A Brave New World

In Aldous Huxley's A Brave New World, the main protagonist for the first section seems to be Bernard Marx, an unpopular Alpha who had the unfortune to be different in a society that values conformity more than anything else. However, in this section, a new potential protagonist emerges, John, the Savage. While, Bernard and John initially seem incredibly similar, they have major differences that soon work to tear them apart. The biggest commonality between their to in their forced solitude from societies that did not accept them. John is an outcast among the Indians, who do not accept his mother's modern, promiscuous ways. Bernard is also unaccepted in civilization, mostly due to his physical deficiency and defiant attitude. However, the way they deal with this isolation is what makes them different. The solitude makes Bernard bitter, he protests against society not because he disagrees with its principles, but because he hates the society that does not accept him. He works hard to show he is different from his society, as he admits "he went out of his way to show himself strong and unorthodox" (111).  John on the other hand, is isolated through no fault of his own, and instead of brewing in anger about it, chooses to better himself. He seeks experiences and knowledge in order to better his life, unlike Bernard who merely stews in his anger. I believe this difference will be huge when they return to civilization.