Tammy’s Reviews > Brave New World > Status Update

I read all the stuff at the end. Fortunately, nobody tried to analyze it.

It seems that John keeps his promise not to be an experimental rat in the hands of Mond.

While he’s digging, he thinks of death. His mother and he has lots of questions. Suddenly, the locusts driven by the movie fly overhead. They laugh at him and take pictures. Of course, they are dressed like people dress. He tells them to go away and they chant, “Whip! whip! whip!” Lots of yelling. A beautiful woman shows up (Lenina?) and she tries to say something but her voice is drowned out. She cries tears!

I wonder if this imagery is like mother Mary versus the whore of Babylon. A big game hunter with a camera and audio recording captures his flagellation on film. He captures it all beautifully and twelve days later “The Savage of Surrey” is released. His popularity surges again and he is not left in peace. He’s busy digging up his garden (but I can’t help but wonder about his grave).

After four more encounters with reporters, they decide to leave him alone. Their platitudes fail on him. He shot arrows at helicopters and hit one. They left him in peace and he starts working on his garden. He remembers his last moments with Lenina and runs out of the lighthouse, half-naked, to punish himself for having impure thoughts. He uses juniper leaves. Ha, as in the juniper tree?????

John has his thirty arrows and he raids a nearlby poultry farm. He’s falling back on what he has learned from the tribe with those feathers. A reporter shows up. Ugh! John startles as if a snake bit him. A SNAKE! The reporter asks if he can have a few words with John without waiting for a reply, he starts setting up shop. John spoke exactly five words and kicked the reporter in the butt. Screaming headlines.

Working with his hands gives John great pleasure. He begins singing and then feels guilty because he promised to punish himself for allowing the terrible things happen to Linda when she was dying. He boils water and throws in some mustard for more purification. He goes outside and whips himself. Unfortunately, some deltas in the little village witness the gruesome sight. Three days later reporters come. THREE DAYS!!!

Mond wants to continue his little experiment. He must know where John is and it’s only a matter of time before he pokes the bear. Before going to the lighthouse, John bought tools, equipment, and seeds and as much real food as he can find. He has a long term plan to live here. There are rabbits and waterfowl and the money he has saved. He cuts branches to make a bow and arrows.

The lighthouse is in the middle of nowhere. Lots of natural beauty and no ridiculous sports are nearby. He can see seven towers in Guildford which light up the night sky. To him, it’s like fingers pointing to heaven. John seems to be in a works based thinking. He feels like he has to earn the right to live in the lighthouse. it has a lot of windows (reminds me of Alice’s glass table). He lives alone and loves it.

In this dark night of the soul, John prays for forgiveness and purification. He chose the lighthouse because of beauty. He knows he deserves to live in a sty.