Herbie Murray
In Brave New World, a novel by Aldous Huxley, John the Savage and Lenina Crowne are attracted to each other, but their relationship is strained by their differing views on romance and sex. While Lenina associates sex with love, John, who grew up on a Reservation, associates it with violence due to his mother's sexual relationships with multiple men. When John finds Lenina asleep, he is enchanted by her, but his early conditioning and trauma cause him to react with rage when she later tries to seduce him. This pivotal scene highlights the cultural gap between them and sets the tone for the disastrous outcome of their relationship.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| John's feelings towards Lenina | John is in love with Lenina, but also horrified by her sexual freedom. |
| Lenina's feelings towards John | Lenina is attracted to John and desires him sexually. |
| John's actions | John touches Lenina's face, speaks to her in Shakespearean poetry, and tries to unzip her clothes. |
| Lenina's actions | Lenina undresses and tries to kiss John. |
| Outcome | John reacts with rage, calling Lenina a "whore" and a "strumpet", and flinging her away. |
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What You'll Learn
John's infatuation with Lenina
John the Savage and Lenina Crowne are two of the principal characters in Aldous Huxley's 1932 novel, *Brave New World*. John is the protagonist, and Lenina is one of the main characters. John grew up in the Reservation, isolated from the World State and its practices of hatching humans in laboratories and predestining them to live in specific castes.
When Lenina attempts to seduce John, he erupts in violence, calling her a "whore" and a "strumpet". John's view of romance is complex and shaped by his traditional values. He believes that a woman should be a prize to be won through suffering, and Lenina's direct sexual approach unknowingly steps outside the boundaries that John's education has set down for a worthy woman. In John's eyes, if Lenina is not a prize to be won, then she must be a "whore" to be scorned.
Despite John's initial infatuation with Lenina, their relationship ultimately develops into a disaster. John's trauma and his conflicting values and beliefs create a stark contrast between their views and cultures, and he is unable to reconcile his desires with his ideals.
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John's internal conflict
On the one hand, John grew up on the Reservation, outside the World State, and was not subjected to the conditioning and hatching of the World State. As a result, he values deep human connections and meaningful relationships. He associates sex with violence due to his mother's promiscuity and his early exposure to Shakespeare, which becomes an emotional conduit for him. John sees himself as a character in a Shakespearean tragedy, and his romantic vision of women is that of virginal purity.
On the other hand, Lenina, a product of the World State, represents the values of the dystopian society in which sex is recreational and relationships are fluid. She is attracted to John, but her understanding of love is shaped by her cultural upbringing, where sex is equated with love. When she tries to seduce John, he is horrified and reacts violently, seeing her as embodying the base attributes of his mother.
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Lenina's societal expectations
Lenina Crowne, a main character in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, is a product of her society, which is set in London six hundred years in the future. Humans are hatched in laboratories, and people are predestined to live in specific castes. Lenina's societal expectations are vastly different from those of John, who grew up on the Reservation and was not subjected to the conditioning of the World State.
Lenina has been conditioned to think of sex as recreational, and relationships as fluid and changing. She views sex as a form of love and, due to her cultural upbringing, assumes that John wants to have sex with her when he tells her he loves her. Her approach to sex is straightforward and direct, and she is used to immediate gratification and physical satisfaction through meaningless sex. Lenina's desire for John shows that she has fallen in love with him, and her new emotional monogamy goes against her conditioning, creating an inner conflict that she tries to resolve with soma.
John, on the other hand, has a more complex view of romance. Influenced by the traditions of Malpais and the poetry of Shakespeare, he believes that a period of trials and enforced labor is necessary before marriage. He associates sex with violence due to his early experiences and his mother's promiscuity, and he struggles with his physical desires. John sees Lenina as a pure, virginal woman and is horrified by her sexual freedom. He insists on seeing her as a chaste statue, and when she makes a pass at him, he calls her a whore and becomes violent.
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John's trauma
John's early experiences have also shaped his views on romance and relationships. Influenced by Shakespeare's works, John associates romance with a period of trials and labour, believing that a woman is a prize to be won through suffering. This stands in stark contrast to Lenina's straightforward approach to sex and relationships, which is shaped by her cultural upbringing. When Lenina undresses and approaches John directly, he is horrified and reacts with violence, reflecting his suppressed anger and trauma.
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John's repression
When John watches Lenina sleep, he is filled with a sense of wonder and enchantment. He explores her belongings, smelling her scent and speaking in Shakespearean poetry. However, John's early conditioning against sex and his complex view of romance come into play, and he struggles with his physical desires. John's repression is evident in his inability to act on his attraction to Lenina, instead retreating when he hears Bernard's returning helicopter.
In conclusion, John's repression is a key aspect of his character and a driving force behind his actions and emotions. It reflects his inner conflict between his values and the norms of the civilized world, his struggle with physical attraction, and his desire for meaningful connections. John's repression is both a source of his anguish and a defence mechanism against the unfamiliar and unsettling aspects of his new society.
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Frequently asked questions
John breaks into the room where Lenina is sleeping and immediately falls more in love with her. He rifles through her things, and is enchanted by her scent. He approaches her bed with awe and longing, and is tempted to unzip her zippypajamas, but stops himself.
John breaks into the Rest House because he thinks Bernard and Lenina have left for London without him.
Lenina is asleep, taking a soma-holiday.
John is in love with Lenina, but struggles with his physical attraction to her. He wants to see her as a pure, virginal woman, and is horrified by her sexual freedom.
Lenina is frustrated by John's shyness and indifference, and mistakes it for confusion. She is determined to take the sexual lead, but does not understand that her curiosity and attraction are a serious infatuation that may become love.
