BRAVE NEW WORLD |---[ Chapter 15 ]---|>

CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Summary: John walks into a group of Delta Hospital workers with his mother's death fresh on his mind. Not really paying any attention to his surroundings, he pushes through the workers who groan at his unpleasant walking. He snaps out of it once he gets nudged by enough people, and hears a loud shout for the days soma distribution. All the Deltas flock to the table where the soma is coming from; orderly, in single file. The words of Tempest begin to mock John at this point, civilization and humanity is destroyed in his view, and the barbaric congregation of the soma-wanting Deltas pushes him to the brink. He shrieks, "STOP!". He is now the centre of attention and all the people are marveled by this strange person's antics. John declares the filth and the poison that is soma, and over everything the Sub-Bursar says, he quickly contradicts them until he has infuriated the crowd so much that the Sub-Bursar runs to the telephone.

          Meanwhile, Bernard and Helmholtz are suspecting they'd meet John at one their usual meeting places, however, a phone call from the Sub-Bursar directs them in an urgent hurry to the hospital to get John.
          John is at the hospital continuing his rant, his rage makes his speech easier, and he begins to take drastic action by flinging some soma out a nearby window. All the Delta's are speechless at this unspeakable act of horrible disgustingness. WHO WOULD EVER THROW AWAY SOMA?!?!?!?
          Bernard and Helmholtz see this, however Bernard fears for John, knowing that he will definitely get killed. Helmholtz on the other hand, happily joins John in the fray. Once all the soma is thrown out the window, John and Helmholtz are charged at by the Deltas. Bernard runs in to help them, but quickly doubles back because he is a little girl. No, not really, but his judgement is being clouded with the fact that he might be killed in the incident. He is becoming more selfish and not as rebellious as he thought and desired he was at the beginning of the story.
          The police run in with soma machines and music boxes to calm the crowd. Oh look, Bernard decides to do something! He shouts for help, but he gets pushed out of the way from the police. He increases his yelping and gets very frustrating to the police; Bernard takes a shot of soma-water in the face and crumbles to the ground. Soon after Bernard is shot, soma vapour is sprayed throughout the whole hospital, which leads to al the Deltas kissing each other and John and Helmholtz being captured. Bernard however, attempts to sneak out, but gets caught due to the police knowing his affiliations and friendship with John and Helmholtz.

Vocabulary:

Literary Elements:
Tempest Quote Irony: The "O Brave New World" quote has finally taken a whole spin in this chapter. Words that filled him with joy, are now supposedly 'mocking' John. This brave new world has such people in it, which is definitely (in the viewpoint of John) a very horrible thing for he sees the society is doomed to infantile damnation and has been cursed by being engrossed in it. (Which leads to his later self-torture.)


Why Chapter is Important:
Chapter 15 seems to be the climax of the book, where John finally snaps and starts a revolution of sorts in the hospital which leads to his trial with Mustapha. (Falling Action)

For control, the police in this society are shown to use little to no violence in controlling the people. They come in with music boxes and guns that shoot soma-water at the people in order to change them into blissful, happy people!

We also see Bernard backing out of his supposed rebellious nature that he felt so mighty for having when the Director called him a heretic. He has slowly slipped into the comformity of all the rest of the citizens and his individual thinking is growing more and more selfish.

Linda's death and dependence on soma has (as it should) given him a very deep hatred for the stuff he calls poison to the body and soul. With his mother dead and society on his last nerve, he rebels against the Delta workers and the soma distributors, throwing it out the window. His motive for this is the fight against artificial happiness. John's disgust with soma and the easy joy it brings people seems to be a constraint of freedom; the freedom of suffering, to overcome life's obstacles, and all such unpleasantries that are wiped away in the New World.