Brave New World---Three

Quote from Pg. 45:

"And then he spends most of his time by himself- alone." There was horror in Fanny's voice.

"Well, he won't be alone when he's with me. And anyhow, why are people so beastly to him? I think he's rather sweet." She smiled to herself; how absurdly shy he had been! Frightened almost- as though she were a World Controller and he a Gamma-Minus machine minder.

Happy Fourth of July, everyone!

Well, throughout the very confusing third paragraph and the fourth paragraph, Huxley uses indirect characterization to give his characters . . . well, character! In the quote above, Bernard is described as solitary, sweet, shy, and a little strange through a conversation between Fanny and Lenina. In the third chapter, Huxley reveals Bernard's inner thoughts about Lenina, Henry, and the Assistant Predestinator. It seems that Bernard is very different from everyone else, and the others use that to put him down. I think at times Bernard feels inferior to them because of his physical impairments, yet he feels superior to them because he understands things that the others do not. This internal conflict is played throughout the book.

As a writer myself, I understand the purpose of using indirect characterization. It often feels more natural than direct characterization and sometimes just flows better. It's much more interesting for the reader to hear Fanny and Lenina gossip about Bernard than to hear the narrator say "Bernard was shy and liked to be alone." It's also much more effective in getting the point across. This way, the writer can add emphasis and connotation to certain characteristics (in this case, the absurdity of Bernard's solitude is emphasized through Fanny's tone and expression).

Until next time,
Alysse