Freedom In Aldous Huxley's A Brave New World

Huxley’s a Brave New World depicts the various ideas of freedom. When introducing the World State, Huxley portrays it as a utopia. To the World State, freedom is having the power to condition and to be conditioned. It is a place where mass production “keeps the wheels steadily turning” (228) and where truth and beauty have no place. In contrast to this, when Huxley introduces John he reveals a completely different portrayal of freedom. John consistently claims to the World State that his lack of conditioning allows him to exist in 'complete freedom'. However, as shown in the final few chapters, John does not portray a free man as he shows signs of being conditioned in his own way. John is introduced as a troubled boy who has no sense of belonging. As he tells Bernard his story, John illustrates his desire to be part of the Indian civilization specifically the Indian religious ritual, nevertheless his opportunities to participate are instantly shut down due to his difference in appearance. With both John and Bernard’s outsider portrayals Brave New World clearly reveals that “if one’s different, one’s bound to be lonely.”

If John was completely free he would, without remorse, follow his desires. Experiencing true freedom entails the ability to express oneself without restraint, but John is constantly restrained by his culture. Eventually this conflict of interest is what leads John to live in isolation, although isolation is not enough to let John be free and at peace. During isolation, he beings to experience remorse for Lenina and to stop his continual desire for her he turns into self-flagellation. The lack of peace John exhibits during his time in isolation reinforces the idea that John is not truly free. To a certain extent, John’s negative portrayals of conditioning take a turn and everything he preaches wrong with the World State comes out to be wrong with