Entry 4: Character Profiles

John was raised on the New Mexican Reservation by his mother Linda with no involvement of his father the Director. He was outcast due to the cultural differences between his mother and the rest of the people in the reservation. When he was brought to civilization, he became somewhat of a celebrity and had a hard time getting accustomed to or agreeing with the ideals of this society. Eventually, he attempted to live a quiet life alone while living off the land for the most part and being self-sustained but was still often harassed by reporters and civilians.

Mustapha Mond is a world controller that interacts with the main characters of the story. His perspective, intellectual conversations, and understanding serve to humanize the controllers and provide their side of the story as well as give the reader a better knowledge of how this fictional world works.

The director is one of the first characters met when reading Brave New World and embodies a CEO or leader archetype in the story. He is in determined agreement with the current practices of society and is very organized, precise, and powerful. He resigns due to shame and humiliation from his position upon the return of his past lover Linda and their son John.

Linda was born in London and while visiting the reservation in New Mexico was unable to leave, pregnant, and condemned to live out her life there. She was miserable and hated her new home. She was outcast by others due to her reluctance to abide by their rules and misunderstandings caused by cultural disconnect. She turned to drinking and brought many men home with her which left a bad impression on her son, John. Upon returning to civilization, she took a Soma holiday that led to her death after becoming outcast again due to her unusually fat body and other physical factors that were unheard of in this society.

Bernard Marx is a member of the Alpha-Plus rank of society and a psychologist who worked on conditioning. He is physically inferior to most others of his rank and is socially outcast for this and his unusual behaviors. He is the one to find John and Linda at the reservation in New Mexico and bring them to civilization. For this is greeted with fame and fortune which immediately go to his head. When these are taken from him, he reverts back to his old, frustrated stuff until he is sent away to an island for those who don't fit in with society. (see entry 3 for more in depth details)

Lenina Crowne is a Beta who works in the hatchery. She is lust after by many men, but after accompanying Bernard on his trip to the New Mexican Reservation, she is smitten with John, the Savage, and has an intricate relationship with him over the course of the rest of he story. She blindly follows social rules and, despite having contradicting impulses, doesn't follow her instincts to go against what she's been taught.

Henry Foster serves as a representation of the average citizen in this society to contrast with the unusual lives of the main characters and provide perspective. He follows the rules and assumes that what he's been taught is right despite his own sense and ideas.

Helmholtz Watson is an Alpha and friend of Bernard's. He also is inclined to break away from social teachings and ideals like Bernard but is not a social outcast like him which is potentially due to his physical superiority and social skills. He is an intellectual and connects instantly with John upon meeting him. He and Bernard go together at the end of the story to an island for those who don't fit into society's rigid mold.