When we first meet Bernard, we are hopeful for the opportunity of a more human protagonist, considering how robotic the rest of society is. He is the first character to start questioning the reality of his existence, the only one who feels out of place, but most importantly, one of the few to have independent thought.
Bernard is interesting, in the sense that he constantly breaks the fourth wall throughout the book. Bernard makes it known that he is aware of the social conditioning that takes place, he knows how it happens, and he even understands the affect that it has on people. It is this awareness that allows him to question reality in the first place.
However, the facade comes to an end once Bernard is treated as an Alpha for the first time in his life. He allows his status to go to his head, he becomes detestable, and his downfall is pitiful...
In the end, not even Bernard is immune to grovelling and begging for his life, and if it means he can be spared, then he willingly tries to give up his friends.
The scene is quite reminiscent of Winston's downfall in 1984. We all would like to believe that we are exceptional people who can happily stand by what and who we believe in, no matter how many times the whipping rod comes down on us.
Helmholtz Watson is a noteworthy character. When we are first introduced to him, we simply assume that he will be a background character throughout the novel, just someone whom Bernard can share his thoughts with...
Similar to Bernard, Helmholtz deals with existential thoughts of his own. Yet, unlike Bernard, his thoughts have not manifested due to awareness. Helmholtz is a writer, and his thoughts stemmed from the very real human desire to create something beautiful.
I truly believe Helmholtz is the real hero. Unlike Bernard, Helmholtz has had the privilege of being treated as an Alpha his entire life. Bernard was unsatisfied with society due to his image as an outcast, but Helmholtz never faced that problem. He has had all of his wants and desires fulfilled, and has always been treated with respect throughout his life.
This scene at the hospital? absolutely tremendous 💋👌 Seeing Helmholtz rush in to join John, despite being aware of the consequences, was admirable. He accepts his punishment without complaint -- even laughs in the presence of the World Controller! Helmholtz stood by his beliefs, regardless of his conditioning and status in society. He is twice the man that Bernard is.
Of course, there is Lenina as well. Lenina is interesting because we finally get to see the effects of someone who is deprived of something -- someone -- that they want. Even with all of her conditioning and soma, Lenina experiences love, for John of all people, but is absolutely baffled by his societal upbringing and customs.
"Lenina sat in a corner, cut off from those who surrounded her by an emotion which they did not share."
By the end, I truly felt a sense of pity for Lenina. She only wanted to love John, but instead her emotions were used to manipulate her into becoming his whipping post. John's own love for Lenina causes him to recoil at his actions and is ultimately what leads to his suicide.
John is another character that you cannot help but feel immense pathos for. He was raised by a promiscuous mother, both of whom were tormented by others because of it, but neither of them understanding why it was happening. John had no one to raise or guide him, for he was brought up by an infantilized adult.
John went to civilized society due to the lies and illusions everyone fed him. His mother constantly assured him that "no one was ever lonely there," and Lenina gave him the illusion that everyone would be as marvellous as she appeared to be. He did not realize the horrors that awaited him in the other world, how he would end up further isolating himself.
So John ventures to the brave new world, where "everyone belongs to everyone else" and nothing is sacred. John becomes repulsed by this society's inability to commit or suffer. Ultimately his visit reveals that Lenina, the woman that he idolized, is just like everyone else and behaves like everyone else. There is nothing special about her and the novelty wears off.
The hospital scene with Linda breaks my heart, for I finally realized how truly alone John was. Linda had always commented that John was "a comfort to her." She had been just as isolated as he, yet that is all that he was to her -- just a selfish means to an end, which was comforting Linda of her loneliness. Despite this, John still attempts to recall happy memories with his mother and defend her, only for Linda to greet his presence with a disturbed reaction. John truly had no one.
Of course he tries to save others, which is admirable, but John's want for peace is when we can truly connect with him. Having had enough of people, John attempts to live away from everyone else, but his need for suffering is what draws everyone back to him, for society has never been exposed to anything like it before. Once he realizes that he will never be left alone, John takes matters into his own hands.
