BNW Journal Ch. 8

Ch. 8

Summary:

            This chapter is about John’s life. Bernard is extremely curious about everything. He doesn’t even know what questions to ask John, so Bernard tells him to start from the very beginning, essentially his life story. We see how Linda, his mother, was thrust into a very unfamiliar world and had/has trouble coping with it. She was average in every way, back in the “civilized” society. This caused a lot of trouble when she cam to Malpais. Monogamy was not a way Linda was familiar with, so she slept with any man who came her way, despite John. She did not know how to mend clothes, so she and John wore rags. Attempting to cope with the loss of society was painful for her. Never before had she needed to deal with any negative emotions or situation on this scale. Linda probably had smaller problems, like what to wear, that were dealt with using soma. John had it rough once his mother discovered mescal, an alcoholic beverage. She tried to substitute is with soma, but it left a bad feeling afterwards. Linda drank it regardless.

            The other boys would laugh at John for his ripped clothing and whorish mother. Although, he did not know exactly what they were saying, as he wasn’t fluent in their language. Whenever John was made fun of, he just thought about reading. Linda had taught him how to read and he enjoyed it very much. One day, the man who showed Linda mescal and her lover, Pope’, left The Complete Works of William Shakespeare for John.

            John hates Pope’ because Linda learned about mescal form him. She drunk her days away and it shamed John. He tried to kill Pope’ with a knife, but Pope’ isn’t even angry and just disregards him as a little kid with no power.

            Mitsima, an old native man, acts as a sort of father figure to John. He shows John how to work with clay, make a bow, and generally guides him as he becomes an adult. One important event is when John is rejected by the other boys and told not to come to a ceremony where he would become a man. After running away, he sits on a beach and contemplates life. This contemplation leads him to discover time, death, and god in a sense that is applicable to his life.

John experienced his first love at sixteen and watched her get married to someone else. He tells Bernard about how lonely he is and how difference creates loneliness. They bond over this and Bernard tells John how lonely he is. Bernard reveals his plan to bring John & Linda back to society, without sharing his deeper plans. John thinks it is a good idea and can’t wait to go.

            John also reveals, though Bernard doesn’t catch it, his obsession and budding love for Lenina.

Lit. Elements:

            The very first sentence contains the symbol I picked out as interesting. There were four dogs lying dead on a heap when originally there was one. This says two things. A, the plot is thickening and the story is progressing. B, the dogs are symbolic of regular human life. The dogs represent humanity and the dead dogs represent the hardships of life. Bernard is recognizing and planning how to get back at the DHC. His faults and animosity are piling up.

Vocabulary:

None