Brave New World Chapter 8: The Life of John in Malpais

"The happiest time were when she told him about the Other Place. "And you really can go flying, whenever you like?" "Whenever you like." And she would tell him about the lovely music that came out of a box, and all the nice games you could play, and the delicious things to eat and drink, and the light that came when you pressed a little things in the wall, and the pictures that you could hear and feel and smell, as well as see, and another box for making nice smells, and the pink and green and blue and silver houses as high as mountains, and everybody happy and no one ever sad or angry, and every one belonging to every one else..." (Huxley 127-128). 

Anchor Statement: Scientific and technological advancements benefit society. 

In Chapter 8, Bernard and John discuss the different worlds they live in. Bernard asks John to explain his world to him, stating that it is so different that one would think they are different planets. John later explains to Bernard the hardships he faced growing up; his mother being the town whore, getting abused, his mother being an alcoholic, etc. John cares greatly about his mother, Linda, but his mother resents having John as her son. John is constantly outcasted from activities in his town because he is a different color than everybody else. Bernard later informs John that he can take him to his world, Brave New World. John is intrigued by his offer and asks if he can bring his mother along, at first Bernard is hesistant, but later he agrees. In this quote we see how Linda discusses the Brave New World to John. In this Brave New World technology and science are used constantly to enhance their society and to ensure the happiness of everyone, whether it be soma, airplanes, etc. Therefore, I qualify the statement that scientific and technological advancements benefit society, because although these things are appreciated by Linda, they would not be appreciated by the people of Malpais because of their customs and beliefs. 

Brave New World Chapter 7: The Savage Reservation

"That's because we don't allow them to be like that. We preserve them from diseases. We keep their internal secretions artificially balances at a youthful equilibrium. We don't permit their magnesium-calcium ratio to fall below what it was at thirty. We give them transfusion of young blood. We keep their metabolism permanently stimulated. So, of course, they don't look like that. Partly," he added, "because most of them die long before they reach this old creature's age. Youth almost unimpaired till sixty, and them crack! the end" (Huxley 110-111). 

Anchor Statement: Scientific and technological advancements benefit society. 

In Chapter 7, Bernard and Lenina go to the Savage Reservation. Lenina is astonished when she sees people of old age that look so different than the people in the world she lives in. Bernard explains to her, that in their world people are not made to live past a certain age and that they have scientific advancements that allow them to look and stay youthful. In the Savage Reservation they do not use these scientific advancements, instead they age naturally. I qualify the statement that scientific and technological advancements benefit society because although in Brave New World these scientific advancements allow them to maintain their age in beauty which can be seen as a positive note, their unnatural aging can also be negative for them mentally and physically. Many people would argue that if they were given an opportunity to stop aging they would, but their halt in aging could be dreadful for their long-term health. Especially since people in the Brave New World do not live after 60.

Brave New World Chapter 6: Lenina and Bernard Date Night

"...and in spite of his misery absolutely refused to take the half-gramme rasberry sundae which she pressed upon him. I'd rather be myself," he said. "Myself and nasty. Not somebody else, however jolly..."A gramme is always better than a damn" (Huxley 89-90).

Anchor Statement: Scientific and technological advancements benefit society. 

In Chapter 6, Lenina and Bernard go out on a date. Lenina and Bernard have different ideas of how a date should go. Lenina wants to do exciting and fun things whereas Bernard wants to participate in calm activities such as walking and talking. Lenina questions Bernard's choice and later persuades him to attend the Semi-Demi-Finals of the Women's Heavyweight Wrestling Championship. There, Lenina hands him a half-gramme (probably some sort of stimulant) but Bernard refuses. He replies that he would rather be himself than be somebody else due to the half-gramme. This scientific advancement in Brave New World (half-gramme), allows people to be someone other than themselves. I qualify the statement that scientific and technological advancements benefit society because although Lenina enjoys this drug, Bernard does not. He would rather be himself, whereas Lenina would rather have fun and abuse the drug. 

Brave New World Chapter 3: Pregnancy Substitute, Good or Bad?

"But, my dear, you're only nineteen. The first Pregnancy Substitute isn't compulsory till twenty-one." "I know, dear. But some people are better if they begin earlier. Dr. Wells told me that brunettes with wide pelvises, like me, ought to have their first Pregnancy Substitute at seventeen. So I'm really two years late, not two years early."... "Dr. Wells says that a three months' Pregnancy Substitute now will make all the difference to my health for the next three or four years" (Huxley 38-39).

Anchor Statement: Scientific and technological advancements benefit society. 

In Chapter 3, Fanny discusses with Lenina her desire to begin a Pregnancy Substitute. In Brave New World there is no pregnancy, so a Pregnancy Substitute is an injection that tricks the body into thinking its pregnant and that balances the hormones. Lenina voices her belief that Fanny is too young to get a Pregnancy Substitute because most people obtain it when they are twenty-one and Fanny is only nineteen years old. Fanny tells Lenina that she has discussed it with her doctor, Dr. Wells, and that he has told her that it will be beneficial for her long-term health. I qualify this scientific advancement because although this Pregnancy Substitute will stop her from having unwanted children, it entices and allows people in Brave New World to have more and more sex with more and more people. But, in Brave New World this Pregnancy Substitute is obviously seen as a beneficial factor in their lives that allows them to be promiscuous without having any bad side-effects. 

Brave New World Chapter 5: Synthetic Music and Orgy Porgy

"Phosphorus recovery," explained Henry telegraphically. "On their way up the chimney the gases go through four separate treatments. P2O5 used to go right out of circulation every time they cremated some one. Now they recover over ninety-eight per cent of it. More than a kilo and a half per adult corpse. Which makes the best part of four hundred tons of phosphorus every year from England alone." Henry spoke with a happy pride, rejoicing wholeheartedly in the achievement, as though it had been his own. "Fine to think we can go on being socially useful even after we're dead. Making plants grow" (Huxley 73). 

Anchor Statement: Scientific and technological advancement benefit humanity. 

In Chapter 5, Henry and Lenina take off on their machine and during their ride Lenina questions smoke-stacks and why they have balconies around them. Henry explains to her the purpose of the balconies as "Phosphorus Recovery." This process uses a chemical to cremate bodies and take phosphorus out of them. He explains this process as being beneficial for humanity because it makes people useful even after they're dead. I qualify the statement that scientific and technological advancement benefit humanity in this scenario because although this process may be beneficial to the environment, it is a sad and unfortunate way to rest after death. In the Brave New World science and technology is constantly used to make life much easier and effective. So, in their world, this scientific advancement is very beneficial. But in our world, I question whether this advancement would be very beneficial. My knowledge of this process is also very minute so I would have to look into this process and its positive and negative effects. 

Brave New World Chapter 4: Who is Bernard Marx?

"Well, now she had said it and he was still wretched- wretched that she should have thought it such a perfect afternoon for Obstacle Golf, that she should have trotted away to join Henry Foster, that she should have found him funny for not wanting to talk of their most private affairs in public. Wretched, in a word, because she had behaved as any healthy and virtuous English girl ought to behave and not in some other, abnormal, extraordinary way" (Huxley 64). 

Anchor Statement: Scientific and technological advancement benefit humanity. 

In this chapter we meet Bernard Marx who is a rather different character than other characters in this novel. Bernard is approached by Lenina and asked on a date. Bernard is surprised and acts in a rather awkward and unsettling way. His reaction is due to the fact that he did not expect Lenina to ask him on a date in such a private way. In their world birth control is used so that people can have as much sex as they want with whomever they want. Therefore, sex has become less meaningful than it is mean to be in a real-world society. When Lenina approached Bernard, she approaches him in a rather meaningful way which throws Bernard off. Therefore, I qualify this statement because in this chapter we see how scientific (birth control) advancement does not benefit Bernard specifically because he is not used to a meaningful conversation with a woman and does not know how to act in such a scenario. Although this may not be beneficial in Bernard's case, scientific advancements are beneficial in other cases in the novel. 

Brave New World Chapter 1: Intro to BNW

"One egg, one embryo, one adult- normality. But a bokanovskified egg will bud, will proliferate, will divide. From eight to ninety-six buds, and every bud will grow into a perfectly formed embryo, and every embryo into a full-sized adult. Making ninety-six human beings grow where only one grew before. Progress" (Huxley 6). 

Anchor Statement: Scientific and technological advancement benefit humanity. 

In Chapter 1, we are given a taste of the novel as the Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning teaches his students about Bokanovsky's Process. This process is when one egg will bud, proliferate, and divide. These buds then grow into a perfectly formed embryo, and than every embryo into a full-sized adult. Making more than ten times more embryos and in turn more than ten times more human beings. This process can be classified as a scientific and technological advancement in the novel. I would qualify the statement that scientific and technological advancement benefit humanity. In this scenario I feel that although replicating an embryo can cause harm and its continuous use can cause a great deal of over population, I feel that this scientific advancement can be helpful for certain cases and certain people. Therefore this scientific advancement is both harmful and helpful therefore I qualify the anchor statement above.