BNW Journal Ch. 9

Ch. 9

Summary:

            Lenina is so stressed out about the previous day’s adventure and events that she takes enough Soma to be out in lala land for 18+ hours. Taking advantage of her indisposed nature, Bernard goes to visit Mustapha Mond. He has realized the full implications of the DHC’s fathering of John. Bernard can and plans to use this embarrassing blast from the past as leverage in the whole job situation. Bernard gets Mustapha to agree that taking two of the savages to London is a wonderful idea, strictly for scientific purposes of course. On a high horse, Bernard phones the Warden to tell him that papers would be coming for him to sign. Not forgetting to casually mention he was on the phone with a World Director moments ago.

            The scene switches to John. He goes to see Bernard and Lenina then has a panic attack because he believed they left him, when Bernard said he would take John and Linda back to society. John calms down once he see Lenina’s suitcase is still there. He breaks in and begins to smell, touch, and generally be a creeper in Lenina’s room while she is on a Soma holiday on the bed. He looks at her beauty and believes himself in love. He exits in a hurry when he hears Bernard’s helicopter landing outside.

Lit. Elements:

            The most prominent two allusions in chapter nine is to “Romeo and Juliet” and “Troilus and Cressida” both by William Shakespeare. John takes verses from both to describe Lenina’s beauty. The first excerpt is from “Troilus and Cressida”. This is a commentary on how the society is wildly accurate and excellent in some place, like how to control people, and yet so wrong as they have lost so much art. This reflects the comedy/tragedy’s confusing mood swings. Happy then dark, it flip-flops within scenes. The second allusion is to the tragedy “Romeo and Juliet” this is a foreshadow. The ending of that story is both lovers commit suicide, this is a hint of what might come.  They are fated to die, perhaps John and Lenina, or at least one of them, is going to die and/or commit suicide.

Vocabulary:

Vestal -adj- chaste/pure

Acetate  -noun- a salt or acetic acid