Guiding Thought - Chapters 10-13

I really love this novel. There are so many questions to ask, but honestly I just want to thrust my opinions out there and see what you guys think of them. When I ask questions I can't share my opinions! Maybe I'll just start answering the questions I ask and pretend to be a mysterious student with the initials mrw.

Choose one of the following ideas to comment on:

The Savage (John) fills his solitude with literature, specifically Shakespeare. The citizens of the "brave new world" don't even have solitude, and they find rejunivation with soma and the direct pursuit of immediate pleasure. What is it about the literature that the Savage NEEDS? It seems that he thirsts for stories the way that the citizens long for drugs. Is there something that a story, and only a story, can provide a human being???

OR

If everyone is supposed to be happy, why does it seem like Lenina isn't? What has caused her to be unhappy and what is Huxley trying to say through her unhappiness?

OR

Why won't the Savage sleep with Lenina and do you condone his actions at the end of Chapter 13?

Guiding Thought Ch. 6-9

In these chapters Lenina and Bernard take an excursion to see a group of "Savages" and they encounter Linda, a "civilized" woman who found herself living among these people.  Today's question is twofold: 

1.  What do you think is the most shocking thing to Lenina and Bernard about what they find there and why?

2.  Also, describe your most insightful observation after reading about John and Linda's life.

PS - did you notice the lines from Macbeth?!!  I love that John's exposure to literature turns out to be the complete works of The Bard.  It is also interesting that the Savages seem to be practicing some kind of amalgamated religion with elements of Christianity and indigenous Native American belief.  

I thought about asking this question:  Who has more in common with Bernard, John or Helmholtz?  That would have been a challenging question.  

Guiding Thought - Chapter 1-5

Please direct your comments to respond to the following prompt:

In chapters 3 and 4 Huxley juxtaposes several conversations together to create a somewhat confusing scene. One conversation is between Lenina and Fanny, one is between the World Controller and a group of students, and one is between Bernard and a couple of Alpha Plus males. Why would Huxley blend these conversations together? What does it add to the story, what does it reveal about his larger themes?

Your comments should be at least 200 words long! I'm dying to know what you guys think about this question...

Post is due by midnight, 1/16/09

Introduction and Welcome

Dear Students, welcome to this blog. Keep track of the due dates for your posts

Reading Schedule:
Due Friday, Jan. 16: Your comment to the post on Chapters 1-5
Due Friday, Jan. 23: Your comment to the post on Chapters 6-9
Due Thursday, Jan. 29: Your comment to the post on Chapters 10-13
Due Wednesday, Feb. 4: Your comment to the post on Chapters 14-18

Assignment:
1. For each of these posts you will complete a comment that fully answers the guiding question provided. Your comments are due on the dates indicated above. For example, you will be required to write the first comment, over chapters 1-5, by midnight on Jan. 16. Original threads should be around 200 words in length. General topic will be posted to guide your thinking. You will be graded on the quality and punctuality of your posts. (10 points each)

2. In addition to creating an original thread on the discussion board, you will need to respond to one of the comments posted by your classmates. Responses should be around 100 words in length. Webel and/or Graham will also be posting on the message board, and you can respond to these threads as well. Your responses should agree, elaborate, challenge, and engage with the original post. Keep your comments professional and academic. Responses to posts are due within two days of the original postings, again by midnight. For example, you must respond to the Jan. 16 posts by at least Feb. 18, midnight. (5 points each)

By the end of this process, each of you will have posted 4 original comments, and responded to 4 of your classmate’s comments.