Happiness And Happiness In Plato's Brave New World

In the Brave New World, a character named Bernard Marx questioned his happiness and society 's norm because he was considered an outcast. Bernard expressed his discontentment in a conversation with Lenina, “Yes, ‘Everybody’s happy nowadays.’ We begin giving the children that at five. But wouldn’t you like to be free to be happy in some other way, Lenina? In your own way, for example; not in everybody else’s way"(90). Bernard thrives for his own definition of happiness, thus get him in trouble for not conforming to the norms of society. When he eventually got a chance to explore the reservation, a society outside of the world state, the norms and culture of this civilization shocked him. Bernard represents the prisoner that escaped in Plato’s

These two particular characters in the stories were blinded by the knowledge that was outside of their comfort zone. The experience that they were going through went against everything that they were taught as a child, and it took some time to grasp such phenomenon. These authors encourage individuals to go outside of their norms in order to grow mentally and emotionally. After the individual becomes more educated, they can then see the injustice that they once experienced in their old

When the two men met, Bernard learned about how had John lived and his opinion about the society that he was raised in. Since he was in trouble for not conforming in the World State, Bernard decided to bring John and his mother back in hope of saving himself from exile; showing his own selfish nature in the process. When they got to the world state, Bernard basks in fame bragging about bringing John back to the society. On the other hand, John was in shock of the way that the World State functions and began to dislike it. When he is saddened by what he saw,"…he was back in his room. From its hiding place he took out his mouse-nibbled volume, turned with religious care its stained and crumbled pages, and began to read Othello"(157), he returns to his comfort zone, the very thing that helps him give meaning to his life. In this instance, John would be compared to the individual who came back and was blinded again by the darkness and Plato 's allegory; however, John quickly grew accustomed to that darkness and saw the problems that were present in the World State. On the other hand, Bernard represents the individual who came back and surrender to his old comfort zone. He remained blinded by the darkness, forgetting about the truth that he saw at the reservation. Plato argues that to truly be enlightened “the final thing to