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wingedbeastI've repeatedly mentioned that the world Huxley creates for this novel isn't sex positive and is not the alternative to his culture's attitude towards sex, one which we can label "purity culture". Instead, it is a sex-mandating purity culture to mirror Huxley's own sex-averse or sex-controling purity culture. That makes this chapter Purity Culture Clash.
Were I to guess at Huxley's intention, I would imagine that he intends for us to agree with John's judgment but, at the same time, sympathize with Lenina. When I first read this book, back in the 90s and back as a High School Student, I did. Then again, I had a lot more agreement than disagreement with Huxley back then.
This chapter begins with Lenina being distracted by her affection for John. Her job is, apparently, administering vaccinations to feti.
Note: InquisitiveRaven, way back at the first part of this deconstruction, commented that the vaccinations are issued at a point before a fetus would have a functioning immune system. It's just more science that we have to forgive for the sake of the story.
In this section we almost get a snippet of what a sex-positive culture would bring. Henry Foster, noting that Lenina doesn't respond to an invitation to out that evening, politely inquires as to who else she might be going out with. The text even says his interest isn't jealous or possessive.
He knows his friends are mostly in the same circle and he likes to know who's enjoying whose company. This could readily be an example of a sex-positive or a polyamory-positive culture. Taken absent context and ignoring the authorial mandate of use of the word "have" to refer to romantic/sexual relations, this actually indicates a nice world in which to live.
But, that quickly follows up with Henry suggesting a medical response to her emotional issue, rather than treating her emotions as valid in and of themselves. The emotions are not what the culture is built to require, therefore they are not valid.
Additionally, there's a quick scene in which Lenina discusses the matter with Fanny. Fanny suggests trying any of the millions of other men out there. That isn't entirely wrong a response. Sometimes, the person you're hung up on just isn't available to you for any number of reasons. Sometimes, the right thing to do is process your emotions and accept that you have to pursue other romantic possibilities.
Then, she suggests taking a firm line. Basically, a demand on John to either state affection or rejection, clearly.
Nobody suggests what a sex-positive culture would suggest for Lenina. Nobody suggests communication. Because, communication is a big issue, here. Assumption is a big issue, here. And, for a society as colonial as the Fordly society, there seems to be a lack of acknowledgment that John's different culture might require communication of the different cultures.
That leads us to the culture clash.
Lenina chooses to make a bold move. She goes to John's apartment to make the bold move.
And, well... good news bad news.
The good news is that John does like her. The bad news is... everything else about this scene.
I said, earlier, that I have a guess that Huxley intended for us to agree with John about his eventual judgment, but empathize with Lenina. I'll give him this much. I certainly feel for Lenina in this scene.
John starts in with his need to do something before announcing his affections for her. Apparently, on the Pueblo, there's a cultural practice of killing a mountain lion and presenting the skin. Not having that option, John is eager to try some other option. And, I get it. It's a way of proving his worth.
But, she's not into that. She doesn't see such a romantic gesture as necessary and I've got to agree with her on this.
To be clear. If you want to be in a relationship that involves the other party periodically doing big tasks as noble quests to prove their worth to you... In that situation, you do need the enthusiastic consent of the romantic partner. Communication is key. How much is this worth to you? How much does it get in the way of what you really want?
For Lenina, the answers are nothing at all and mostly.
But, because she's a product of just as much of a purity culture as John, neither of them have learned to communicate regarding differing desires. So, all she hears is that he likes her and that she has the go-ahead to be sexually aggressive.
His response is both physically and emotionally violent. The physical violence might not be what the culture of Huxley's time would have considered excessive. It involves squeezing her wrists and, as she flees, smacking her bottom. It's paired with calling her a whore and an impudent strumpet. (Though one wonders how well he understands the definitions of "whore", "impudent", or "strumpet.)
She takes refuge in the bathroom. When he demands that she leave, she demands her clothes, delivered through a vent over the door so that she doesn't risk being in the same room with him. Her safety and security takes a phone call that makes him leave so that she, eventually, can leave without him.
And, through all this, I think Huxley intends for us to empathize with her. She has no means of knowing what John's desires are, what his values are, what his objections are... I mean, aside from communicating with him, but that obviously hasn't happened. But, at the same time, I think he expects us to share John's judgment, that her casual relationship with sex is morally lesser.
But, I'll say that her relationship with sex and romance is no less healthy than John's. John, whether by Death of the Author or because I'm incorrect about Huxley's intention, presents the problem of purity culture in a nutshell. He presents himself as desiring things for Lenina when doing them for her is really a part of a performance for himself.
Huxley may be dismissive of Lenina's place in Fordly society. But, what would Lenina's place be in Huxley's ideal society? It's unlikely that she'd be acknowledged as an equal, with just as much right to education and high office as himself. By the text of this book, Huxley doesn't imagine such a thing. Lenina's place would always be in relation to a man, specifically her husband.
Back in part 10, I discussed the abuse of Linda and John. Three women took issue with Linda having sex with their husbands. It wasn't a world where they could simply walk away from unfaithful spouses. Their social, physical, and economic conditions depended upon their husbands.
Now, we should note that Fordly society is also abusive. Deltas, Gammas, and Epsilons all get varying degrees of induced brain damage, not to mention training away from books. For those who escape that, there is a world that demands, of them, a life away from quiet moments with one's thoughts. The abuse is there, if harder to spot from within.
When it comes down to it, either of these purity cultures are abusive. The true alternative is inclusiveness, a world that invites and accepts different ways to live a life. But, we're not going to see that in this book.
Were I to guess at Huxley's intention, I would imagine that he intends for us to agree with John's judgment but, at the same time, sympathize with Lenina. When I first read this book, back in the 90s and back as a High School Student, I did. Then again, I had a lot more agreement than disagreement with Huxley back then.
This chapter begins with Lenina being distracted by her affection for John. Her job is, apparently, administering vaccinations to feti.
Note: InquisitiveRaven, way back at the first part of this deconstruction, commented that the vaccinations are issued at a point before a fetus would have a functioning immune system. It's just more science that we have to forgive for the sake of the story.
In this section we almost get a snippet of what a sex-positive culture would bring. Henry Foster, noting that Lenina doesn't respond to an invitation to out that evening, politely inquires as to who else she might be going out with. The text even says his interest isn't jealous or possessive.
It interested him to know which of his friends was being had by which other.
He knows his friends are mostly in the same circle and he likes to know who's enjoying whose company. This could readily be an example of a sex-positive or a polyamory-positive culture. Taken absent context and ignoring the authorial mandate of use of the word "have" to refer to romantic/sexual relations, this actually indicates a nice world in which to live.
But, that quickly follows up with Henry suggesting a medical response to her emotional issue, rather than treating her emotions as valid in and of themselves. The emotions are not what the culture is built to require, therefore they are not valid.
Additionally, there's a quick scene in which Lenina discusses the matter with Fanny. Fanny suggests trying any of the millions of other men out there. That isn't entirely wrong a response. Sometimes, the person you're hung up on just isn't available to you for any number of reasons. Sometimes, the right thing to do is process your emotions and accept that you have to pursue other romantic possibilities.
Then, she suggests taking a firm line. Basically, a demand on John to either state affection or rejection, clearly.
Nobody suggests what a sex-positive culture would suggest for Lenina. Nobody suggests communication. Because, communication is a big issue, here. Assumption is a big issue, here. And, for a society as colonial as the Fordly society, there seems to be a lack of acknowledgment that John's different culture might require communication of the different cultures.
That leads us to the culture clash.
Lenina chooses to make a bold move. She goes to John's apartment to make the bold move.
And, well... good news bad news.
The good news is that John does like her. The bad news is... everything else about this scene.
I said, earlier, that I have a guess that Huxley intended for us to agree with John about his eventual judgment, but empathize with Lenina. I'll give him this much. I certainly feel for Lenina in this scene.
John starts in with his need to do something before announcing his affections for her. Apparently, on the Pueblo, there's a cultural practice of killing a mountain lion and presenting the skin. Not having that option, John is eager to try some other option. And, I get it. It's a way of proving his worth.
But, she's not into that. She doesn't see such a romantic gesture as necessary and I've got to agree with her on this.
To be clear. If you want to be in a relationship that involves the other party periodically doing big tasks as noble quests to prove their worth to you... In that situation, you do need the enthusiastic consent of the romantic partner. Communication is key. How much is this worth to you? How much does it get in the way of what you really want?
For Lenina, the answers are nothing at all and mostly.
But, because she's a product of just as much of a purity culture as John, neither of them have learned to communicate regarding differing desires. So, all she hears is that he likes her and that she has the go-ahead to be sexually aggressive.
His response is both physically and emotionally violent. The physical violence might not be what the culture of Huxley's time would have considered excessive. It involves squeezing her wrists and, as she flees, smacking her bottom. It's paired with calling her a whore and an impudent strumpet. (Though one wonders how well he understands the definitions of "whore", "impudent", or "strumpet.)
She takes refuge in the bathroom. When he demands that she leave, she demands her clothes, delivered through a vent over the door so that she doesn't risk being in the same room with him. Her safety and security takes a phone call that makes him leave so that she, eventually, can leave without him.
And, through all this, I think Huxley intends for us to empathize with her. She has no means of knowing what John's desires are, what his values are, what his objections are... I mean, aside from communicating with him, but that obviously hasn't happened. But, at the same time, I think he expects us to share John's judgment, that her casual relationship with sex is morally lesser.
But, I'll say that her relationship with sex and romance is no less healthy than John's. John, whether by Death of the Author or because I'm incorrect about Huxley's intention, presents the problem of purity culture in a nutshell. He presents himself as desiring things for Lenina when doing them for her is really a part of a performance for himself.
Huxley may be dismissive of Lenina's place in Fordly society. But, what would Lenina's place be in Huxley's ideal society? It's unlikely that she'd be acknowledged as an equal, with just as much right to education and high office as himself. By the text of this book, Huxley doesn't imagine such a thing. Lenina's place would always be in relation to a man, specifically her husband.
Back in part 10, I discussed the abuse of Linda and John. Three women took issue with Linda having sex with their husbands. It wasn't a world where they could simply walk away from unfaithful spouses. Their social, physical, and economic conditions depended upon their husbands.
Now, we should note that Fordly society is also abusive. Deltas, Gammas, and Epsilons all get varying degrees of induced brain damage, not to mention training away from books. For those who escape that, there is a world that demands, of them, a life away from quiet moments with one's thoughts. The abuse is there, if harder to spot from within.
When it comes down to it, either of these purity cultures are abusive. The true alternative is inclusiveness, a world that invites and accepts different ways to live a life. But, we're not going to see that in this book.
no subject
Date: 2017-12-13 01:49 am (UTC)Vaccination
Date: 2017-12-14 07:05 am (UTC)Clive D.W. Feather
Re: Vaccination
Date: 2017-12-14 07:15 pm (UTC)Or rather, I'd guess that they had some idea of "white blood cells" because they certainly had germ theory (which is an essential element of vaccination). But, like with the Bokanovsky system, the issue here is a lack of understanding of fetal development.
It's just something you have to forgive because they didn't know.
no subject
Date: 2017-12-23 07:36 pm (UTC)Seed of Bismuth
Date: 2017-12-24 06:12 am (UTC)Island