Brave New World (Part 2)

1. Why does Linda still seem so disgusted and confused by the culture of the Indians?
   I think that this is because of the intense conditioning of the society she was raised in. Her entire life leading up to her living on the reservation consisted of a culture and ideals that were asserted as true and morally correct. The practice of promiscuity seems completely moral to Linda because she grew up being told that anything else was immoral and unacceptable. Even after being in this society for quite some time, she is unable to overcome the strong influence her native culture had over her. The conditioning and hypnopædia have rendered her very absolute in her beliefs.
2. Why does Huxley create a society where everyone is controlled but still happy?
   I think that Huxley used this to effectively show that the obsession with pleasure and overindulgence of society can end up controlling it and restricting it. Huxley shows that, with no limit to pleasure, we become devoid of all other intense feelings. "I want to know what passion is. I want to feel something strongly" (Huxley 103). Through the character of Bernard, Huxley demonstrates that we need to have these emotions to feel fulfilled and complete, even if we aren't happy all of the time. This idea is a very stark contrast from the ideas of 1984 because in Oceania, fear was the method used to rob people of their freedoms. Orwell wrote about the dangers of fearing our government, while Huxley is writing about the danger of pursuing pleasure. Our humanity lies in our suffering - our struggle.
3. Why does Huxley include a character in the position of Linda?
   I believe that Huxley uses Linda's position in the story as a way to illustrate the interaction between the peoples of these dramatically different cultures. The Indians practice monogamy, have religious beliefs, and birth children in the traditional sense. This is the opposite of the culture Linda was raised in, and the fact that she becomes forced into this Indian culture creates a strong contrast between the lives of those in the "utopia" and those in the reservation. This contrast can be a means of pointing out the flaws in this utopian society because the Indians share many ideals and beliefs of our culture, allowing us to identify. This identification makes us sympathize for the reservation culture and hate Linda for being so careless and arrogant in her actions.