Understanding the text

Answer the following questions.

1. The children are in a large room. What is it like?

2. What do the nurses do?

3. Where do they put the books?

Answer true or false.

1. The babies are all alike.

2. The babies crawl towards the books.

3. The books have shining pages.

4. The babies cannot touch the books.

5. Suddenly the Director gives a signal and there is an explosion.

6. The children look happy and excited.

7. Then they are given a little electroshock.

8. The Director is not satisfied.

What effect is achieved through this experiment?

Analysis and interpretation

Huxley continues here his presentation of the social stability in the New World showing the practice of 'early conditioning' whose effect is the elimination of choice. According to these theories, the elimination of choice increases

 economic and social stability  human qualities  personal satisfaction happiness

The eight-month-old babies are all exactly alike. Explain why.

Why do you think the children should be frightened by books and flowers? What do they represent?

Discussion

This experiment is defined in the novel as a demonstration of 'Neo-Pavlovian Conditioning'. Do you know who Pavlov was and what he theorized? Research on the Internet.