Brave New World Isolation Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Part.Paragraph)

Quote #10

"I thought we'd be more… more together here—with nothing but the sea and moon. More together than in that crowd, or even in my rooms. Don't you understand that?" (6.1.35)

Bernard hits on an interesting note herebeing alone together brings two people closer than being together in a crowd. Make sense? Well, not to Lenina; she's under the same impression as Foster, namely that there's nothing to do while one is alone.

Quote #11

He liked Bernard; he was grateful to him for being the only man of his acquaintance with whom he could talk about the subjects he felt to be important. Nevertheless, there were things in Bernard which he hated. This boasting, for example. And the outbursts of an abject self-pity with which it alternated. And his deplorable habit of being bold after the event, and full, in absence, of the most extraordinary presence of mind. He hated these thingsjust because he liked Bernard. The seconds passed. Helmholtz continued to stare at the floor. And suddenly Bernard blushed and turned away. (6.1.13)

Even Bernard and Helmholtzunited by their individualityare isolated from each other by their differences. In this sense, Bernard really is utterly alone.

Quote #12

At the full moon, in the Antelope Kiva, secrets would be told, secrets would be done and borne. They would go down, boys, into the kiva and come out again, men. The boys were all afraid and at the same time impatient. And at last it was the day. The sun went down, the moon rose. He went with the others. Men were standing, dark, at the entrance to the kiva; the ladder went down into the red lighted depths. Already the leading boys had begun to climb down. Suddenly, one of the men stepped forward, caught him by the arm, and pulled him out of the ranks. He broke free and dodged back into his place among the others. This time the man struck him, pulled his hair. "Not for you, white-hair!" "Not for the son of the she-dog," said one of the other men. The boys laughed. "Go!" And as he still hovered on the fringes of the group, "Go!" the men shouted again. One of them bent down, took a stone, threw it. "Go, go, go!" There was a shower of stones. Bleeding, he ran away into the darkness. From the red-lit kiva came the noise of singing. The last of the boys had climbed down the ladder. He was all alone. (8.60)

John, too, suffers from Bernard's affliction: isolation. This is what first attracts the men to each other.