Last Section BNW

In the last section of Brave New World Bernard loses his popularity over John because of his criticism of the World State. Lenina likes John and when he said how he felt about Lenina she angered him by pressing her body against him and taking off her clothes. John's mother Linda dies and he continues to ask people why they don't wish to be free. John, Bernard and Helmholtz are taken to Mond's office where they are informed of their exile. Bernard doesn't want to go to an island and begs to stay. However, Mond explains how going to an island is actually a reward: "He's being sent to an island. That's to say, he's being sent to a place where he'll meet the most interesting set of men and women to be found anywhere in the world. All of the people who, for one reason or another, have got too self-consciously individual to fit into community life" (227). Mond explains to John there is no God for the same reason there aren't high arts, it's old and people have changed.

Stability and Happiness means everything in the World State. Searching for truth and experiencing various emotions leads to instability which leads to the end of civilization; or so they think. Mond doesn't let John go with Bernard and Helmholtz. John retreats to the lighthouse where he punishes himself. People begin to flock John's house to see his rituals and one man taped him and made a film. One day a crowd forms around John and Lenina comes towards him and he whips her. The next day people find John has hung himself.

I don't really like the ending of this book. After realizing the negativity within the World State the reader would expect Bernard, Helmholtz and John to go on to greater things. John hanging himself in the end only shows the instability without conditioning. The question is whether or not a person would choose to live with instability or stability. With stability comes a lack of art, emotion and truth.