Brave New World Sex Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Part.Paragraph)

Quote #16

If only he had given himself time to look around instead of scuttling for the nearest chair! He could have sat between Fifi Bradlaugh and Joanna Diesel. Instead of which he had gone and blindly planted himself next to Morgana. Morgana! Ford! Those black eyebrows of hersthat eyebrow, ratherfor they met above the nose. Ford! And on his right was Clara Deterding. True, Clara's eyebrows didn't meet. But she was really too pneumatic. Whereas Fifi and Joanna were absolutely right. Plump, blonde, not too large… And it was that great lout, Tom Kawaguchi, who now took the seat between them. (5.2.8)

This is more of Huxley's great delayed-disclosure narrative technique. We wonder why Bernard cares about who he's sitting next to, but we start to get suspicious by the time we get to his description of Fifi and Joanna. When we realize the men and women are alternating for a reason, our uneasy "wait a minute…" feeling is confirmed. This is an orgy. Porgy.

Quote #17

"Orgy-porgy," the dancers caught up the liturgical refrain, "Orgy-porgy, Ford and fun, kiss the girls…" And as they sang, the lights began slowly to fadeto fade and at the same time to grow warmer, richer, redder, until at last they were dancing in the crimson twilight of an Embryo Store. "Orgy-porgy…" In their blood-coloured and foetal darkness the dancers continued for a while to circulate, to beat and beat out the indefatigable rhythm. "Orgy-porgy…" Then the circle wavered, broke, fell in partial disintegration on the ring of couches which surroundedcircle enclosing circlethe table and its planetary chairs. "Orgy-porgy…" Tenderly the deep Voice crooned and cooed; in the red twilight it was as though some enormous n***o dove were hovering benevolently over the now prone or supine dancers. (5.2.31)

Here's that music/sex connection we were talking about. Red is an important color hereremember back to Chapter 1 when Foster declared that embryos, like photographic film, can only stand red light. It's no coincidence that these two scenes are related; the copulating adults are compared to little embryos inside their bottles. Why, you ask? Check out "Symbols, Imagery, Allegory" for more.

Quote #18

"Adults intellectually and during working hours," he went on. "Infants where feeling and desire are concerned."

[…]

[…] "It suddenly struck me the other day," continued Bernard, "that it might be possible to be an adult all the time."

"I don't understand." Lenina's tone was firm.

"I know you don't. And that's why we went to bed together yesterday—like infantsinstead of being adults and waiting." (6.1.65-9)

Or, don't go to "Symbols, Imagery, Allegory" and instead just let Bernard sum it up for you here.