Does she wonder at his individuality? Not really. Is she struck by the capacity of his mind? Not exactly. Well, look at the way Lenina talks about him. And it raises an important question: does Lenina really love John, or is this simply a case of wanting what you can't have? Hm. Used to men wanting nothing more than to go to bed with her, she has to deal with a guy who doesn't want to have sex at all.Įxpectedly, this causes Lenina a good amount of distress. Used to emotionless sex and instant gratification, Lenina is finally denied her sexual impulses. Helmholtz, accustomed only to hypnopaedia, is introduced to Shakespeare. John, used to the Savage Reservation, is thrown into "civilized" London. Bernard, always unpopular, suddenly gets famous. They're continually challenged by strange and unusual circumstances. That this term is so frequently used in association with Lenina is just another reminder that, really, she's the epitome of the World State female (or even citizen).īut in the novel, the main characters aren't left in a stagnant stage of normalcy. The chairs are pneumatic, some guy's shoes are pneumatic -everything is empty, everything is without meaning, everything is full of air. In this way, "pneumatic" ends up being a buzzword for everything about the new world. Lenina's body may be all cushiony, but she's pneumatic mentally, too as in, the girl is full of air. But if that's the case, why does Huxley use this completely odd word? We're thinking it's meant to have a double meaning. It seems to mean that she's busty, curvy, and all-around sexy. The official definition is basically "full of air," but this description can be metaphorical. Huxley's explanation is that Lenina is "pneumatic." We should take a closer look at this word, because Huxley uses it multiple times in his novel. As best we can tell, she's just "uncommonly pretty." She's not really unique, or interesting, or challenging, or even particularly intelligent. (Click the character infographic to download.)Īll right, what is it with Lenina? First Foster, then Bernard, then John: everyone is obsessed with this woman, and honestly, it's a little hard to see why.
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