Brave New World
Chapter 7: Seven
by Huxley, AldousThe chapter opens with a vivid description of the mesa and the pueblo of Malpais, a stark contrast to the sterile, controlled world Lenina and Bernard are accustomed to. The landscape is depicted as harsh and untamed, with the pueblo rising like a geometric anomaly amidst the dust and rock. Lenina expresses immediate discomfort, calling the scene “queer” and disliking their hostile Indian guide. The rhythmic beating of drums creates a pulsating atmosphere, heightening the sense of unease as they begin their climb up the mesa, encountering eerie sights like a pile of bones and an eagle flying perilously close.
Upon reaching the mesa’s summit, Lenina and Bernard encounter two elaborately adorned Indians carrying snakes, who pass by without acknowledging them. Lenina’s disgust deepens as they approach the pueblo, where she is repulsed by the dirt, rubbish, and flies. She struggles to comprehend how people can live in such conditions, while Bernard offers a detached, philosophical perspective, noting their millennia-old way of life. The contrast between their civilized world and the rawness of Malpais becomes starkly apparent, with Lenina clinging to her handkerchief and Bernard masking his discomfort with irony.
The chapter’s tension peaks when an elderly Indian descends a ladder, his frail, emaciated body shocking Lenina. Bernard explains that in their society, aging is controlled through medical interventions, preventing such decay. Lenina, horrified, cannot reconcile this sight with her understanding of age, as the old man’s lifeless gaze leaves her unsettled. Her distress grows when she realizes she has no soma to numb her discomfort, forcing her to confront the unfiltered reality of Malpais. Bernard, meanwhile, attempts to assert his nonconformity by commenting provocatively on the natural behaviors of the villagers.
Lenina’s horror culminates in witnessing women breastfeeding, an act she deems indecent, and Bernard’s deliberate provocation only intensifies her discomfort. The chapter underscores the cultural clash between the sanitized, regulated world of Lenina and Bernard and the primal, unmediated existence of the Malpais inhabitants. Lenina’s inability to cope with the rawness of human life highlights the fragility of her conditioned mindset, while Bernard’s attempts at rebellion reveal his own contradictions. The chapter leaves both characters—and readers—grappling with the unsettling implications of their encounter with a world untouched by their civilization’s controls.
FAQs
1. How does the description of Malpais and its surroundings reflect the cultural contrast between the pueblo and Lenina’s society?
Answer:
The mesa is described as a “ship becalmed in a strait of lion-coloured dust,” evoking a sense of isolation and stagnation, which contrasts sharply with the technologically advanced, sterile world Lenina comes from. The pueblo’s “stepped and amputated pyramids” and the “streak of green” representing the river highlight a natural, organic way of life, unlike the artificial environments of Lenina’s society. The “pulsing” drums and the eagle flying close to them emphasize a connection to nature and spirituality that is absent in Lenina’s world, where such experiences are suppressed or replaced with synthetic comforts like soma.2. What does Lenina’s reaction to the old Indian reveal about the values of her society?
Answer:
Lenina is horrified by the old man’s appearance, describing it as “terrible” and “awful.” Her shock stems from her society’s obsession with youth and artificial preservation, where aging is medically controlled to prevent physical decay. Bernard explains that in their world, people are kept youthful through scientific interventions until they die abruptly. Lenina’s disgust highlights her conditioning to view natural aging as grotesque, reflecting her society’s fear of decay and mortality. The old man’s existence challenges her belief in the superiority of her world’s values.3. Analyze the significance of the encounter with the two painted Indians carrying snakes. How does this scene contribute to the novel’s themes?
Answer:
The painted Indians, adorned with feathers and carrying snakes, embody the primal, ritualistic aspects of life that Lenina’s society has eradicated. Their silent, unrecognizing gaze at Lenina underscores the cultural divide—they represent a world where tradition and nature coexist, while Lenina symbolizes artificiality and detachment. The snakes, often associated with rebirth or danger, hint at the untamed, unpredictable elements of life that the World State avoids. This scene reinforces the novel’s critique of a sanitized, emotionless existence by contrasting it with the raw, unfiltered reality of Malpais.4. How does Bernard’s behavior in this chapter reveal his internal conflict about his own society?
Answer:
Bernard oscillates between mocking Lenina’s discomfort and expressing fascination with the pueblo’s way of life. While he initially dismisses the Indians’ dirtiness with ironic references to “civilization is sterilization,” he later admires the “intimacy” of breastfeeding, deliberately provoking Lenina. His actions suggest a desire to rebel against his society’s norms, yet he remains emotionally detached, using the experience to assert his nonconformity rather than genuinely connecting with the culture. This inconsistency reveals his insecurity and performative rebellion, highlighting his struggle to reconcile his dissatisfaction with his conditioned worldview.5. Why does Lenina repeatedly reach for soma during her time in Malpais? What does this reveal about her character and her society?
Answer:
Lenina’s instinctive reach for soma when confronted with discomfort—such as the old man’s appearance or the breastfeeding women—demonstrates her reliance on chemical escapism to avoid confronting reality. Her society has conditioned her to suppress negative emotions with soma, making her unable to cope with unfamiliar or challenging situations. The fact that she left her soma behind amplifies her distress, emphasizing her dependence on it. This behavior critiques the World State’s use of soma as a tool for control, ensuring citizens remain docile and disconnected from authentic human experiences.
Quotes
1. “Queer,” said Lenina. “Very queer.” It was her ordinary word of condemnation. “I don’t like it. And I don’t like that man.”
This quote captures Lenina’s instinctive discomfort with the unfamiliar world of Malpais, representing the clash between the conditioned World State mentality and natural human societies. Her repeated use of “queer” shows how the Savage Reservation challenges her worldview.
2. “But cleanliness is next to fordliness,” she insisted. “Yes, and civilization is sterilization,” Bernard went on, concluding on a tone of irony the second hypnopaedic lesson in elementary hygiene.
This exchange reveals the deep conditioning of World State citizens, with Lenina parroting state propaganda (a play on “cleanliness is next to godliness”) while Bernard demonstrates his growing critical perspective through irony.
3. “He’s old, that’s all,” Bernard answered as carelessly as he could. “That’s because we don’t allow them to be like that. We preserve them from diseases… So, of course, they don’t look like that.”
Bernard’s explanation of aging contrasts the World State’s artificial preservation of youth with the natural aging process witnessed in the Savage Reservation, highlighting the novel’s theme of humanity versus technological control.
4. “What a wonderfully intimate relationship,” he said, deliberately outrageous. “And what an intensity of feeling it must generate! I often think one may have missed something in not having had a mother.”
Bernard’s provocative comments about motherhood reveal his fascination with natural human relationships that have been eliminated in the World State, showing his growing rebellion against societal norms.