Brave New World Science Quotes

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

Quote #19

"That's because we don't allow them to be like that. We preserve them from diseases. We keep their internal secretions artificially balanced at a youthful equilibrium. We don't permit their magnesium-calcium ratio to fall below what it was at thirty. We give them transfusion of young blood. We keep their metabolism permanently stimulated. So, of course, they don't look like that. Partly," he added, "because most of them die long before they reach this old creature's age. Youth almost unimpaired till sixty, and then, crack! the end." (7.22)

In eliminating the aging process, science has destroyed a very basic element of the human experience. Mustapha comments that old age is dangerous for the community—not because of physical frailty, but because of mental prowess. Sadly, Lenina is too caught up in the former to acknowledge the latter during her visit to Malpais.

Quote #20

And she would tell him about the lovely music that came out of a box, and all the nice games you could play, and the delicious things to eat and drink, and the light that came when you pressed a little thing in the wall, and the pictures that you could hear and feel and smell, as well as see, and another box for making nice smells, and the pink and green and blue and silver houses as high as mountains, and everybody happy and no one ever sad or angry, and every one belonging to every one else, and the boxes where you could see and hear what was happening at the other side of the world, and babies in lovely clean bottles—everything so clean, and no nasty smells, no dirt at all—and people never lonely, but living together and being so jolly and happy, like the summer dances here in Malpais, but much happier, and the happiness being there every day, every day… He listened by the hour. (8.26)

John is originally enthralled by the very same technology that will horrify him later in the novel.

Quote #21

"I ventured to think," stammered Bernard, "that your fordship might find the matter of sufficient scientific interest…"

"Yes, I do find it of sufficient scientific interest," said the deep voice. "Bring these two individuals back to London with you." (9.9-10)

Bernard uses "science" to cloak his selfish motivations (i.e., preventing his own deportation to an island).