Chapter 2 summary brave new world
CHAPTER 2
Summary
From the Decanting Room, where Foster stays behind, the students are led by the Director to the fifth floor; here they will visit the Infant Nurseries and the Neo-Pavlovion Conditioning Rooms, where the conditioning process is demonstrated for the students. In clear sight in the room, there are bowls of roses and books with pictures of beasts, birds, and other creatures. The babies are brought in and set before the objects. As soon as the infants begin to respond with delight over what they witness, a series of explosions and shocks are generated to frighten them. Subsequently, the very sight of the roses and picture books causes feelings of aversion and terror in the children. The state believes that through such unalterable conditioning, the children will be safe "from books and botany all their lives." The Director justifies this procedure by saying that reading books and enjoying nature simply waste time and energy. He also explains the value of sleep-teaching, known as hypnop'dia, for it allows a person to be productive in his/her sleep. The Director boasts that hypnop'dia is "the greatest moralizing and socializing force of all time."
Another dem
Brave New World Chapter 2 Summary
More on Brave New Nature
- The Director and his students leave Mr. Foster behind (apparently the Alpha-Plus intellectuals weren't that interesting, because we don't perceive about them). They head to a room labeled "Infant Nurseries. Neo-Pavlovian Conditioning Rooms."
- Here, nurses in white hats are setting out bowls of roses. (Aw.)
- Then they set out dozens of colored, playful picture books. (Aww.)
- Then they bring out the little babies—all Deltas, and so all dressed in khaki—to let them compete with the flowers and books. (Awww!)
- Then they… electrocute the babies. (AAAHH!!!)
- Not surprisingly, the babies hold no further interest in the flowers or the books (or, in all likelihood, bright colors of any kind).
- One curious pupil wants to know why.
- The Director explains: they used to condition the lower castes to enjoy flowers and other outdoorsy things. That way, they would consume lots of transportation services in getting themselves out to the country.
- The problem was, while they consumed transport, they didn't really consume anything else. Nature can be appreciated without boosting the economy.
- The solution? They conditioned them all to h
Chapter 2 Notes from Brave New World
Brave New World Chapter 2
Henry Foster remains in the Decanting Room. The Director and the students pass into the Infant Nurseries and the Neo-Pavlovian Conditioning Rooms. They witness an act of conditioning. The nurses lay out bowls, bowls of rose petals, and stacks of books, and then wheel in carts on which are riding identical Delta-class eight-month-old babies. As the babies crawl toward the stimuli, the Head Nurse turns on loud, violent explosions, alarm bells and sirens, and electrifies the floor. The next time the infants see the books and flowers, they associate them with the loud noises and shocks, and turn away in horror. The director is satisfied, for as Huxley writes, "What man has joined, nature is powerless to put asunder." Chapter 2, pg. 22 The Director is very satisfied with the demonstration and goes on to explain that the love of nature has been systematically destroyed. However, they are conditioned to love country sports, so that they will be effective consumers of sporting equipment.
Topic Tracking: Government 3
The Director tells the story of the young boy Reuben Rabinovitch, who was born to Polish-speaking parents
Brave New World Chapter 2 Summary
In this chapter the tour for the students continues with the D.H.C. taking the students to the Neo-Pavlovian Conditioning Rooms. There nurses place books and bowls of roses out on the floor. The books acquire pictures of animals and fish which are designed to entice the infants. Then the nurses bring in the Delta infants. They are placed on the floor and allowed to handle the roses and books. After the infants are busy touching and playing with the roses and books, the Director has the Head Nurse press a lever. It starts a siren that increases in intensity the longer it is left on. Then alarm bells start to ring, this induces terror in the children. They start to scream, the Director yells out to the Head Nurse to start the electric shock. He tells the students that it is only a mild electric shock, but the babies proceed into spasmodic yelps and are desperate to have it interrupt . Their bodies jerk and twitch from the effects of the electricity going through them. He then has the nurse end the process. The nurse once again offers the babies the books and bowls of roses. The infants are terrified of the objects and will not go near them. The Director is
Brave New World - Summary and assignments
Table of Contents
- Chapter 1: The Hatchery and Conditioning Centre
- Chapter 2: Neo-Pavlovian Conditioning and Hypnopaedia
- Chapter 3: The World State and the Banishment of Family
- Chapter 4: Bernard Marx and Lenina Crowne's Trip; Helmholtz Watson's Friendship
- Chapter 5: Lenina's Doubts; Bernard at the Solidarity Service
- Chapter 6: The Savage Reservation
- Chapter 7: The Pueblo of Malpais; Meeting John the Savage and Linda
- Chapter 8: John's Past and Childhood on the Reservation
- Chapter 9: John's Feelings for Lenina; Bernard's Request to Mond
- Chapter 10: Bernard's Banishment; Revelation of John and Linda's Relationship to the Director
Objectives and Key Themes
The text aims to explore the societal implications of advanced technological advancements and the potential dangers of sacrificing individuality for stability and happiness. It achieves this through a narrative that juxtaposes a seemingly utopian world with the complexities and contradictions inherent in its design.
- Technological Control and its Impact on Society
- Individuality vs. Conformity
- The Nature of Happiness and its Artificial Creation
- The Role of Family and Tra