Chapter 16 Questions and Answers
Study Questions
1. When Bernard, Helmholtz, and the Savage are ushered into Mond’s office, how does each place himself?
2. How does Mond greet the Savage?
3. Why are things like Shakespeare’s plays prohibited?
4. Why can’t Othello be rewritten?
5. Why can’t a world of Alphas be created?
6. What proved that an Alpha society would fail?
7. Why are some labor-saving devices not put to use?
8. What is Bernard’s reaction to exile?
9. What event changed people’s ideas about truth and beauty?
10. For what does Helmholtz ask? Where is he to be sent?
Answers
1. Bernard tries to be as inconspicuous as possible. Helmholtz confidently sits in the best chair. The Savage paces restlessly.
2. Mond walks directly to the Savage and speaks of his discontent with society.
3. Shakespeare’s plays are beautiful, old, and wasteful.
4. Tragedies like Othello require social instability. Stability is one of the watchwords of this society.
5. Alphas would be unhappy doing menial jobs and that would breed discontent.
6. The Cyprus experiment proved an Alpha society would fail.
7. People must have a certain percentage of their days taken up with what must seem to be meaningful work. Labor-saving devices could take this away.
8. Bernard begs not to be taken away and is carried out crying.
9. The Nine Years’ War caused people to desire control to keep such slaughter from happening again.
10. Helmholtz wants to go to a place where the climate is bad because he thinks it will be a more creative atmosphere. He will be sent to the Falkland Islands.
