"Science? The Savage frowned. He knew the word. But what it exactly signified he could not say. Shakespeare and the old men of the pueblo had never mentioned science, and from Linda he had only gathered the vaguest hints: science was something you made helicopters with, something that caused you to laugh at the Corn Dances, something that prevented you from being wrinkled and losing your teeth. He made a desperate effort to take the Controller's meaning" (Huxley 225).
Anchor Statement: Scientific and technological advancements benefit society.
In Chapter 15, John is upset about his mother's death and decides to do something to change the mindset of the people in the Brave New World. He begins to toss the soma that is being distributed out the window which creates a stir in the crowd. When Bernard and Helmholtz arrive, Helmholtz joins John in his strike. The police then come and subside the crowd and the three (Bernard, Helmholtz, and John) are taken away to see Mustapha Mond. In Chapter 16, the three men meet Mustapha Mond and he informs him about his similar beliefs but gives examples of how the world would not work if people were equal, and so on. Mustapha Mond then tells the three men that they will be taken away to islands with people who have similar beliefs as them. Bernard is upset and has to be taken away. The men continue to discuss science and its meaning. John understands science as being drugs, aging prevention, and advancements in technology. These being true, are advancements that are seen as good to the people of Brave New World but not good to people like John and individuals who subside in the islands that Mustapha Mond refers to. Therefore, I qualify the statement that scientific and technological advancements benefit society, because although the examples that John lists are beneficial to the people of the Brave New World, they do not appear to be beneficial to individuals like John and Helmholtz.
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