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Outcasts are those who have been excluded from a society or a system. Aldous Huxley’s novel Brave New World contains two sets of people within a somewhat utopist society. Ideally within a utopist society, everyone is alike and there are no differences. Huxley’s utopist society has norms just like any other utopist society but the exception is that there outcasts. Specifically, Huxley has included the characters Bernard as well as John the Savage, and Linda as the outcasts within this society. People who transgress against social norms are likely to find themselves painfully alone. Aldous Huxley’s futuristic novel Brave New World demonstrates how individuals who challenge their societies, risk becoming outcasts. Huxley’s Bernard Marx, is the first outcast the reader is presented with. From the first moment we meet Bernard, he is seen unfavorably by others. Fanny for instance, talks behind Bernard's back with Lenina. She thinks he is inferior and is surprised that Lenina is interested in him because he is so physically different to the other members of his Alpha-plus caste. She says, “He’s so ugly! … And then so small.” (Huxley 41). Bernard himself feels inferior to the rest of the society. At one time, he is shut out from a conversation between Henry Foster and the Assistant Predestinator. The two of them talk as if Bernard didn’t exist at all. During this conversation, Bernard shows us how different he is to the rest of society. They talk about Lenina, in a sexual manner, and he feels that this is rude and that she deserves to be treated fairly. He says, “Talking about her as though she were a bit of meat. Have her here, have her there. Like mutton. Degrading her to so much mutton.” (40). Bernard does not follow the sexual mentalities of the rest of the World State, even though he went through the same hypnopedic practices as everyone else. According to Fanny: “… somebody made a mistake when he was still in the bottle – thought he was a Gamma and put alcohol in his blood-surrogate. That’s why he’s so stunted.” (41). He feels emotions that others in the World State do not feel whatsoever. He feels jealous when Lenina is with Henry Foster. He enjoys nature, and wants to be in a serious relationship. During his date with Lenina, he says, “I thought we’d be more…more together here – with nothing but the sea and moon. More together than in that crowd, or even in my rooms. Don’t you understand that?” (82). These feelings are an extreme rarity in the World State. These feelings lead him to believe that he is inferior to the other members of his Alpha-plus caste. Bernard treats himself unfairly at other times as well. He notices how others shut him out, and in response, he shuts himself out, making people dislike him even more.
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