Huxley's "Brave New World" Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ford

The years are recorded as "AF," or "After Ford." Ford, whose assembly lines perfected the division of labor and made mass consumption possible, is the perfect model for this "utopia," where consumption is encouraged in order to perpetuate society, and where a caste system is perpetuated to promote social stability. Terms such as "Our Ford" and "His fordship" are used regularly.

These "civilized" people do acknowledge Freud, also, when it comes to psychological matters, explaining that Ford sometimes chooses to be called Freud, but that Ford is the primary manifestation of this "diety."

Answer: Viviparous

"Viviparous" means capable of giving birth to live offspring. In "Brave New World," human beings are "decanted," not born. They have no mothers, and any mention of such "viviparous" notions will cause a blush to rise to the cheeks of any "civilized" person.

Answer: Lenina

Fanny reminded Lenina that such single-mindedness in matters of sex was simply not civilized. Promiscuity is encouraged in this "brave new world."

Answer: no

No. Apparently, the culture does not have the capacity to read or write, though there is a surviving, tattered copy of the complete works of William Shakespeare, from a prior time.

Answer: Pope

Pope is one of Linda's lovers, and John (the Savage) even attempts to kill him at one point. The title of the novel comes from Shakespeare's "Tempest."

Answer: New Mexico

They have the opportunity to see the reservation, where the "savages" live. These are people it was thought not worth the bother to "civilize."

Answer: Helmholtz

Helmholtz is eventually exiled on an island, after joining the Savage in an attempt to instigate a kind of rebellion.

Answer: Every one else

"Civilized" members of society are encouraged not to form any kind of domestic bond, but to practice instead promiscuity.

Answer: Stability

"Stability," says the Controller in the novel, "stability. No civilization can exist without social stability."

Answer: Linda

Linda had gone on vacation with Tomkin, and, despite practicing her Malthusian drills, had become pregnant. She was left behind on the reservation after a fall, and gave birth to John, known in the book as the Savage.

Answer: Malthusian

The drills probably take their name from the real life social scientist who wrote doomsday predictions of a predicted "population bomb."

Answer: Mustapha Mond

Mond was himself once given the choice between exile and becoming a World Controller.

Answer: Soma

Soma does not, in general, have the immediate, negative physical effects of drugs and alcohol. People, instead of feeling pain or sadness or worry, are encouraged to take the drug.

Answer: damn

The method by which children are conditioned in their sleep is called hypnopaedia. The gramme refers to a gramme of soma; in other words, it is better to drug yourself than to get upset.

Answer: God

Mustapha says that although there is "probably" a God, He is incompatable with the happy society they have created, and thus the Bible, as with Shakespeare's work, must be locked up.