Brave New World

In the novel, Brave New World, Bernard Marx was the first character introduced by name; this was a major relief to the reader and a great technique for characterization and symbolism in use by the author, Aldous Huxley. The mere introduction of a character with an actual name instead of a title caused the reader to infer there was something different about Bernard. The difference was that although Bernard conformed to society outwardly, he was battling everything he'd been taught inwardly. This complex conflict creates the tone for the theme of the novel, a lesson for generations ruling over Earth now to not push towards perfection so heavily that humanity is dissolved.

Huxley illustrates a world in which everything that makes us human is taken away to make room for a utopia, but is this utopia really what we strive for? To accomplish this contrast Huxley introduces Bernard Marx early on in the novel to give the reader a picture of what society has become and how the average citizen has adjusted to it, and a view into the thoughts of how wrong it can be in the mind of a more dynamic character. Creating a connection between Bernard and the reader, the reader feels how very wrong it would seem to live in a synthetic world made to exempt any imperfection, anything that makes us human.