BNW Blog 3

Chapter 2


Summary- We learn that after the babies are born, the nurseries that they are out in and also conditioning rooms. For instance, the Deltas are shown flowers and books, through electro shock treatment they are taught to hate said objects.

Previous experimenters thought that they could teach intellectual information to children in their sleep. They found out that the children were memorizing the information but when asked a specific question, they couldn't answer. They then figured out that they could morally educate the children in their sleep.They taught the children who to hang out with, what to think of the other groups and so on. For example, the Betas were taught that the Alphas wore gray and worked harder. Betas were better than Gammas and Deltas and Gammas were stupid. Gammas wore green and Deltas wore khaki and that Betas shouldn't play with Deltas. Epsilons were then worst, they were to to stupid to read or write and wore black, a beastly color.

The director turns up the trumpet playing the moral information so the interns could hear what they were teaching the children.  After the director turned the trumpet down, he started getting very in to what he was telling the students that he woke up the children.

Lit. Terms-
Henry Ford- when first mentioned, he is a religious symbol. When the director mentions his name he draws a T over his stomach, (like the Catholic cross)
When the director wakes up the children he says,  "Oh Ford!..." 

Vocab-
Asafoetida- n. bitter resin with an unpleasant onion-like smell


Important Info-

We learned that not only does the government control which group the babies will be in, but they control what they think of all the other groups. If the people in the same group all think the same about the other groups than that creates a stable community.

BNW- blog 2

Chapter 1- Exposition

Summary- We find out in the rest of chapter that they condition the embryos to be what they want them to be. The Hatchery has the power to decide with embryos grow up to be sewage workers and which grow up to be world controllers.They basically program the people to be who the government wants them to be. No one knows that what is happening to them. They have no idea that their fate was decided when they just embryos. 

Lit. Terms-

"Lying along the polished tubes like butter, streak after luscious streak in long recession down the work tables." (Simile) 

"And in effect the sultry darkness into which the students now followed him was visible and crimson, like the darkness of closed eyes on a summer's afternoon."  (Simile/Personification) 

Vocab-

Castes- n. a hereditary social group limited to persons of the same rank, occupation, economic position

           In the story it refers to the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon classes of the embryos

Important Info-

World State's Motto: Community, Identity, Stability

          The government has the power to create a community of like-minded people. In a community of like-minded people who all would have the same beliefs, there would be no fighting and therefor create a stable environment. 

Vocab-Nov. 2nd

Magnanimity- n. generous in forgiving an insult or injury
The magnanimity of her character was shown when she forgave her big brother for eating her candy.

Mollified- vb. to soften in feeling or temper
He mollified the old woman's depression by baking her cookies. 

Adage- n. a traditional saying expressing a common experience
That author is famous for using old adages like, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."

Castes- n. a hereditary social group limited to persons of the same rank, occupation, economic position
The members of the Epsilon caste all wear black and most grow up to be sewage workers.

Ignominy- n. disgrace or dishonor
The man's ignominy made everyone talk about him behind his back.

Cajolery- n. persuasion by flattery or promises; coaxing
The sales clerk's cajolery causes me to spend $700 in the store.

Axiomatic- adj. self-evident; obvious
The axiomatic solution to the algebra equation: 3x=6 is x=2.

Ruminating- vb. to think or to meditate
In the library you could hear the students ruminating about their upcoming English test.

Intrinsically- adv. naturally related to the pure essence of a certain object
The girl was intrinsically intelligent because both of her parents were scientists for NASA.

Precipice- n. a cliff with a vertical, nearly vertical or overhanging face
The car was driven off of the precipice by a semitruck. The people were able to jump out of the car before it dropped.

A Brave New World- Blog 1

Summary- So far in the story, a group of students are touring the Hatchery and they are copying down everything that the Director tells them about the "Bokanovsky Process." This may mean that the students can't think for themselves and only think what they are told to think, or they are so intrigued with what the Director is saying that they keep their noses in their journals so they don't miss anything that he says. 

Vocab-
Peritoneal- adj.
        (peritoneum n.- the serous membrane lining the abdominal cavity and investing its viscera)

Lit. Terms- 
"Straight from the horse's mouth into the notebook."
           The narrator compares the Director to a horse. (Metaphor)
                The narrator then goes on to describe the Director's large, prominent teeth, long chin and full curved lips, like a horse.