a world controller. Helmholtz and Bernard are to be sent to Falkland Islands a place for people like Helmholtz who are curious for more knowledge. It is supposed to be a punishment but Mustapha expresses envy at the opportunity to be with people like himself. John asked to be sent to the island as well, but the controller refused stating that they wanted to do an experiment. John refuses to be an experimental subject and isolates himself in an abandoned lighthouse away from civilization. He was left alone for the first few days, but was barraged by reporters soon after. This was because some people witnessed John whipping himself which they turned into a popular feely. John later attacks the reporter with a whip after some people demanding that he whip himself again. Reporters come the next day only to find John who had committed suicide.
Quote- "A reparation, a duty. And suddenly it was luminously clear to the Savage what he must do; it was as though a shutter had been opened, a curtain drawn back."(Huxley 191).
Reaction- The quote above shows the point where John realizes that civilization was horrible. The people of civilizations were slaves and they had no control of anything. He then proceeds to do something about it, but the people of civilization like being slaves with noting to worry about. This quote was important because it showed the moment when he realized that society was a horrible system of mindless robots. The story's points can be summed up by the debate between Mustapha and John. Mustapha traded stability for beauty and life. John is horrified and continues to believe that stability is not worth losing art and culture. I found Huxley's writing style for this book very peculiar. He actually shows the main character, John when the book is halfway over. It is apparent that John is the focus because of all the events that surround him and his thoughts on society. It was a very unique way of writing. I really enjoyed this book and all the philosophical questions that it posed.
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