Brave New World Chapter 6- An old Reservation

(Individuality is/is not harmful)

"I want to look at the sea in peace," he said. "One can't even look with that beastly noise going on."

"But it's lovely. And I don't want to look."

"But I do," he insisted. "It makes me feel as though …" he hesitated, searching for words with which to express himself, "as though I were more me, if you see what I mean. More on my own, not so completely a part of something else. Not just a cell in the social body. Doesn't it make you feel like that, Lenina?"

But Lenina was crying. "It's horrible, it's horrible," she kept repeating. "And how can you talk like that about not wanting to be a part of the social body? After all, every one works for every one else. We can't do without any one. Even Epsilons …"

"Yes, I know," said Bernard derisively. "'Even Epsilons are useful'! So am I. And I damned well wish I weren't!"

Lenina was shocked by his blasphemy. "Bernard!" She protested in a voice of amazed distress. "How can you?"

In a different key, "How can I?" he repeated meditatively. "No, the real problem is: How is it that I can't, or rather–because, after all, I know quite well why I can't–what would it be like if I could, if I were free–not enslaved by my conditioning" (Huxley 90-91).

 

In chapter 6 of Brave New World, Bernard is beginning to get restless due to the lack of intake from soma and also being aware of his individuality. Bernard is living without taking soma and he is able to understand that he is not wanting to be apart of the society. Whereas Lenina is encouraging Bernard to take soma and is making him feel bad about not wanting to be apart of the "social body". Lenina feels that it is good to be part of the society because she believes everybody works for everyone else, which can somewhat be true. In a society it takes many people to work together for the society and everything within it to function and be successful. However for Bernard he completely disagrees, he likes being an individual and thinking on his own, and having other emotions rather than just the fake feeling of soma. To be an individual is not harmful in Bernard's case, being that he just wants to have his own emotions and opinions, which does contribute to a successful society. Lenina's thoughts on social body, are also valid, because within a society there needs to team work and dependence on people as well and (self-dependence). So they both go hand in hand, individuality and being alike.