In my opinion, Aldous Huxley is making fun of the idea of a utopian community. In the novel, everyone seems to go along with the caste system and the idea that you are made to do a certain job, like what you do and that only, have no emotional attachments to anyone, or in other words, you are "conditioned" to do what you are told on every subject. Huxley makes a "perfect" world of the World State, but in reality, it's not perfect at all.

Huxley loved science and wanted to be a doctor. Because of his disability he was unable to do this. I think he wrote this book because they would not except him in the world of medicine and science. In the character of Bernard, this can be seen.

Agree? Disagree?

Aldous Huxley

Aldous Huxley, author of Brave New World, was an English writer who was best known for his novels but also wrote short stories, poetry, and film scripts. He was a mystic and pacifist and also well known for supporting and taking hallucinogens and is considered to be the "spiritual father" of the hippie movement. Huxley was a leader of modern thought.


"Experience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with what happens to him."

– Aldous Huxley

Reading Assignment 2: Chapters 4-5

Gene realizes that while he has been jealous of Finny, Finny has been jealous of Gene. Finny, as Gene has described him, is perfect. He is athletic, popular, and friendly to everyone. Gene comes to the conclusion one day that Finny is trying to take him away from his studies by going to the tree because Finny wants Gene to bad academically. But in the end, Gene goes with Finny to the tree due to Finny sincere response to Gene's reaction to them going to the tree. While in the tree, attempting a double jump, Gene has an impulse and forces Finny to fall out of the tree. Gene feels cleansed by this as he jumps into the river after Finny has fallen.

Reading Assignment 1:Chapters 1-3

Gene Forrester revisits his school after several years, and when he returns he views specific places in detail. He describes the buildings, the stairs, and most importantly, the tree, where many of his memories from Devon haunt him. After visiting the tree, the book uses a flashback, going from older Gene, to adolescent Gene. Young Gene describes us to Phineas or Finny, his best friend and roomate at Devon for the summer session. I believe that summer, in these first chapters is very important towards the mood of the novel. In summer, eveything seems to be relaxed, calm, laidback, and carefree. In these chapters, thats how Finny and Gene first interact along with the others students and the faculty there as well.