Bernard Brave New World Analysis

In Huxley’s, Brave New World, Bernard Marx, one of the story’s main protagonist’s, fails to play the role of a dystopian hero. An Alpha male, who is supposedly meant to be a big, strong, leader figure, is unsuccessful in fitting into society because of his substandard physical appearance. Due to his dissatisfaction and lack of confidence with himself, Bernard’s main goal is to fit into the dystopia and raise his social status. However, because Bernard is so focused on himself, he is unable to criticize or recognize the wrong within his own society. He does not meet the requirements of a dystopian hero because he fails to believe or feel that something is wrong with the society as he thinks there’s something wrong with him, he does not question
He does not recognize anything negative within his society but recognizes the negativity in his life and attempts to cut it out. In chapter twelve, Bernard arranges a large meet and greet the Savage that is filled with very important people. However, John ultimately refuses to attend and locks himself in his room, and, “What should have been the crowning moment of Bernard’s whole career had turned out to be the moment of his greatest humiliation” (12.175-6). Because of Bernard’s deep humiliation and embarrassment, he takes “four tablets of soma” (12.176). Bernard, like the rest of the population use soma as an escape to be “happy”, and to cut out real emotion/negativity. On the other hand, John recognizes the negative aspects in the society, especially with soma. Rising from the sadness and anger of his mother’s death, in chapter fifteen, John encounters a group of two Bokanovsky groups of Delta twins picking up their soma rations in a hospital and his motive is to stop people from taking soma and show them what true freedom is. John shouts, “Don’t take that horrible stuff. It’s poison, it’s poison…Poison to soul as well as body…I come to bring you freedom” (15.211). The workers are unable to understand John, and this infuriates him. John begins to throw handful of boxes of soma out of the window causing a riot to begin. Helmholtz Watson helps John throw out the poison while Bernard stands to the side and acts as if he’s helping but shouting and pointing, “Help!” (15.214) to the police. Here, John is proving his knowledge of the negativity in the society whereas Bernard displays his lack of knowledge of the negativity. After the riot, Mustapha Mond tells Bernard and Helmholtz that they will be exiled. However, Bernard is unaware of the freedom of the outside world because he thinks the new world