Editing Brave New World (section)

==Characters==
'''Bernard Marx''', a sleep-learning specialist at the Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre. Although Bernard is an Alpha-Plus (the upper class of the society), he is a misfit. He is unusually short for an Alpha; an alleged accident with alcohol in Bernard's blood-surrogate before his decanting has left him slightly stunted. Unlike his fellow utopians, Bernard is often angry, resentful, and jealous. At times, he is also cowardly and hypocritical. His conditioning is clearly incomplete. He does not enjoy communal sports, solidarity services, or promiscuous sex. He does not particularly enjoy soma. Bernard is in love with Lenina and does not like her sleeping with other men, even though "everyone belongs to everyone else". Bernard's triumphant return to utopian civilisation with John the Savage from the Reservation precipitates the downfall of the Director, who had been planning to exile him. Bernard's triumph is short-lived; he is ultimately banished to an island<!--NOTE: Although John asks if he could 'go to the islands' with Bernard and Watson, it is not necessarily true that Bernard and Watson are both going to the Falkland Islands. Only Watson is definitely going to the Falklands. Bernard's island is never explicitly stated.--> for his non-conformist behaviour.

'''John''', the illicit son of the Director and Linda, born and reared on the Savage Reservation ("Malpais") after Linda was unwittingly left behind by her errant lover. John ("the Savage" or "Mr Savage", as he is often called) is an outsider both on the Reservation—where the natives still practise marriage, natural birth, family life and religion—and the ostensibly civilised World State, based on principles of stability and happiness. He has read nothing but the complete works of [[William Shakespeare]], which he quotes extensively, and, for the most part, aptly, though his allusion to the "Brave New World" (Miranda's words in ''[[The Tempest]]'') takes on a darker and bitterly ironic resonance as the novel unfolds. John is intensely moral according to a code that he has been taught by Shakespeare and life in Malpais but is also naïve: his views are as imported into his own consciousness as are the [[hypnopedia|hypnopedic]] messages of World State citizens. The admonishments of the men of Malpais taught him to regard his mother as a whore; but he cannot grasp that these were the same men who continually sought her out despite their supposedly sacred pledges of monogamy. Because he is unwanted in Malpais, he accepts the invitation to travel back to London and is initially astonished by the comforts of the World State. He remains committed to values that exist only in his poetry. He first spurns Lenina for failing to live up to his Shakespearean ideal and then the entire utopian society: he asserts that its technological wonders and consumerism are poor substitutes for individual freedom, human dignity and personal integrity. After his mother's death, he becomes deeply distressed with grief, surprising onlookers in the hospital. He then withdraws himself from society and attempts to purify himself of "sin" (desire), but is unable to do so. His unusual behaviour eventually attracts the attention of reporters and, later, huge amounts of people, who arrive in helicopters and make John furious with their behaviour. Excited by his fury, people start an orgy, which he cannot resist joining. After waking up the next morning, John is horrified by his actions and hangs himself.

'''Helmholtz Watson''', a handsome and successful Alpha-Plus lecturer at the College of Emotional Engineering and a friend of Bernard. He feels unfulfilled writing endless propaganda doggerel, and the stifling conformism and [[philistinism]] of the World State make him restive. Helmholtz is ultimately exiled to the [[Falkland Islands]]—a cold asylum for disaffected Alpha-Plus non-conformists—after reading a heretical poem to his students on the virtues of solitude and helping John destroy some Deltas' rations of soma following Linda's death. Unlike Bernard, he takes his exile in his stride and comes to view it as an opportunity for inspiration in his writing. His first name derives from the German physicist [[Hermann von Helmholtz]].

'''Lenina Crowne''', a young, beautiful foetus technician at the Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre. Lenina Crowne is a Beta who enjoys being a Beta. She is a vaccination worker with beliefs and values that are in line with a citizen of the World State. She is part of the 30% of the female population that are not freemartins (sterile women). Lenina is promiscuous and popular but somewhat quirky in her society: she had a four-month relation with Henry Foster, choosing not to have sex with anyone but him for a period of time. She is basically happy and well-conditioned, using soma to suppress unwelcome emotions, as is expected. Lenina has a date with Bernard, to whom she feels ambivalently attracted, and she goes to the Reservation with him. On returning to civilisation, she tries and fails to seduce John the Savage. John loves and desires Lenina but he is repelled by her forwardness and the prospect of pre-marital sex, rejecting her as an "[[q:List of quotes from Shakespeare in Brave New World#Chapter 13|impudent strumpet]]". Lenina visits John at the lighthouse but he attacks her with a whip, unwittingly inciting onlookers to do the same. Her exact fate is left unspecified.

'''Mustapha Mond''', Resident World Controller of Western Europe, "His Fordship" Mustapha Mond presides over one of the ten zones of the World State, the global government set up after the cataclysmic Nine Years' War and great Economic Collapse. Sophisticated and good-natured, Mond is an urbane and hyperintelligent advocate of the World State and its ethos of "Community, Identity, Stability". Among the novel's characters, he is uniquely aware of the precise nature of the society he oversees and what it has given up to accomplish its gains. Mond argues that art, literature, and scientific freedom must be sacrificed to secure the ultimate [[Utilitarianism|utilitarian]] goal of maximising societal happiness. He defends the caste system, behavioural conditioning, and the lack of personal freedom in the World State: these, he says, are a price worth paying for achieving social stability, the highest social virtue because it leads to lasting happiness.

'''Fanny Crowne''', Lenina Crowne's friend (they have the same last name because only ten thousand last names are in use in a World State comprising two billion people). Fanny voices the conventional values of her caste and society, particularly the importance of promiscuity: she advises Lenina that she should have more than one man in her life because it is unseemly to concentrate on just one. Fanny then warns Lenina away from a new lover whom she considers undeserving, yet she is ultimately supportive of the young woman's attraction to the savage John.

'''Henry Foster''', one of Lenina's many lovers, is a perfectly conventional Alpha male, casually discussing Lenina's body with his coworkers. His success with Lenina, and his casual attitude about it, infuriate the jealous Bernard. Henry ultimately proves himself every bit the ideal World State citizen, finding no courage to defend Lenina from John's assaults despite having maintained an uncommonly longstanding sexual relationship with her.

'''Benito Hoover''', another of Lenina's lovers. She remembers that he is particularly hairy when he takes his clothes off.<!--is this really useful? -->

The '''Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning (DHC)''', also known as '''Thomas "Tomakin"''', is the administrator of the Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre, where he is a threatening figure who intends to exile Bernard to Iceland. His plans take an unexpected turn when Bernard returns from the Reservation with Linda (see below) and John, a child they both realise is actually his. This fact, scandalous and obscene in the World State, not because it was extramarital (which all sexual acts are), but because it was procreative, leads the Director to resign his post in shame.

'''{{visible anchor|Linda}}''', John's mother, decanted as a Beta-Minus in the World State, originally worked in the DHC's Fertilizing Room, and subsequently lost during a storm while visiting the New Mexico Savage Reservation with the Director many years before the events of the novel. Despite following her usual precautions, Linda became pregnant with the Director's son during their time together and was therefore unable to return to the World State by the time that she found her way to Malpais. Having been conditioned to the promiscuous social norms of the World State, Linda finds herself at once popular with every man in the pueblo (because she is open to all sexual advances) and also reviled for the same reason, seen as a whore by the wives of the men who visit her and by the men themselves (who come to her nonetheless). Her only comforts there are ''mescal'' brought by Popé as well as ''[[peyote|peyotl]]''. Linda is desperate to return to the World State and to soma, wanting nothing more from her remaining life than comfort until death.

The '''Arch-Community-Songster''', the secular equivalent of the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] in the World State society. He takes personal offense when John refuses to attend Bernard's party.

The '''Director of Crematoria and Phosphorus Reclamation''', one of the many disappointed, important figures to attend Bernard's party.

The '''Warden''', an Alpha-Minus, the talkative chief administrator for the New Mexico Savage Reservation. He is blond, short, broad-shouldered, and has a booming voice.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Huxley|first1=Aldous|title=Brave New World|date=1932|publisher=Harper & Brothers|isbn=978-0-06-085052-4|location=New York|page=101}}<!--|access-date=2015-04-16--></ref>

'''Darwin Bonaparte''', a "big game photographer" (i.e., filmmaker) who films John flogging himself. Darwin Bonaparte became known for two works: "feely of the gorillas' wedding",<ref name="Brave New World">{{cite book|last1=Huxley|first1=Aldous|title=Brave New World|date=1932|publisher=Harper & Brothers|isbn=978-0-06-085052-4|location=New York|page=253}}<!--|access-date=2015-04-16--></ref> and "Sperm Whale's Love-life".<ref name="Brave New World"/> He had already made a name for himself<ref>{{cite book|last1=Huxley|first1=Aldous|title=Brave New World|date=1932|publisher=Harper & Brothers|isbn=978-0-06-085052-4|location=New York|page=252}}<!--|access-date=2015-04-16--></ref> but still seeks more. He renews his fame by filming the savage, John, in his newest release "The Savage of Surrey".<ref>{{cite book|last1=Huxley|first1=Aldous|title=Brave New World|date=1932|publisher=Harper & Brothers|isbn=978-0-06-085052-4|location=New York|page=254}}<!--|access-date=2015-04-16--></ref> His name alludes to [[Charles Darwin]] and [[Napoleon Bonaparte]].

'''Dr. Shaw''', Bernard Marx's physician who consequently becomes the physician of both Linda and John. He prescribes a lethal dose of soma to Linda, which will stop her respiratory system from functioning in a span of one to two months, at her own behest but not without protest from John. Ultimately, they all agree that it is for the best, since denying her this request would cause more trouble for Society and Linda herself.

'''Dr. Gaffney''', [[Provost (education)|Provost]] of Eton, an Upper School for high-caste individuals. He shows Bernard and John around the classrooms, and the Hypnopaedic Control Room (used for behavioural conditioning through sleep learning). John asks if the students read Shakespeare but the Provost says the library contains only reference books because solitary activities, such as reading, are discouraged.

'''Miss Keate''', [[Head teacher|Head Mistress]] of [[Eton College|Eton]] Upper School. Bernard fancies her, and arranges an assignation with her.<ref>Her name is a in-joke reference to [[John Keate]], the notorious 19th century flogging headmaster of Eton.</ref>

===Others===
* [[Freemartin#Fictional use|Freemartins]], women who have been deliberately made sterile by exposure to male hormones during foetal development but are still physically normal except for "the slightest tendency to grow beards". In the book, government policy requires freemartins to form 70% of the female population.

===Of Malpais===
* '''Popé''', a native of Malpais. Although he reinforces the behaviour that causes hatred for Linda in Malpais by sleeping with her and bringing her ''[[Mezcal|mescal]]'', he still holds the traditional beliefs of his tribe. In his early years John attempted to kill him, but Popé brushed off his attempt and sent him fleeing. He gave Linda a copy of the Complete Works of Shakespeare. (Historically, [[Popé]] or Po'pay was a [[Tewa people|Tewa]] religious leader who led the [[Pueblo Revolt]] in 1680 against [[Spain|Spanish]] colonial rule.)
* '''Mitsima''', an elder tribal [[shaman]] who also teaches John survival skills such as rudimentary ceramics (specifically [[coil pot]]s, which were traditional to Native American tribes) and bow-making.
* '''Kiakimé''', a native girl whom John fell for, but is instead eventually wed to another boy from Malpais.
* '''Kothlu''', a native boy with whom Kiakimé is wed.

===Background figures===
These are non-fictional and factual characters who lived before the events in this book, but are of note in the novel:
* [[Henry Ford]], who has become a [[messianism|messianic]] figure to the [[World state in Brave New World|World State]]. "Our Ford" is used in place of "Our Lord", as a credit to popularising the use of the [[assembly line]].
* [[Sigmund Freud]], "Our Freud" is sometimes said in place of "Our Ford" because Freud's psychoanalytic method depends implicitly upon the rules of classical conditioning,{{citation needed|date=November 2020}} and because Freud popularised the idea that sexual activity is essential to human happiness. (It is also strongly implied that citizens of the World State believe Freud and Ford to be the same person.)<ref>chapter 3, "Our Ford-or Our Freud, as, for some inscrutable reason, he chose to call himself whenever he spoke of psychological matters–Our Freud had been the first to reveal the appalling dangers of family life"</ref>
* [[H. G. Wells]], "Dr. Wells", British writer and [[utopian socialism|utopian socialist]], whose book ''[[Men Like Gods]]'' was a motivation for ''Brave New World''. "All's well that ends Wells", wrote Huxley in his letters, criticising Wells for anthropological assumptions Huxley found unrealistic.
* [[Ivan Pavlov]], whose conditioning techniques are used to train infants.
* [[William Shakespeare]], whose banned works are quoted throughout the novel by John, "the Savage". The plays quoted include ''[[Macbeth]]'', ''[[The Tempest]]'', ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'', ''[[Hamlet]]'', ''[[King Lear]]'', ''[[Troilus and Cressida]]'', ''[[Measure for Measure]]'' and ''[[Othello]]''. Mustapha Mond also knows them because as a World Controller he has access to a selection of books from throughout history, including the [[Bible]].
* [[Thomas Robert Malthus]], 19th century British economist, believed the people of the Earth would eventually be threatened by their inability to raise enough food to feed the population. In the novel, the eponymous character devises the contraceptive techniques (Malthusian belt) that are practiced by women of the World State.
* Reuben Rabinovitch, the Polish-Jew character on whom the effects of sleep-learning, [[Sleep-learning|hypnopædia]], are first observed.
* [[John Henry Newman]], 19th century Catholic theologian and educator, believed university education the critical element in advancing post-industrial Western civilization. Mustapha Mond and The Savage discuss a passage from one of Newman's books.
* [[Alfred Mond, 1st Baron Melchett|Alfred Mond]], British industrialist, financier and politician. He is the namesake of Mustapha Mond.<ref name="Naughton">{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/22/aldous-huxley-prophet-dystopia-cs-lewis|title=Aldous Huxley: the prophet of our brave new digital dystopia {{!}} John Naughton|last=Naughton|first=John|date=2013-11-22|website=The Guardian|language=en|access-date=2018-10-07}}</ref>
* [[Mustafa Kemal Atatürk]], the founder and first President of [[Turkey|Republic of Turkey]]. Naming Mond after Atatürk links up with their characteristics; he reigned during the time ''Brave New World'' was written and revolutionised the 'old' Ottoman state into a new nation.<ref name="Naughton"/>

===Sources of names and references===
The limited number of names that the World State assigned to its bottle-grown citizens can be traced to political and cultural figures who contributed to the bureaucratic, economic, and technological systems of Huxley's age, and presumably those systems in ''Brave New World''.<ref>{{cite book |first=Jerome |last=Meckier |editor1-last=Firchow |editor1-first=Peter Edgerly |editor2-last=Nugel |editor2-first=Bernfried |chapter=Onomastic Satire: Names and Naming in ''Brave New World'' |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D159Z5kJa_YC&pg=PR5 |title=Aldous Huxley: modern satirical novelist of ideas |publisher=Lit Verlag |year=2006 |pages=187ff |isbn=3-8258-9668-4 |oclc=71165436 |access-date=28 January 2009}}</ref>
* Soma: Huxley took the name for the drug used by the state to control the population after the Vedic ritual drink [[Soma (drink)|Soma]], inspired by his interest in Indian [[mysticism]].
* Malthusian belt: A contraceptive device worn by women. When Huxley was writing ''Brave New World'', organizations such as the [[Malthusian League]] had spread throughout Europe, advocating contraception. Although the controversial economic theory of [[Malthusianism]] was derived from [[An Essay on the Principle of Population|an essay]] by [[Thomas Robert Malthus|Thomas Malthus]] about the economic effects of population growth, Malthus himself was an advocate of abstinence rather than contraception.
*[[Bokanovsky's Process]]: A scientific process used in the World State to mass-produce human beings. Specifically, the "Bokanovsky Process" is a method of producing multiple embryos from a single fertilized egg, creating up to 96 identical individuals. This technique is central to the society's efforts to maintain social stability and control, as it allows for the creation of a standardized, docile workforce. It's part of the larger theme in the novel of dehumanization and the reduction of individuality in the pursuit of a controlled, stable society. It is thought that the process's name is a reference to [[Maurice Bokanowski]], a French Bureaucrat who believed strongly in the idea of governmental and social efficiency. Complementing this, Podsnap's Technique accelerates the maturation of human eggs, enabling the rapid production of thousands of nearly identical individuals. Together, these methods facilitate the creation of a large, standardized population, eliminating natural reproduction and traditional family structures, thereby reinforcing the World State's control over its citizens.