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Chapter Summaries 1-6
Chapter 1
The story opens with some students taking a tour of the cente of Hatcheriesand Conditioning to see how people are genetically engineered and conditionedaccording to their predetermined role in life.
Chapter 2
They then see how the lower class children are given electric shocksto discourage them from liking books or nature. (Either of which could distractthem from their work.)They then go to the nurseries and see children beingtaught while they sleep.
Chapter 3
The World Controller explains to the group why families have been doneaway with and the job of raising children taken over by the state and sexualpromiscuity was encouraged because of the intensity feeling and unhappinessthe family structure caused. Meanwhile, Bernard Marx, an upper class socialmisfit is feeling fed up with the society he lives in, and is hoping totake a Girl called Lenina with him on holiday to a Savage Reservation tosee how they live.
Chapter 4
Lenina agrees to go with Bernard to the Savage reservation. He meetshis friend Helmholtz Watson, a writer of hypnopaedic jingles, who is alsodisatisfied. (In his case because there is nothing truly interesting towrite about in such a stable society.)
Chapter 5
Lenina goes on a date with one of her other boyfriends, Henry Foster.Bernard goes to his fortnightly 'Solidarity Service' where he and his grouptry and lose their self-identity and experience the presence of Ford bytaking soma and having sex. Afterwards Bernard is depressed because theothers claim to have had mystical experiences during the service, and asusual he did not.
Chapter 6
Lenina goes on a date with Bernard he behaves 'oddly' by wanting to spendtime alone with her and not join in any group activities or sports, butshe decides to carry on seeing him anyway. Bernard goes to see the Directorof hatcheries to get his permission slip signed to go to the savage reservation.This leads the Director to remember when he took his own girlfriend to thesavage reservation and she disappeared, never to be found again. He thenwarns Bernard that he has received reports of his strange behaviour he willbe sent away to Iceland. Bernard then goes to the savage reservation withLenina. When they arrive Bernard receives a message from Helmholtz thatthe Director has decided definitely to send Bernard to Iceland and finda replacement for him. Bernard and Lenina then go out to see the savages.