Brave New World
Chapter 16: Sixteen
by Huxley, AldousThe chapter opens with Bernard, Helmholtz, and the Savage being ushered into the Controller’s study, where they await Mustapha Mond. Helmholtz lightens the mood with humor, while Bernard remains anxious, choosing an uncomfortable chair to appease authority. The Savage explores the room, discovering a book titled *My Life and Work* by Ford, which he finds uninteresting. When Mond arrives, he engages the Savage in conversation, who admits his dislike for civilization, shocking Bernard. Mond, however, remains unfazed, setting the stage for a deeper discussion about societal values.
The dialogue shifts to the Savage’s critique of the World State’s culture, particularly its rejection of old literature like Shakespeare. Mond explains that beauty and old art are prohibited because they disrupt stability by inspiring undesirable emotions. The Savage argues that Shakespeare’s works are superior to the shallow “feelies” promoted by the State, but Mond defends the trade-off, asserting that happiness and stability require sacrificing high art. Helmholtz, a writer, agrees with the Savage, lamenting the creative limitations imposed by their society.
Mond elaborates on the necessity of conditioning and soma to maintain social order, emphasizing that stability outweighs individual freedom or artistic expression. He contrasts the chaotic, passionate world of Shakespeare with the controlled, predictable reality of the World State, where people are conditioned to avoid strong emotions. The Savage finds this existence horrifying, especially the dehumanizing Bokanovsky Groups, but Mond justifies them as essential for societal functionality. The chapter highlights the tension between individual longing for meaning and the State’s prioritization of uniformity.
The discussion culminates in the Savage questioning why Alphas aren’t the sole caste, to which Mond replies that a society of Alphas would be unstable and unhappy. This underscores the novel’s central theme: the cost of utopian stability is the suppression of individuality, creativity, and deep human experiences. The chapter ends with Mond’s chilling defense of the World State’s engineered happiness, leaving the Savage—and the reader—to grapple with the moral implications of such a society.
FAQs
1. What is the significance of the book “My Life and Work” by Our Ford in this chapter, and how does it reflect the society’s values?
Answer:
The book “My Life and Work” by Our Ford symbolizes the ideological foundation of the World State, where Henry Ford’s principles of mass production and efficiency are deified. The Society for the Propagation of Fordian Knowledge underscores the society’s worship of industrialization and uniformity. The Savage’s disinterest in the book highlights his alienation from these values, as he finds no meaning in the mechanized, utilitarian worldview it represents. The Controller’s office displaying this text reinforces the State’s prioritization of technological progress and stability over individual creativity or historical appreciation.2. How does Mustapha Mond justify the prohibition of old literature like Shakespeare, and what does this reveal about the World State’s control over culture?
Answer:
Mustapha Mond argues that Shakespeare is prohibited because it is old and represents values incompatible with the World State’s stability. He claims beauty in old art is dangerous as it might inspire people to desire emotions or experiences deemed disruptive, such as passion or individualism. This reveals the State’s deliberate suppression of historical culture to maintain control. By replacing high art with shallow entertainment like “feelies,” the State ensures citizens remain content with superficial pleasures, devoid of the intellectual or emotional depth that could challenge societal norms.3. Contrast the Savage’s and Helmholtz Watson’s reactions to the World State’s censorship of art. How do their perspectives differ?
Answer:
The Savage reacts with moral outrage, condemning the State’s art as “idiotic” and meaningless, yearning for the emotional richness of Shakespeare. Helmholtz, while agreeing the State’s art is shallow, is more introspective; he recognizes his own creative limitations within the system, lamenting the impossibility of writing meaningful literature in a society that eliminates conflict and passion. While the Savage’s critique is rooted in idealism, Helmholtz’s is pragmatic, reflecting his internal struggle as an intellectual trapped in a sanitized cultural landscape.4. Why does Mustapha Mond argue that a society of Alphas would be unstable, and how does this connect to the novel’s themes?
Answer:
Mond claims a society of Alphas would be unstable because highly intelligent individuals would inevitably question the system, leading to dissent and chaos. This ties into the novel’s central theme of the trade-off between happiness and freedom. The World State prioritizes stability by engineering docility through conditioning and soma, suppressing critical thought. Mond’s reasoning underscores the dystopian cost of this “utopia”: the eradication of intellectual depth and individuality to preserve a superficial, controlled harmony.5. Analyze the Savage’s description of the “twins” and Bokanovsky Groups. How does this imagery critique the World State’s dehumanization of individuals?
Answer:
The Savage’s horrified recollection of the “identical midgets” and “human maggots” paints a grotesque picture of the State’s reduction of humans to interchangeable parts. The Bokanovsky Groups epitomize the eradication of individuality in service of efficiency, turning people into mass-produced commodities. This imagery critiques the dehumanizing effects of a system that values uniformity over uniqueness, where even birth and identity are industrialized. The Savage’s visceral disgust highlights the moral void at the core of the World State’s alleged “stability.”
Quotes
1. “Because it’s old; that’s the chief reason. We haven’t any use for old things here.”
“Particularly when they’re beautiful. Beauty’s attractive, and we don’t want people to be attracted by old things. We want them to like the new ones.”
This exchange between Mustapha Mond and the Savage encapsulates the dystopian society’s rejection of history and art in favor of manufactured novelty. The Controller explicitly states their policy of suppressing beauty and tradition to maintain control, revealing the deliberate cultural amnesia enforced by the World State.
2. “You can’t make flivvers without steel—and you can’t make tragedies without social instability. The world’s stable now. People are happy; they get what they want, and they never want what they can’t get.”
Mustapha Mond’s metaphor explains why Shakespearean tragedies (and meaningful art generally) are impossible in their society. This quote crystallizes the novel’s central trade-off: true art requires human suffering and struggle, which have been eliminated by the World State’s engineered stability and instant gratification.
3. “Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the over-compensations for misery. And, of course, stability isn’t nearly so spectacular as instability.”
In this profound observation, Mond acknowledges the paradoxical nature of their utopia. He admits that genuine happiness appears dull compared to the dramatic struggles of the past, highlighting how the society has sacrificed depth of experience for superficial contentment—a key philosophical tension in the novel.
4. “They’re the gyroscope that stabilizes the rocket plane of state on its unswerving course.”
Mond’s vivid metaphor for the Bokanovsky Groups (mass-produced humans) reveals how dehumanization enables societal control. This quote demonstrates the chilling efficiency of the World State, where human beings are reduced to mechanical components maintaining the system’s equilibrium, prioritizing stability over individuality.
5. “A society of Alphas couldn’t fail to be unstable and miserable. Imagine a factory staffed by Alphas…”
This unfinished thought reveals the Controller’s pragmatic justification for maintaining a caste system. It underscores the novel’s warning about the incompatibility of absolute equality with social stability, suggesting that intellectual freedom inevitably leads to dissatisfaction—a controversial but central premise of Huxley’s dystopia.