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John of Brave New World as a Christ Figure

 

            John, in Brave New World, can be viewed as a modern day Adam or Christ. Adam, set against a world of enormous temptation, or Christ, bent on saving the world. Both analogies can be supported by allusions to John's experiences in Brave New World.
             John, like Adam, was thrust into a new, unfamiliar environment; a utopia full of vibrant energy and alluring circumstances. John is awestruck by Lenina, who presents John with a new type of temptation. Lenina introduces him to the fruits of the flesh, and to soma. In the same fashion, Eve is created for Adam, and tempts him with her sensuality, and the forbidden fruit. As Adam strives to remain true to his creator and resist the forbidden fruit, John tries to stay faithful to his ideals in the face of tremendous temptation.
             Aldous Huxley utilizes Biblical references further in his analogy between John and Christ. The parallels between John and Christ begin with his birth. Christ is the Son of God, and John is the son of the Director. Both are born of women of unusual circumstance, as Mary, the "Virgin Mother", and Linda, the non-technologically based mother. When introduced into Brave New World, John is both mystified and horrified, as Christ is upon his realization of the evils of man. As John is intrigued by Lenina, the whore or strumpet, Christ also has a relationship with Mary Magdalen, the prostitute. As Jesus desires to save mankind, John strives to save the workers from both mental and physical slavery; ""I"ll teach you; I"ll make you be free whether you want to or not." And pushing open a window that looked on to the inner court of the Hospital, he began to throw the little pill-boxes of soma tablets in handfuls out into the area" (213).
            


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