characterization essay

Characterization Essay
By Amber Dennis

The authors of the Spark notes series writes, “As an outsider, John takes his values from a more than 900-year-old author, William Shakespeare. John’s extensive knowledge of Shakespeare’s works serves him in several important ways: it enables him to verbalize his own complex emotions and reactions, it provides him with a framework from which to criticize World State values, and it provides him with language that allows him to hold his own against the formidable rhetorical skill of Mustapha Mond during their confrontation”. John the Savage is a major character in Huxley’s Brave New World. We are introduced to John during Lenina and Bernard’s trip to the reservation. He is the son of Linda (a former Alpha from the World State) and the Director of Hatchery & Conditioning (the DHC). Bernard brings John home with him and John soon becomes a hit with the citizens of the World State. We learn of John’s ostracism and longing for acceptance from his flashbacks from his childhood. Through John’s journey through the World State, we witnessed his phrase from a naïve young boy to a fully enlightened man. John’s change in character is indicated by his discussions with Mustapha Mond (the head Controller), his reaction to his mother’s death, and his decision to go into isolation.
Discussions tend to reveal a great deal about characters beliefs. Throughout John’s discussions with Mustapha we learn of John’s true feelings about the World State and more about his “Savage” beliefs. He cannot comprehend a world where one would be happy not living up to their full potential. This becomes evident when he asks Mustapha, “And they’re happy below the water line?” (224). John is also uncomfortable with all of the sacrifices he will have to make if were to remain as a citizen of the World State (he desperately longs for acceptance). John points out to Mustapha, “Art, science. You seem to have paid a fairly high price for your happiness.” (230). John has such a strong faith in God, and holds steadfast to his beliefs, that being content in the World state would nearly be impossible for him. For instance, after all that John has learned about the World Sate, he still can’t fight the urge to ponder, “But isn’t it natural to feel there’s a God?” (234). By this point the cracks in John’s plans are widening, and although he is still trying to hold on as a member of the World State, Reality is slowly starting to set in that he will never be accepted by these people either.
Acceptance is a trick thing to acquire. John had a tumultuous time accepting the World States odd customs after the death of his mother. For example, seconds after Linda’s life slipped away, a small child repeatedly asked him if Linda was dead. This infuriated John so much that he pushed the little boy down and did turn back when the boy began to holler. Matters became worse when John ran into a crowd who was receiving their soma rations. John hates soma, and blames all of the World States evils on it (soma killed his mother). So, John threw all of it out of the window screaming, “Do you like being babies. Yes, babies. Mewling and puking.” He added, exasperated by their bestial stupidity into throwing insults at those he had come to save.” (212). This is John’s breaking point, he hates he citizens of the World State, saying “Like maggots they had swarmed, defiling over the mystery of Linda’s death.” (209).
John’s display of rebellion is a signal to everyone that there is a need for a change in scenery. John decides he should go into the jungle and isolate himself from the “civilized” world. When he is asked why he wants to leave when he has all the comforts he needs, John replies “But I don’t want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want goodness. I want sin” (240). John is done with trying to change himself to make others accept him, but the citizens of the World State ignored his pleads for solitude. When he citizens of the World state bombard his life house, John screams “Why don’t you leave me alone.” (256). Realizing that he would never truly be accepted or left alone, John makes a drastic decision, he kills himself. Huxley writes afterwards, “Slowly, very slowly, like two unhurried compass needles, the feet turned towards the right;…