BNW- blog 8

Chapter 7

Summary:
Lenina and Bernard are in Malpias. Their smelly Indian guide takes then to the Pueblo where all the Savages are. The come across a large precipice that makes Lenina feel tiny. They observe the people, What they look like, how they act. It sounds a lot like the world during Ford's time. There is a woman breast feeding which makes Lenina turn away in embarrassment. While Lenina is disgusted with everything that she sees, Bernard is curious and eagerly observes the people. They see a very old many and Lenina is horrified. Bernard explains that here they don't condition their people to basically stop aging at 30 and die at 60. Thia man has seen diseases.


They are then taken to see a sacrificial ritual. A young man comes over to a square where men have thrown down snakes. While the young man begins to walk around, a man in a coyote mask starts to beat him with a whip. The young man makes it around about seven times and collapses. Everyone runs away and three women carry them away. Another young man walks up but this young man is white. Curious... The man, whose name is John, wishes he was had been the one to participate in the rain 'dance'. He was never allowed to participate in village things because he was different.


We learn that John is Linda's son. Linda is the woman that Thomas, the D.H.C., had left on the reservation. So John is the Director's son. Linda shows up and has gotten fat and saggy. She runs up to Lenina and hugs her, which disgusts Lenina. Linda says she is so glad to see people from the Other Place. Linda tells them that she has tried to condition John but it hasn't really worked because he has spent most of his time with the Indians. When John was little he started asking questions that a normal child would ask like; how does a helicopter work? Being a Beta and having only worked in the Fertilizing Room, she had no idea how to answer.

Vocab-
Precipice- noun. a cliff with a vertical, nearly vertical or overhanging face
Ophthalmia- noun. inflammation of the eye
Goitre- noun. an enlargement of the thyroid gland on the front and sides of the neck

Lit. Terms-
Irony:
"What a wonderfully intimate relationship..."
Bernard is talking about the Indian woman breast feeding her child. He then asks Lenina if she can ever imagine being able to do that.


Allusion:
"Do you see that damned Spot?" 
         Act 5, Scene 1 of Macbeth


Important Info-

We find out that the Director's lady friend wasn't eaten by savages. She had fallen and hit her head and was taken to the Malpais. There she gave birth to her and the Director's son John. Shr has tried to condition John like she was but because he spent most of his time with the Indians, it didn't really work.