Brave New World Book Notes Summary

Bernard is late to a meeting with the Director and Henry Foster. The Director is talking badly about Bernard to Henry, about how the greater a man's intellectual talents, the more moral responsibility he has.

"The greater a man's talents, the greater his power to lead astray. It is better that one should suffer than that many should be corrupted. Consider the matter dispassionately, Mr. Foster, and you will see that no offence is so heinous as unorthodoxy of behaviour. Murder kills only the individual-and after all, what is an individual?... We can make a new one with the greatest ease-as many as we like. Unorthodoxy threatens more than the life of a mere individual; it strikes at Society itself." Chapter 10, pg. 148

Bernard finally enters the room. The Director reprimands him harshly in front of all the people at the meeting as a conspirator and suggests his deportation. The Director asks him if there is any reason why he should not be punished, and Bernard triumphantly presents Linda. Linda, old, fat, and terrifying to the spectators, rushes toward the Director, calling him by his first name and lunging with grief to embrace him when she sees that he does not remember her. The Director is horrified and mortified, and Bernard then prepares the biggest shock of all. John enters the room, falls to his knees and says clearly, "My father!" At this preposterous idea, the people break into whooping laughter. The Director looks around the office desperately, and humiliated, he runs out of the room with his hands over his ears.

Topic Tracking: Government 12
Topic Tracking: Inferiority 13