BNW- blog 13

Chapter 12

Summary:

John has locked himself in his room because he doesn't want to go to Bernard's party. Bernard tells all of his important guests that the Savage won't be making an appearance. Everyone is outraged; all the women feel like they had been used and the men were furious because they were tricked into being nice to Bernard. The Arch-Songster is appalled that someone would play a joke on him. He tells Bernard to change his ways and tells Lenina (who had be sitting in the corner keeping to herself) to come with him. The other guest stormed after him. Bernard began to cry but thought better of it and took four soma tablet and went to bed. 

While all of this was going on John was in his room reading Romeo and Juliet. 

The Arch-songster took Lenina back to his place for sex, and Lenina and to take soma to be able to go through with it.

We then flash to Mustapha Mond sitting in his office reading a new paper. He decides that even though it was an exceptional piece of work, it shouldn't be published because it's rebellious.

Bernard is back to his old 'woe is me' self. John tells him that he prefers this Bernard than the popularity crazed Bernard. 

Helmholtz has decided to take back Bernard, no questions asked. Bernard is grateful to finally have a real friend. We learn that while Bernard was bust being famous, Helmholtz was getting in trouble with the authorities. Helmholtz was reading some rhymes he made up that are about being alone. The students reported him to the the principal who threatened to fire him.

Bernard introduces John to Helmholtz and they immediately hit it off. This makes Bernard jealous because everything has to be about him; and he isn't as close to John has Helmholtz is after their first meeting. John then starts reading Helmholtz Shakespeare. Helmholtz really appreciates Shakespeare's works. Bernard didn't like how they weren't paying attention to him, so he would interup John and yell things like, 'Orgy-porgy!' 

The three friends got together frequently and every time John and Helmholtz were talking, Bernard would interject a ridiculous comment. Helmholtz got so fed up that he told Bernard that if her interrupted again he would be kicked out of the room. As John was reading  a passage from Romeo and Juliet about Juliet wanting her parents to delay her marriage to Paris, Helmholtz burst out laughing. John locked away his Shakespeare book in a drawer.

Vocab:

Magnanimity~ noun- generous in forgiving an insult or injury

Inexorably~  adjective- unyielding; unalterable

Lit. Terms:

Allusions:

2 allusions to Romeo and Juliet

Allusion to The Phoenix and the Turtle ~ "Property was thus appall'd, / That the self was not the same..."

Allusion to The Tempest ~ "But some kinds of baseness are nobly undergone."

Metaphor: Bernard's self confidence is compared to a deflating balloon when he tells everyone that John isn't coming to the party.

Chapter Importance:

We see that no one was really Bernard's friend. They were just curious about John and the only way to get to him was through Bernard. 

John also begins to hate the New World.