To the first interpretation, maybe. But, I have some sketchy memories of where this story goes and I know that, in the end, I'm supposed to have more respect for Helmholtz Watson than for Bernard Marx. That alone makes me a little less predisposed to kindness at this point in the story.
That and there's the fact that we have, today, a different idea of celebrity to the one that Huxley likely had. But, ours is also more likely akin to what the Fordian idea would be (not the idea of Ford, the idea of the society within the book).
Take away the notion of celebrity (Helmholtz's celebrity seems confined to the subculture of his professional interests) and what you have is a man who is so enamored of his own talents that he thinks he might be able to will himself into being deep.
And, that leads to your other interpretation. That probably explains why I have this reaction to Helmholtz Watson this time and less previous times. Bernard, as an expression of self, is a note of humility, perhaps even excess humility as he's never really adapted.
I think I get the point that Huxley tried to make with these two characters. The society he created, an exaggeration of the society that he was seeing, can't really accept either difference, either one of physical lack-of-conformity (and Bernard's physical lack is very minor indeed) or one of intellectual pursuit (and Helmholtz is shown to have not just a minor intellectual advantage).
That's why I'm so ready to empathize with and like Bernard, he doesn't *have* to be better than anyone in this society in order to show its failings. He's just different.
Re: Twin avatars?
That and there's the fact that we have, today, a different idea of celebrity to the one that Huxley likely had. But, ours is also more likely akin to what the Fordian idea would be (not the idea of Ford, the idea of the society within the book).
Take away the notion of celebrity (Helmholtz's celebrity seems confined to the subculture of his professional interests) and what you have is a man who is so enamored of his own talents that he thinks he might be able to will himself into being deep.
And, that leads to your other interpretation. That probably explains why I have this reaction to Helmholtz Watson this time and less previous times. Bernard, as an expression of self, is a note of humility, perhaps even excess humility as he's never really adapted.
I think I get the point that Huxley tried to make with these two characters. The society he created, an exaggeration of the society that he was seeing, can't really accept either difference, either one of physical lack-of-conformity (and Bernard's physical lack is very minor indeed) or one of intellectual pursuit (and Helmholtz is shown to have not just a minor intellectual advantage).
That's why I'm so ready to empathize with and like Bernard, he doesn't *have* to be better than anyone in this society in order to show its failings. He's just different.