However, John enjoys it there and wishes to remain, even though he is not accepted because of his race and his enjoyment of books. Linda has always wanted to leave the reservation. It turns out that John’s father, the man who disappeared and left John and Linda at the reservation to return to society, is in fact the Director of Hatching and Conditioning, Bernard’s nemesis, who has consistently tried to exile Bernard because of his oddities. She meets John in the reservation, a naturally-born human being, the offspring of Linda, who used to live in the 'regular' society. She also witnesses a boy whipped, his blood dribbled on snakes afterwards, comparing the three. Lenina sees mothers nursing children and the elderly who actually look old and is sickened by the sights. They are kept captive by an electric fence.

With Bernard she visits the New Mexico Savage Reservation, where human beings still live as they once did, birthing children and worshiping religions. She describes the feelies they go to, which are like films but with touch. Lenina has been with Henry Foster already for four months (a long time in this promiscuous society) and is interested in a change. Marx is withdrawn and melancholy, even though he is given a drug, “soma”, to keep him happy, and encouraged to have sex often. They discuss Bernard Marx, an Alpha with a height defect making him abnormally short. The story itself begins in the hatchery with Lenina Crowne and Fanny Crowne, two Beta workers discussing men. They are equally conditioned to be happy in their class and to only enjoy the company of others within that class.

The conditioning process involves a long and painful series of electric shock and sleep conditioning therapies that are designed to train babies not to want to read or enjoy beauty, but to seek out entertainment and sex. The higher-level classes are bred for intelligence and management while the lower classes are intended to perform the tedious tasks. There are five genetically-defined classes that live in this future: Alphas, Betas, Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons. Ford is worshipped as a god of technological innovation and development in Huxley’s novel and is a symbol of everything for which their society stands. The year in the novel is A.F 632, the precursor standing for After Ford Henry Ford in this case. Opening in the year 2495, Brave New World begins by introducing the Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre, a factory for producing and conditioning babies.

Sparknotes brave new world chapter 15