Short story

In Aldous Huxley’s Brave new World, John the savage is undeniably the most complex character misfortunate enough to be influenced by the dystopian society illustrated in the future. The characteristics that Huxley uses to define John not only add to that complexity, but also reveal the inevitable demise of one who has been denatured by the dystopian society- despite moral beliefs, knowledge of literature to understand the world, and the desperation for self-exploration. In the dystopia of Western Europe there is no god and consequently no religion, as it was said that, “God is incompatible with machines” (234). However, John the savage receives two types of religious influences: Christianity and Native American tribalism. Although these two religions are defined by their difference, they amalgamate together to present the existence of gods and superior beings in John’s New Mexico reservation’s home. These early influence presented John with an outlined path to self-righteousness and purity, which would later contrast with the World State’s laical world view. One would expect that since John is connected to a higher power-a protector of morality- he wouldn’t have suffered under the strain of the moral misguiding of the New World State; however, his dissolution in this supposed utopian world signifies the unavoidable demise of one who has been forced into this society. Furthermore, Huxley chooses Shakespeare as a medium through which John conveys his emotions and criticism for the World State. Shakespeare’s writing is the epitome of the power of language to express the range and intensity of human emotions which is categorizes us humans into a species such as; Romeo and Juliet’s undying love and of Othello’s portrayal of jealously and betrayal. Moreover, John use of Shakespeare grants him a voice to express his disdain for the workings of the New World State; however, he is blind to recognize similar misfortunes occurring within his own life; the death of Linda and his immoral lust for Lenina. By letting John the savage quote Shakespeare for the social views, without having application and understanding to his own life, Huxley exemplifies that his fate has been sealed long before it has come to pass, and John the savage’s death was inevitable as a result of the brave new world. Lastly, Huxley’s final notion to add to John the savage’s complexity is of placing John in the lighthouse as opposed to any other location. The lighthouse is known as structure which guides sailors across the ominous black of the night in hopes that they may find a way out of the darkness and to safety. In Brave new world, the lighthouse serves the same purpose- a symbol for guidance and protection. As his last resort to preserve the little amount of sanity he manages to escape with, John travels to the lighthouse in hopes of isolation from the society he deems as unfit to survive in. However, the world which he sought escape from had connected to him, became a part of his whole, and after his despair in participating at a lighthouse orgy he commits suicide as an act of rebellion and escape from the new world, in the only way he knew how. In conclusion, every aspect that creates the complexity of John the savage adds to his relationship to the World State and his inevitable destruction. Aldous Huxley’s choice for John to have two religions provided the savage with a moral guide to the standard of living. His choices to have John the savage explain the world through the rhetoric of Shakespeare foreshadows similar fate to the John as those depicted in Shakespearean plays. His choice to use an abandoned lighthouse as John final destination to serve a symbol for the purpose John was trying to accomplish. Even though John possessed religion as guide book, Shakespearean literature as a mouth to convey his ideas, and the lighthouse a compass, it did little to alter his inevitable fate as a converted citizen of the brave new world.