Brave New World: Favorites

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jay

Bernard was different, yes, but then, after becoming known for something else than his physical appeareance which was different from his 'class' he became just like everyone else from his class, with the difference of his looks. I think most people wouldn't chose him because of his weakness, people usually like strong characters, characters that have something to look up to, not being the ordinary people you get to see on daily basis.

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Well, yes, but it is totally understandable. He had been suffering his whole life in a world where noone suffers, and then there is an option, about what it seems that it could make him happy.
And, oh yes, we guess that power corrupts.
We think that Bernard is our seond favourite, because a) he is very human, and b) even here everyone is picking on him and talking like he is Evilness incarnated just because he is a human and miserable.

I do not like Bernard. It is true that he has suffered because of his looks but he does not learn to sympathise with others... On the contrary, he is pompous and smug... and as soon as he gets the chance, he shows these qualities openly. He is different only because he does not get to enjoy life as much as his other alpha friends. If he were physically up to the expected standard, I expect him to behave worse than those he had contempt for.

I think the quote 'Those who feel themselves despised do well to look despising.' sums him up pretty well...

Au contraire, we feel that his pompousness annd smugness is a result of his suffering.
Remember when he is boasting about how many girls he has had and Heimholtz feels disgusted? It is a classical example of a low self-esteem (as are everything else in his smugness and stuff, but this is the brightest example). And if he hadn't been suffering, he wouldn't have a low self-esteem, and wouldn't have been pompous and smug. It is unfair to compare him with Heimholtz who is pshychologically well. Of course Heimholtz is not interested in sex because he could have it as he pleased, contrasting to Bernard, to whom it was a rarity.

If he acted exactly as Heimholtz did, he would be far greater than Heimholtz, as he had much worse starting conditions. Now, his actions were spiritually smaller, which makes them quite equal.