Chapters 1-6

Chapter 1

  • Location: London
  • Time: 632 AF (after Ford)
  • Main characters: Director (DHC), Henry Foster, Lenina Crowne, students

 

Visiting the fertilization station

The story in Brave New World by Aldous Huxley begins in 632 after Ford (approximately 2540 AD) in London. The Director of Hatchery and Conditioning Center (DHC) is leading students through the building, explaining to them how people are artificially created here and what role they will later have in society. 

Everyone’s role in society is already determined during the fertilization process. They are divided into five boxes: Alphas, Betas, Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons. First, an ovary is removed and artificially kept alive. The resulting eggs are then put into a liquid that contains sperm. This will fertilize the egg.

They use the Bokanowski process to create Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons. This means, they are continuously interrupting the development process of the fertilized eggs, through which the egg forms many buds. This creates completely identical twins in large quantities. The embryos will then further develop in bottles. After decanting, the Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons will belong to the lower castes. This means, they are not particularly intelligent and only do simple work.

By putting the eggs back in the incubator immediately after fertilization, however, they will develop into Alphas and Betas. These are the two highest castes. Since they develop out of a single egg, Alphas and Betas are unique. They are intelligent and should later work in science and research. Their embryos are also put into bottles, in which they evolve until they are decanted.

All embryos go through their first standardization process already in the bottle. The process of standardization continues after they have been decanted.

While showing his students around, the Director asks his assistant, Henry Foster, to explain some of the details of the fertilization and standardization process to the students. Pleased by the task, Foster immediately starts explaining. He also introduces his colleague Lenina, a Beta Plus. Lenina too explains her responsibilities to the students. Her responsibilities include injecting the embryos that will later become tropical workers against typhoid and sleeping sickness. 

Here, Henry Foster reminds Lenina of their afternoon meeting. Next, he continues his explanations and describes the conditioning process to the students. For example, future chemical workers will be trained to tolerate various chemicals. Embryos that will become astronauts are given a particularly strong sense of balance.

As Foster suggests that the students look at Alpha embryos, the Director interrupts him. Since it is already very late, the tour has to be postponed. Nevertheless, they still take a quick look at the decanting room.

Chapter 2

  • Location: London
  • Time: 632 AF (after Ford)
  • Main characters: Director (DHC), nurse, students

 

Suggestions from the state

After visiting the decanting room, the Director and the students move on to the infant nurseries. Foster stays in the decanting roo...

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