| Autor: | Robert Benditz |
| Fach: | Englisch |
| Kurs: | Leistungskurs 13 |
| Thema: | Brave New World |
| Form: | Charakterisierung |
Bernard Marx is one of the protagonists in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World and is introduced in chapter 3. He is present throughout the novel and embodies the characteristics of men before Ford. Therefore he is the personification of everything the World State has supposedly suppressed. Bernard is hardly a traditional hero figure, but that's why he is so valuable to the story since he represents negative, perhaps even self-destructive, human values in a world that is growing increasingly less human. Bernard Marx is an Alpha plus of high intelligence and therefore a member of the elite. Due to his small height (p. 41 Fanny: "And then so small" p. 57), he stands eight centimetres short of the standard Alpha height, and lack of handsomeness (p. 41 Fanny: "He's so ugly!" p. 57 "Bernard's physique was hardly better that the average Gamma.") people believe that too much alcohol may have been put accidentally into his blood surrogate when he was still an embryo (p. 41 Fanny: "They say somebody made a mistake when he was still in the bottle - thought he was a Gamma and put alcohol into his blood-surrogate. That's why he's so stunted." p. 54 "…, decided that the story about the alcohol having been put into the poor chap's blood-surrogate must be true. 'Touched his brain, I suppose.'"). That is why he is regarded as deformed (p. 47 The Assistant Predestinator: "He does look glum.") by is fellow-citizens. Being rejected by the society, he developed an inferiority complex which leads him to pose behind a superior air (p. 57 "Bernard gave his orders in the sharp, rather arrogant and even offensive tone of one who does not feel himself too secure in his superiority."). Since Bernard is different from other people and not happy with his role of an outcast, it allows him to view things differently and to develop a certain self-consciousness (p. 57 "'I am I, and I wish I wasn't'; his self-consciousness was acute and distressing." p. 60 "… the physically defective Bernard had suffered all his life from the consciousness of being separate, … ."). Bernard works as a psychologist who is specialized in sleep-teaching (p. 42 "… Bernard Marx, who was a specialist on hypnopaedia in the Central London Hatchery. As a result of his low popularity (p. 39 Fanny about Bernard Marx: "But his reputation?") he has only one real friend - Helmholtz Watson. Furthermore, Bernard dislikes sports, casual sex and likes to be alone, three very unusual traits among the citizens of the Brave New World. What distinguishes Bernard most from other people in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World is that he wants things that he can't have. Bernard Marx is in love with Lenina Crowne and despises everybody who just wants to have sex with her (p. 40 Bernard: "Talking about her as though she were a bit of meat." "Bernard ground his teeth" Bernard: "Have her here, have her there. Like mutton. Degrading her to so much mutton." [..] "He would have liked to go up and hit them in the face - hard, again and again." p. 42 "Bernard hated them, hated them." ). Unfortunately for Bernard, Lenina sees him merely as an odd but somewhat interesting and strange man who offers her a distraction from her relationship with Henry Foster. All in all one can say that Bernard Marx is an isolated, lonely, insecure and, most of all, unhappy person in a world where everyone else is happy. When Bernard and Lenina visit the savage reservation in New Mexico and get to know John and his mother Linda, the latter having once been part of the civilized world, his life changes rapidly. After he returned from the reservation he is suddenly popular with important people and successful with women (p. 140 "…, Bernard now found himself, for the first time in his life, treated not merely normally, but as a person of outstanding importance. There was no more talk of the alcohol in his blood-surrogate, no gibes at his personal appearance. [..] As for the women, Bernard had only to hint at the possibility of an invitation, and could have whichever of them he liked."). John serves as his ticket into the limelight because everybody wants to meet John and his "guardian" Bernard Marx. Bernard takes full advantage of his new status and revels in activities he previously criticized publicly but craves personally (p. 147 "…, Bernard risked a gesture which, in the past, even total darkness would hardly have emboldened him to make. Strong in his new importance, he put his arm round the Head Mistress's waist."). When John refuses to greet guests at one of Bernard's parties and turns his back on him, Bernard's success, reputation and self-confidence disappear instantaneously. By continuing to criticize the World State while still an active participant in its "pleasant vices," Bernard shows that he is a hypocrite ("'You're more like what you were at Malpais.' [..] 'Because I'm unhappy again; that's why.' 'Well, I'd rather be unhappy than have the sort of false, lying happiness you were having here.' 'I like that,' said Bernard bitterly."). To sum up, one can say that Bernard Marx only complains about the system because he is isolated. In secret, he would like to be like anybody else - a happy member of the highest class. Thus, he lacks the courage to stand up for his convictions and when put to the test, he always fails. After Bernard's trip to the reservation, the savage gradually takes over the role of the main character. In the end, Bernard Marx is exiled to Iceland alongside Helmholtz Watson and, in contrast to his closest friend, protests bitterly (p. 206 "'Oh, please don't send me to Iceland. I promise I'll do what I ought to do.'") because he enjoys the life in the Brave New World - the kind of life he used to detest in the beginning.
Written by Robert Benditz - 16.02.2004
Sources:
http://somaweb.org/w/sub/BNW_MonarchNotes.html http://www.huxley.net/studyaid/bnwbarron.html http://www.novelguide.com/bravenewworld/characterprofiles.html http://pub34.ezboard.com/faldoushuxleyfrm1.showMessage?topicID=24.topic http://www.huxley.net/ http://summarycentral.tripod.com/bravenewworld.htm http://pinkmonkey.com/booknotes/monkeynotes/pmBraveNew31.asp http://www.enotes.com/brave/3498 http://www.gradesaver.com/ClassicNotes/Titles/BraveNewWorld/charlist.html http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/bravenew/canalysis.html
© 2001-2005 Robert Benditz