3. Chapter 12 ends with Helmholtz's mockery of Romeo and Juliet. In Chapter 13, Lenina confides to Fanny her feelings for John and says, "I shall always like him." At the end of Chapter 13, we are told Lenina's response to John's remarks about marriage is genuine shock. What do you find ironic about this? What idea about love is suggested to you by these contradictions?

It's ironic because even though Lenina says she will always like John, she would never be able to marry John because she can't just be with one person for the rest of her life. I think it says that some people do feel differently about love, some can commit to loving just one person for the rest of their lives, but some cannot.



7. Explain John's behavior after his mother dies: What does he do; why does he behave this way? How do the people react to him, and why do they react in this way?

John is upset and crying, but no one can understand why someone can get so upset over someone else dying. He starts calling the soma poison and throwing it out the window, I think he behaves this way because he blames the soma for Linda's death since she kept taking "soma-holidays". The people were angry and violent towards John, because they couldn't imagine not getting their soma and why anyone would take it away from them.

Who is Aldous Huxley?

He was born on July 26, 1894 in Godalming, Surry, England and died on November 22, 1963. Just like his brothers, he went to Eaton and Balliol College. Then at the age of 16 he was diagnosed with an illness called keratitis punctata and it left him blind for almost two years, which disqualified him from being in the service for World War 1 and stopped him from being a scientist. Once he recovered, he studied English Literature at Balliol College and then graduated in 1916 with his B.A. in English. He published his most famous novel Brave New World in 1932.

The Letter

Here's my narrative:

It seemed like more than just an hour had passed as I stood there anxiously waiting and watching for Frank, my mailman, to come strolling up the dirt path to my house. I have been waiting for this particular Monday for years. He usually comes around 12:30, but today he was unusually late. I was just about to leave when I finally saw him carrying his big brown bag filled with an assortment of mail, with his little blue cap on top of his slightly baldhead, and wearing a big smile as he always did.

I walked out to the mailbox to greet him because I just couldn’t wait any longer. I stood there as he filed through all the mail to find letters with Kathy Winox written on it to hand to me. He pulled out three letters and then placed them in my hand. I looked up and thanked him and then he was on his way. I quickly looked through the letters and found the one with “Linda’s Bakery” written in the top left-hand corner, but I knew whom it really was from. The name “Linda’s Bakery” was really just a cover-up for “Sapphire’s School of Hidden Talents.” I’ve known about this school ever since I was around the age of 15, when I discovered my grandmother had the same talent that I’ve had ever since I was around ten years old. When I was young I loved to play with dolls. In fact, I still remember my first doll, Sally. She had long blonde curly hair with big blue eyes and a brown dress with lace across the bottom. My mother bought me her for my tenth birthday and I played with her so much that I soon discovered I could bring her to life and even talk to her.

By the age of 15, talking to dolls became a part of my daily routine, and I figured it was time I shared this with someone. I didn't know whom to turn to other than my grandmother, since she always seemed to believe me, no matter how crazy my story was. She confessed that she could do the same thing and has been doing that ever since she was a young girl, just like me. She told me around a week after my 23rd birthday that I would receive a letter of opportunity from “Linda’s Bakery” aka “Sapphire’s School of Hidden Talents”, and I could then make my talents known at this school if I wanted to. You didn’t find the school; the school found you, because it was very selective and strict of who went there. From what my grandmother told me it had a very small student body, but the people there were as friendly as can be and very helpful.
I anxiously ripped open the envelope and pulled out the carefully folded letter. It was written in cursive with blue ink and it had “Dear Kathy” written at the top. It had directions of how to get to the school disguised as a bakery, which was only about five miles away from where I lived. It said I had to present the letter and my name to the woman behind the counter and she would take me where I need to go. The next day I went out to find the building disguised with all kinds of yummy desserts in the window and a big pink sign that read “Linda’s Bakery.”

I walked in the shop to find a woman standing behind the counter wearing a blue apron and
glasses perched on top of her brown hair that was piled in a bun on top of her head. I showed the
letter to her and she examined it carefully. I told her my name and she waved for me to follow
her to a door in the back room. To my surprise, when she opened the door it revealed a maze of
hallways and many doors. I walked into my first class to the largest classroom I have ever seen.
The classroom had diagrams of the human body and mind; however, they weren’t your typical
diagrams. These diagrams told how our hidden talents work and what parts of the body we use
to control them. Instead of taking notes or having books, we did physical interactions with the
other students with the same or opposite talents. That letter and that school have changed my
life forever and it was definitely worth the wait.

I know the format is messed up, but I tried to fix it and it won't work.

Chapters 4-5

Chapter four contains one of the most important events in the book. Finny finally realizes how much Gene's school work means to him and that he has to study to get those good grades. The one night when Gene is studying he doesn't want to go to the meeting, but after Finny insists he can stay home and study, Gene still goes anyway to see Leper jump. At the meeting Gene gets this idea for both of them to jump out of the tree together, because it has never been done before. Gene realizes that Finny isn't jealous of him and he's not capable of being jealous, so before they jump Gene moves the limb which causes Finny to lose his balance and fall.

From his fall, Gene says his fear is forgotten because it makes him realize that Finny isn't perfect. Finny shatters his leg and has to stay in the infirmary which forces Gene to be alone for a while. One day Gene even wears Finny's things to remind himself of Finny and makes himself feel better. Gene learns that Finny will never be able to play sports again, but he will be able to walk. Finny can't really remember what caused him to fall and when he even mentions he thought it was because of Gene he quickly apologizes. Finny goes back to Boston, the summer session ends, and Gene goes back home for a month. Before going back to Devon, Gene visits Finny and tells him what really happened on the tree. Finny refuses to believe it and they argue, so Finny tells Gene he'll see him sometime around Thanksgiving.

Chapters 1-3

Gene is going back to visit his old school in the first chapter and starts having flashbacks of what his life was like back then. In these three chapters, we quickly learn that Gene and Finny are good friends. We also learn that Finny can talk his way out of things, including wearing a pink shirt and wearing his school tie as a belt. In these chapters they form the "Super Summer Society of the summer session". In this new society they hold meetings and every meeting will start out with a jump from Finny and Gene off the tree even though Gene never loses his fear, he still jumps.

Another thing created in these chapters is a game called "blitzball" which Finny made up, but there is never a winner. We find out how athletic Finny is in these chapters, but we also find out that he doesn't think sports should be about winning or losing. We find out how he feels about sports when he breaks the school swimming record, but doesn't want anyone to know. After Finny breaks the record, they go to the beach where Finny tells Gene they are best friends. Gene fails to do the same for Finny, so he doesn't get to tell him he thinks they're best friends too.

As we all know this book is about friendship, war, love, and jealousy. These two boys(Gene and Finny), who claim to be best friends, hangout in the summer very often and are roommates. Even though Gene is very good academically he still puts himself down and thinks he's nothing compared to Finny. While Gene thinks Finny is "perfect", Finny knows how smart Gene really is and I bet he doesn't even think Gene could ever be jealous of him. These boys are friends and jealous of each other, but who wouldn't be jealous of the high grades and who wouldn't be jealous of the athlete everyone likes?

Blah, yeah that's all for now because I have a major headache and a bunch of other homework, hopefully I'll be able to do more with this tomorrow. =)