Slowly, very slowly, like two unhurried compass needles, the feet turned towards the right; north, north-east, east, south-east, south, south-south-west; then paused, and, after a few seconds, turned as unhurriedly back towards the left. South-south-west, south, south-east, east . . . .Huxley chose the perfect way to end a novel-- by killing off the main character in an indirect way. This sight imagery is a much more effective strategy than directly stating "John killed himself" because the reader feels more empathy for the character they've grown to love.
I found that John's death made me look back on the story as a whole and attempt to uncover what was actually accomplished. Like a diamond hidden in a piece of coal, the truth took some time for me to find. In the end, I decided that, while society had not changed for the better, the characters had. Also, while it may have had other views from critics of the time of its release, this book made me terrified of a future where genetic engineering has "enhanced" society. It also truly explained the problems of a ruler that puts stablility before the things that we love and even the concept of love itself. Personally, I would rather die with freedom and emotion than live in feigned happiness, but that's just me!
I have to wonder why John killed himself. Could he not handle the intensity of civilization anymore? Was it out of guilt for killing a person, or was there more to it? Perhaps it was out of self-loathing, intense hatred, and extreme guilt for killing the woman he claimed to love so dearly.
Until next time,
Alysse
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