CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Summary: All three protagonists are ushered into a room all with different attitudes and feelings about their current situation. Helmholtz is indifferent about the situation and seats himself in the most comfortable chair in the room and laughs aloud to himself about it all. Bernard however, is scared, shocked, and absolutely terrified about what might happen; with this, he finds a very lumpy uncomfortable chair in the corner to sulk in. John however, doesn't take a seat anywhere, but finds a book on Ford that he picks up yet finds highly uninteresting.
Shortly after this, Mustapha Mond walks in and greets the three men. He starts off by striking up a conversation with John and his dislike to civilization. John feels at ease with the Director and answers with a truthful no. The conversation escalates when Mustapha reveals that like John, he is well-versed in Shakespeare's writing. John becomes delighted and asks questions about the books and why they are prohibited. Mustapha Mond tells all about stability, control, and keeping the people happy; sacrificing some beautiful, excellent things (like famous literature) in order to maintain stability. Mustapha Mond also goes into his past, and his experiences with being a scientist and his own dilemma with facing island exile. When Bernard comes to the realization that he will in fact be sent off to an island, he freaks out!!! He pleads, he begs, he gets on his hands and knees as if he were about to be sentenced to death. Nonetheless, Mustapha phones in for some guards to come in and spray him with some soma.
Mustapha continues talking with the two remaining men. He states his enviousness Helmholtz and allows him to choose what kind of island he would like to be sent off to. Helmholtz decides on an island with a miserable climate and horrible weather because it will help him in his writing. Mustapha then declares it be the Falkland Islands, and with this decision, Helmholtz leaves the room to check up on Bernard.
Vocabulary:
Galvanized - (v.) - to startle, stimulate into sudden activity.
Literary Elements:
Allusions:
Tempest ---> "Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments will hum about my ears, and sometimes voices." (Used to show John that Mustapha has also read Shakespeare.)
Macbeth ---> "But they're...they're told by an idiot." (In reference to the feelies and the simulated life that John sees as redundant, pretentious, and lacking purpose. The society he hoped for, somewhat similar to the morals and values held in Shakespearean plays, seems ideal for him, because Shakespeare was not an idiot.)
Mentioning of Cyprus ---> an island southeast of Europe that Aphrodite was said to have been born on; Aphrodite being the goddess of beauty, sexuality, and happiness.
Why Chapter is Important: Mustapha Mond, who seems to be in control of Europe as a whole, would be assumed to have been conditioned for the job; leading the whole society. However, he opens up to the three men, describing that he isn't really so bad and was in their situation with his dabbling with extreme sciences. To me, his antagonistic aura has left, where he feels like the exiling them to an island is for the best of them because he respects their spirit and intergrity. He seems friendly enough and that anything wrong or spiteful he has done was purely in the name of the duty of maintianing social stability.
Bernard's changing is also referenced in this chapter how quick he is to blame John and Helmholtz for the whole fiasco when the threat of island exile comes up. Mustapha is disgusted and explains this as being more of a reward than a punishment.
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