Assignment IV

In Aldous Huxley's novel, Brave New World, flight symbolizes freedom. Bernard Marx lives in a wanna-be Utopian society where every person has now say in how their life is going to be used. As the novel begins, it is obvious Bernard is different from the typical member of this society. He often questions why no one has a say in their life and what gave the government the authority to decide this for it's people. He also becomes attracted to a women, only one woman, which is looked down upon. In fact, he gets very offended when hearing two guys throw around descriptions of their sexual experiences with her, a common conversation topic. Bernard asks The Director, the leader of this society, if he can visit The Reservation. The Reservation is a very different society outside of this "perfect" one. Bernard flies to The Reservation, but does not fly just to get there. This flight smbolizes Bernard's freedom from the "perfect" society he lives in to a normal society, to us, but uncontrolled society to him. Once he is to The Reservation he is allowed to break free of the status quo he must up hold in his old society and is allowed to question the values, if there are any, of that society. He is also free to decide whether to stay in The Reservation forever or return back to The Director's society.