Assess the character of Linda in “Brave New World.” [2017]

Linda is one of the most essential characters in Aldous Huxley’s (1894–1963) novel “Brave New World” (1932). In this text, Linda is a tragic symbol of lost humanity. Once a Beta-Minus worker, she becomes the mother of John the Savage. 

Victim of the World State: Linda is a clear victim of the State’s control. She visits the Savage Reservation with the Director, gets lost, and becomes pregnant. In the World State, motherhood is a shameful crime. So, she hides and lives among the Indians. She feels alien in both worlds: rejected by the Reservation and hated by her own society. 

Slave to Conditioning: Even after living for years on the Reservation, Linda cannot forget her training. She believes in the rule that “everyone belongs to everyone.” Her behavior shocks the Indians, who value family and loyalty. The Director once said, 

“Hypnopaedia. The greatest moralizing and socializing force of all time.”

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“Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the overcompensation for misery.” 

Contrast to John’s Morality: Linda’s weakness stands against John’s strong moral sense. She accepts pleasure over purity, while John values love, art, and truth. Her death from soma deepens John’s hatred for the false civilization of the World State.

In short, Linda’s character is both pitiful and meaningful. She represents human weakness under total control.