Brave New World

A.F.: This refers to After Ford, or the years after the death of the figure of Ford. Ford is the surrogate, and surrogate word, for God in the new civilization. People say things like 'Oh, Ford!' and 'Fordey!' The new sign, replacing the cross, is a T, or a cross with the top chopped off, which alludes to the Model T, the first Ford (as in the motor vehicle company) car. 'Ford' is also a corruption of the word Freud, otherwise known as the last name of the psychologist Sigmund Freud, whose psycho-sexual theories, many of which involve family dynamics, are controversial. Mustapha Mond explains that Ford, or Freud, as he used to call himself when speaking of psychological matters, was the first to reveal the perversion, misery, and dangers of family life.

Bokanovsky's Process: Basically, this process involves letting the egg 'bud' and creates up to ninety-six embryos from each bud, each of which will grow into a human being. The Director calls the Bokanovsky process 'one of the major instruments of social stability.'

Soma: Soma is the drug that people take in half-gramme tablets to get away from it all. It produces a joyful effect in which all bad things are simply whisked away. It is on hand at all times. For most of their lives, the citizens of the Brave New World are doped up. John, or the Savage, is pretty much the only one in the book who has never taken soma. The creation and introduction of soma is as such: Two thousand pharmacologists and bio-chemists were subsidized in A.F. 178, and six years later, it was being produced commercially.

Hypnopaedia: Hypnophaedia is sleep-teaching. We first see this in the DirectorÂ's tour. It is a series of repeated sayings used to teach children everything from their place in society to clever little sayings and proverbs. Basically, it is a form of thought control, or the imposing of a mind-script. While the children at the Central London Hatcheries and Conditioning Centre are napping, these 'lessons' are played time and time again, thousands of times between the ages of three and sixteen.

The Savage Reservation, aka Malpais: The Savage Reservation, or Malpais: The Savage Reservation, or Malpais, is filled with sixty thousand Indians and half-breeds, where things considered abominations, such as marriage, religion, disease, and wild animals still exist. The Reservation is in New Mexico. Malpais means 'bad country' in Spanish.

Central London Hatching and Conditioning Center: This is the building where the embryos are created and conditioned.

Caste System: The people of the World State are all part of a rigid caste system. It goes, in descending order, Alphas, Betas, Gammas, Deltas and Epsilons.

Alpha Plus Intellectuals: This is the top-ranking social caste in the novel. Bernard Marx is an alpha-plus intellectual, as is Helmholtz Watson.

Alpha: Alpha is the highest caste in the caste system. Alphas have the highest level of intelligence and attractiveness.

Beta: This is the second-highest caste in the caste system. Betas possess human intelligence, though not as much as Alphas or Alpha Plus Intellectuals.

Delta: Delta is the fourth caste in the system, outranking only the sub-human Epsilon caste. The Deltas are used mainly as workers.

Epsilon: Epsilon is the lowest caste in the caste system. They possess little to no human intelligence, and they are used only as workers.

Pregnancy Substitute: Since there is no live birth or pregnancy, only decanting, it is suggested that women take a pregnancy substitute, which lasts several months. The procedure is not described in detail. It is compulsory at age twenty-one, but some women have it as early as seventeen.

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