Monday, April 2, 2012
Bernard: The Byronic Hero
In the first chapters of Brave New World we are introduced to Bernard, a timid outsider. He being an Alpha Plus is supposed to be the epitome of civilization, the perfect conditioned man. Yet perhaps because of the extra alcohol he exemplifies rather the opposite. His gaunt demeanor, gives much to yearn for, and rather than use kindness to get what he wants Bernard yells at lower caste members to follow his orders. I personally didn't like Bernard when he was first introduced but as the story keeps going like many modern men, he looses himself in the high of pleasure. Bernard's acceptance after he brings the savage, proves to be better than soma and prehaps more addicting. Now Bernard has a girl or even two in bed every night, he has "friends" but at the cost of his identity. Do you find Bernard to be a likeable character, prehaps a byronic hero? Do you feel that Bernard like Siddhartha, will reach a high point of pleasure/alleged acceptance yet feel envious that the void of knowing your different and unhappy will never be filled?
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I will be honest, I did actually like his character. Yet, towards the end of the chapters I sort of begin to become annoyed by his actions. I feel that he is betraying the ideas I had of him. As if it were paining me to watch him flush his potential down the toilet.
ReplyDeleteI envied Bernard when he began questioning the norm, and ulitmately wanted to deviate away from it. I saw him as this person who was quite relatable to the outsider in all of us. I can't pinpoint when exactly it was where he made that switch from a 'outsider' to just 'another one of them'. It had me thinking, is Bernard a complete archetype for all of us? In the way that we all strive to be an individual, yet when it comes down to it our yearning to be accepted or even understood from others is valued just as much. So perhaps, it's just the seclusion that causes us to identify with Bernard?
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