The Odd One - an excerpt from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

The Odd One

Tasks to the Text

1.        “ODD, ODD, odd, was Lenina's verdict on Bernard Marx… Pretty harmless, perhaps; but also pretty disquieting. That mania, to start with, for doing things in private. Which meant, in practice, not doing anything at all. For what was there that one could do in private. (Apart, of course, from going to bed: but one couldn't do that all the time.) Yes, what was there? Precious little.”

This is how Lenina sees Bernard, i.e. Lenina’s model.

How does Bernard see himself – try to compose Bernard’s model. (Use 1 person singular)

How do you see Bernard -  try to compose your model.

2. “Every one says I'm awfully pneumatic,” said Lenina reflectively, patting her own legs.

“Awfully.” But there was an expression of pain in Bernard's eyes. “Like meat,” he was thinking.

She looked up with a certain anxiety. “But you don't think I'm too plump, do you?”

He shook his head. Like so much meat.

“You think I'm all right.” Another nod. “In every way?”

“Perfect,” he said aloud. And inwardly. “She thinks of herself that way. She doesn't mind being meat.”

Lenina doesn’t mind seeing herself as meat.

2.1. What are the causes of this in New World? Try to find several ones.

2.2. Try to draw parallels with our world. Can we come across situations when people don’t mind putting up with something as it is?

Choose 2-3 facts illustrating this phenomenon in our world, look at them as effects and try to find several causes of each.

3. “Never put off till to-morrow the fun you can have to-day.”

There are a number of people in our world who keep to the above motto.

3.1. What are positive desirable consequences of this?

3.2. What are negative undesirable consequences of this?

4. “Bernard!” She protested in a voice of amazed distress. “How can you?”

In a different key, “How can I?” he repeated meditatively. “No, the real problem is: How is it that I can't, or rather – because, after all, I know quite well why I can't – what would it be like if I could, if I were free – not enslaved by my conditioning.”

Bernard considers that he is not free because he is a product of conditioning.

4.1. What plays the role of conditioning in our world? Try to make a list.

4.2. Will your perception of freedom modify if you accept that in our world we are also conditioned to perceive things – only in a different way?

5. “I don't know what you mean. I am free. Free to have the most wonderful time. Everybody's happy nowadays.”

He laughed, “Yes, 'Everybody's happy nowadays.'... But wouldn't you like to be free to be happy in some other way, Lenina? In your own way, for example; not in everybody else's way.”

5.1. What is the difference between being happy ‘in one’s own way’ and ‘everybody else’s way’? Try to find at least three examples to illustrate this.

5.2. In which way are we (you) more often happy – in our own or somebody else’s? Why?