This week we reach the end of Brave New World.The last chapter in particular left me feeling that I usually get when I leave my chemistry class, what just happened? A lot of confusion in the last chapter.The two chapters proceeding the last one ties everything up very neatly and a lot, if not all, the answers about the civilized society were answered. Then that’s it, those are all the answers you get.

We don’t get answers as to what happen to the characters we have been following for so long. Sure they tell us that Bernard and Hemholtz are basically exiled to different islands but what happens to them once they get there? Are they coping with it? Are they better off on their perspective islands than they were in civilized society?

There’s one question that burns inside me about these islands full of exiled people. The controller says “If he had the smallest sense he’d understand that this punishment is really a reward. He’s being sent to an island. That’s to say, he’s being sent to a place where he’ll meet the most interesting set of men and women to be found anywhere in the world. All of the people who, for one reason or another, have got too self consciously individual to fit into community life. All the people who aren’t satisfied with orthodoxy. who’ve got independent ideas of their own. Every one, in a word who’s anyone” (Huxley page 204).

If these people are so against the grain why don’t they rebel against the world state? Since they are so unorthodox and they see the cracks in the system of the world state why don’t they expose these cracks and make a better society? Or is because they are so content with their current environment and they are surrounded by people of their own stature they that feel at home, at peace? That they finally feel accepted and are happy with the way their lives turned out? I wish we could have got more answers on the residents of these islands.

I’m more curious than anything as to what happened to Lennina? Was she the girl that John beat with the whip? ” “Strumpet!” The savage had rushed at her like a madman. “Fitchew!” Like a madman, he was slashing at her with the whip of small cords” ( Huxley page 229). Was this Lenina? I feel like she is the only female that would enrage John so bad that he would want cause physical harm to her. And Lennia was always around Henry Foster, so I think it would be safe to assume that this was Lennina who John beat with the whip. Did she die? After the beating did Lennina die? Another question that was left unanswered.

Finally, John’s suicide. I understand why he had to die but why would the controller set him up like that? The Controller is a very intelligent person, he knew John couldn’t last in civilized society, so instead of granting him permission to be exiled like Bernard and Hemholtz he condemned him to this life of misery in this civilized world. The controller knew John was like a square peg trying to fit in a circular spot. He knew it wouldn’t last long or end pretty so that’s why I feel as if John was set up.

Very disappointing end to a very strange story.