Brave New World

Novel | Aldous Huxley

Why does John commit suicide at the end of the novel “Brave New World?”

Premium

Why does John commit suicide at the end of the novel Brave New World Aldous Huxley ends Brave New World with the tragic death of John the Savage John s suicide is not sudden It grows from his deep conflict with the artificial world around him He cannot live in a society that kills faith love and freedom Conflict between Two Worlds John belongs to both the natural and the mechanical world He was born on the Reservation but later lived in the World State In both places he is an outsider The Reservation rejects him as impure while the World State mocks his emotions This double rejection breaks his heart and mind Disgust for the World State John hates the shallow and immoral life of London People there take soma to forget pain and follow empty pleasures Mustapha Mond explains Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with

the overcompensation for misery This false happiness disgusts John He sees people worship machines not God The world s comfort without conscience fills him with guilt and anger Failure of Love and Purity John s love for Lenina turns into pain He dreams of her as pure but sees her as corrupted by the State s sexual culture During the riot she joins the crowd that mocks him He cries I ate civilization His body and soul feel poisoned by her world Unable to escape its sin he punishes himself with a whip Isolation and Final Despair John hides in a lighthouse to seek peace But people follow him for entertainment They film his prayers and pain turning his purity into a show He loses the last hope for silence and dignity Overcome by shame after the wild orgy he hangs himself In short John s suicide reveals his complete despair He cannot accept a life without faith purity or pain

Continue Reading

Sign in and subscribe to unlock the full content