Student Question

What are five major events in the plot of Brave New World?

Quick answer:

Five major events in the plot of Brave New World include the inciting incident where Bernard and Lenina discover John on the reservation. The rising action involves John's experiences and conflicts with the new world's society, particularly his interactions with Lenina and the hospital scene. The climax occurs during John's debate with Mustapha Mond. The falling action sees John's withdrawal to a remote barn, and the resolution is John's suicide.

Expert Answers

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The best way to identify important points in a narrative is to use Freytag's Pyramid, a literary theory developed by a German analyst. He theorized, and proved, that the majority of literature (written and oral) tracks along the same narrative structure. Aldous Huxley's novel Brave New World does not vary from this framework, as one can see below: 

Inciting Incident: This is the moment in a narrative in which the conflict is initiated and begins to move the plot forward. In Brave New World, this is when Bernard and Lenina discover John living on the reservation. 

Rising Action: While the rising action is in fact a series of incidents, perhaps the most noteworthy incident in John's conflict with the society of the new world is his first experience with the batches of lower caste children who visit the hospital to become desensitized to death. However, one could also argue that his altercations with Lenina fit this category far better. 

Climax: The climactic moment, or point of highest tension, in John's conflict with the new world is seemingly far less dramatic than one might expect. This takes place during his debate with Mustapha Mond, during which each character defends his way of life. 

Falling Action: John's removal from the society to the remote barn begins to separate him from the conflict, which leads the reader to the conclusion. 

Resolution: John's suicide concludes the narrative arc and resolves the conflict within the novel. 

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