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In the futuristic dystopia of Brave New World, "history is bunk," literature is outlawed, and the only serious writing is the sleep-teachings used to condition children to function as ideal members of society. Two characters in particular try to reject this: John and Hemholtz. John introduces Hemholtz to Shakespeare, where he finds the means to express his own passions. Literature becomes a means of finding the self, of rebelling against conformity, and of seeking both truth and beauty, even at the cost of ignorant bliss. So next time your English teacher tries to make you read more often, just remember—without books, the world would be a very scary place.
Both John and Helmholtz are so marred by their upbringing that neither can understand the full scope of Shakespeare.