In the novel Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley, few of the characters get a chance to stand out, as a side effect of the world they live in. Some characters, however, manage to break free of the mold. Arguably, the most compelling and different of these characters is John, the so-called “savage.” From the point of his introduction until his tragic end, John is growing and learning about himself and his life, through a series of defining moments. His whole life, John grew up differently from the many sets of twins who were born from test tubes. Instead of being brainwashed, he was raised in a reserve with his mother, Linda. Linda truly shaped who John was and who he would become. Despite being confused and unsure of the “Brave New World” when …show more content…
John, now considered a deviant, chooses to leave the civilized world in order to “purge” himself of the sins he had committed (page 243, lines 3-9.) John ends up in a lighthouse, where he has to truly come to terms with the events in his life. This is where the two sides of exile, alienating and enriching, come to light. John leaving is what he needed and wanted to do for himself, actually hoping to experience suffering and unhappiness. The aspect of choice in this decision (page 240, lines 8-20,) is what truly makes this an enriching experience for him, in it’s own twisted way. Despite it not being a healthy experience, he does do it for the sake of himself, so the experience as a whole is enriching in some way for him. Alternatively, the experience does end up going sour, as news teams with reporters and helicopters full of people arrive to watch his “savage” behavior. The way they watch him like a wild animal would be widely considered as alienating by those of us watching from the point of view of a reader. The events that transpire because of the horrid treatment he continues to receive, that eventually lead to him ending his own life, prove how much sick power the “civilized” world