Entry 2: Commentary on the Reservations, Linda’s story, and John’s entrance into society in Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

The details of the reservations are revealed by the character known as the Warden. He is described as “a mine of irrelevant information and unasked-for good advice.” and it is stated that “Once started, he went on and on- boomingly.”(page 67, Chapter 6) but the information gleaned from his explanations are actually quite beneficial to the reader’s comprehension of the reservations and what they represent. When the Warden describes the reservation, he does so with tones of horror, disgust, and amazement. He recounts several facts about the reservation such as that no one can escape, people are born naturally, their society is devoid of the rest of the world’s technological advancements, they know not exactly how many people live inside, they maintain the traditions of marriage and Christianity there, and there is very limited contact between those who live there and everyone else. This summary shows great likeness between life on the reservations and reality: life in the reader’s world. To a reader, reservations may seem normal or even pleasant, but to a character who is a member of the industrialized society that encapsulates most of the world, this way of life is comparable to savagery and potentially inhuman living.

Upon entering the reservation, the characters Bernard and Lenina undergo a number of exploits, one of which is meeting Linda. Linda is the girl the Director spoke of in the story of his ventures in the reserve that he told to Bernard earlier in the chapter. She absolutely despises the reservation and is elated to see Lenina, exclaiming that she never thought she’d see a ‘civilized’ person again as she fawns over her clothes, appearance, and lifestyle. Her life in the reservation has been a struggle. Having not grown up there, she isn’t accustomed to their way of doing things; everything is different in the reservation. She misses her old life and is disgusted with the one she leads now. She and her son have been treated poorly by others due to their being outsiders. Linda hates her life, the place she lives, and the people around her. Lenina reacts to Linda with bewilderment, reproachfulness, and antipathy. She also pities her, and is unsure of how to handle the situation and conversation between them.

John is the name of Linda’s aforementioned son, and his upbringing was particularly tough. His mother was involved with several men, which was customary for her but frowned upon in the reservation. She was also drinking, distant, and abusive. He still looked up to her and wanted answers from her, and loved her stories about the world that she was from. He was at constant battle with the culture of his mother and the society he lived in, feeling like he truly belonged to neither. He was discriminated against and given different opportunities and treatment than the other children, which bullied him mercilessly. His education was limited to his mother teaching him to read and expanding that skill by getting a copy of Shakespeare’s works. He also wasn’t very well adapted to the common skills of those who lived on the reservation having been an outcast until someone decides to start teaching him. When he is taken to the outside society, he becomes something of a celebrity and is thrown into a completely different culture and world full of technology he has never seen and ideals he doesn’t share. It takes time for him to adjust and he becomes overwhelmed by the pressures of his famousness as well as his feelings for Lenina but continues to be himself and take it in stride as best as he can.