Bernard

One of the first characters we, as the reader, are introduced to is Bernard Marx. The society that he and his fellow people live in is divided into different social levels. The top level is the alpha pluses, which is what Bernard belongs to; however, one of the first things you notice about him is that he is somewhat of an outsider, or at least that is how he portrays himself. The farther I got into the book, the more I found that Bernard is really is not the outsider that he makes himself to be.

There are obvious differences that set him apart from him and his fellow people. First of all, he does not look like the rest of the alpha plus males. These other males are all tall and strongly built. Bernard on the other hand, is very small, and “weird” looking as many of the other characters put it. There was a big rumor going around the factory that too much alcohol was put into his incubator when he was being handled as an embryo. Second of all, he claims that he only likes and wants to be with one girl, Lenina, which in the society that he lives in is a horrible thought. “Everyone belongs to everyone,” is what they were trained to believe in. They are all encouraged to be with multiple people, no attachments.

Bernard claims that he is very different from the others. He tries to stay away from soma, doesn’t see the point in the air golf game they play, and likes being alone. This is how he acts for about 75% of the novel. In the last quarter of the novel, when he finds the savage named John, his views on everything change. Suddenly, Bernard has changed from the man who everyone gossiped about and thought was weird to a hero. All of a sudden, he likes being around people and being the center of attention. He begins taking soma again and taking apart in everything that all the other people are doing. Then, when the savage decides to not take apart in Bernard’s plan to show him off to everyone anymore, people’s view of Bernard goes back to what it used to be. Now, Bernard goes back to his old self.

I think the only reason Bernard acts like an outsider is to bring attention to himself. He doesn’t like being the odd one out, but it is the only way that others will give him attention. John was originally Bernard’s way out of the dumpy life and into the fast lane, and Bernard took advantage of that. Finally, once John was out of the picture, he went back to his old sulky self; therefore, I think that the way that Bernard portrays himself throughout the majority of the novel is all self-inflicted. I think that if he really wanted a different life, where he fit in more and was happier, he could find a way to do it. (501)