-
Essay / Character Sheets - Lenina and Linda - 1606
In Aldous Huxley's novel, "Brave New World", published in 1932, two idiosyncratic female characters, Lenina and Linda, are revealed. The two personalities, presented in a Freudian relationship (Linda being John's mother and Lenina being his future lover), represent each other at different stages of life and reveal "a character film". Both Lenina and Linda are "Betas", who have a strong relationship with the men in their lives, especially John. It can be argued that John may feel partly attracted to Lenina, because she is a miniature version of Linda, in her youth. They both support the term “conditioning,” but also question it in their own situations. Nevertheless, they are both still sexually hyperactive and criticized for such immoral decisions. Linda buys into it wholeheartedly, while Lenina supports the process partly because of peer pressure and societal expectations. The two female characters visit the Reservation with Alpha – Plus men, and both find a shared feeling of revulsion there. Linda and Lenina are similar in many ways, but they have different views on different aspects of life. Both Lenina and Linda are presented as beta women from the civilized world. Although Huxley does not clearly state that Lenina belongs to a higher class of society; however, the text strongly suggests that she is a Beta through the dialogue and association presented with other characters, as well as her specific thoughts and actions. Having a background and childhood in “The Other Place,” both women support the idea of heart conditioning. Although they share a common interest in obsessing over materialistic goods, such as jewelry, clothing, outward appearances, and body scents; they also share an interest in p...... middle of paper ......visited the Reserve, escorted by Alpha – Plus men, and found a common hatred for the site and its unsanitary surroundings. Since both wear the Malthusian girdle, they feel protected from pregnancy-related frowns, but Linda still faces the downfall. The cause of Linda's suicide comes from the fact that she considers Lenina her past and all the benefits of the civilized world that she lost due to John's birth and her life in the wilderness reserve. Linda takes an excessive dose of soma to ease her pain of never achieving the sexual and physical success that other betas of her era established, while Lenina takes soma to realize that ending is not always better than repair. Through their common interests, their physical appearances, their questioning of the teachings of the civilized world and their own moral ethics, Lenina and Linda are presented as flagships of character for each other...