“O brave new world!”
The story takes place in a genetically-engineered society in the future.
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"I shall begin at the beginning," said the D.H.C.[Director of Hatcheriesl and Conditioning] and the more
zealous students recorded his intention in their notebooks: Begin at the beginning. "These," he waved his
hand, "are the incubators." And opening an insulated2 door he showed them racks upon racks3 of numbered
test-tubes.
"Bokanovsky's Process," repeated the Director, and the students underlined the words in their little
notebooks.
One egg, one embryo, one adult-normality. But a bokanovskified egg will bud4, will proliferate, will
divide. From eight to ninety-six buds, and every bud will grow into a perfectly formed embryo, and every
embryo into a full-sized adult. Making ninety-six human beings grow where only one grew before. Progress.
"Essentially," the D.H.C. concluded, "bokanovskification consists of a series of arrests of development.
We check the normal growth and, paradoxically enough, the egg responds by budding."
Responds by budding. The pencils were busy.
He pointed. On a very slowly moving band a rack-full of test-tubes was emerging. Machinery faintly
purred5. It took eight minutes for the tubes to go through, he told them. Eight minutes of hard X-rays being
about as much as an egg can stand. A few died; of the rest, the least susceptible divided into two; most put
out four buds; some eight. Two, four, eight, the buds in their turn budded; and having budded - bud out of
bud out of bud - were thereafter left to develop in peace. By which time the original egg was in a fair way to
becoming anything from eight to ninety-six embryos - a prodigious improvement, you will agree, on nature.
Identical twins - but not in piddling twos and threes6 as in the old viviparous days, when an egg would
sometimes accidentally divide; actually by dozens, by scores at a time.
"Scores," the Director repeated and flung out his arms7, as though he were distributing largesse. "Scores."
But one of the students was fool enough to ask where the advantage lay. "My good boy!" The Director
wheeled sharply round on him. "Can't you see? Can't you see?" He raised a hand; his expression was
solemn. "Bokanovsky's Process is one of the major instruments of social stability!"
Major instruments of social stability.
Standard men and women; in uniform batches8. The whole of a small factory staffed with the products of a
single bokanovskified egg.
"Ninety-six identical twins working ninety-six identical machines!" The voice was almost tremulous with
enthusiasm. "You really know where you are. For the first time in history." He quoted the planetary motto.
"Community, Identity, Stability." Grand words. "If we could bokanovskify indefinitely the whole problem
would be solved."
Solved by standard Gammas, unvarying Deltas, uniform Epsilons. Millions of identical twins. The principle
of mass production at last applied to biology.
Aldous HUXLEY, Brave New World (1932)
1. couveuses - 2. isolante - 3. casiers - 4. bourgeonner - 5. ronronner - 6. pas en nombre ridiculement petit 7. fling - flung - flung: (ici) lever les bras - 8 groupes
General comprehension
A. Read the whole text. Then answer the following questions.
1. When does the story take place?
2. Who are the characters present and what are they doing?
3. Some parts of the text are written in italics. Why?
Part 1 (from the beginning to “Progress” line 9)
B. Use the context to deduce the meaning of the verbs:
1. wave l. 3 ..................................... 2. underline l.5 ...........................
C. What is the adult-normality? Complete the sentence.
One egg produces ............................................................
D. What does Bokanovsky’s process consist in? Complete the sentence.
One egg produces ..........................................................
E. Explain in your own words what progress is for the Director.
Part 2 (from “Essentially” line 10 to “Scores” line 21)
F. Deduce the meaning of “check (l. 11) in this context. Justify your choice with one word.
contrôler - arrêter - enregistrer - réprimer .................................................
G. What is the consequence of stopping the growth of an egg?
.........................................................................................................
H. True or false? Justify by quoting from the text.
1. The eggs can’t be exposed to X-rays longer than eight minutes.
2. Most eggs divide into two buds.
3. One egg can give over ninety six embryos.
I. What is the characteristic of ‘the old viviparous days’(l 19) according to the Director?
Complete the sentence.
In the old viviparous days, women’s eggs could ....................................................
J. Use the context to deduce the meaning of “scores” (l; 20).
dizaines - vingtaines - centaines - milliers
K. What are the director’s feelings at the end of his explanation? Justify by quoting from the text.
serious - exalted - enthusiastic - sceptical - disappointed
Part 3 (from line 22 to the end).
L. Use the meaning of the noun “wheel” to deduce the meaning of the verb “wheel round” (l. 23).
M. List four adjectives indicating that the Process produces clones.
N. What is the purpose of having ninety-six identical people?
O. Use the context to deduce the meaning of the following words:
1. tremulous (l. 28) ...................................... 2. Motto (l. 29) ......................................
P. True or false? Justify by quoting from the text.
1. The Director thinks the Process could be improved.
2. Human reproduction is compared to the production of consumer goods.
Sixteen words to understand the text: Find the equivalents of these words in the text (in the right order)
zélé
jumeau
enregistrer, noter
bête, fou
grandir, croître
se trouver, être situé
taille
usine
crayon
fournir en personnel
rayon
citer
par la suite
enfin
laisser
appliquer
Ten words to remember
Find the equivalents of these words in the text (in the right order) and learn them by heart.
1. agiter : ...........................2. souligner : ...........................3. montrer du doigt : ...........................4. léger /
légèrement : ...........................5. ronronner : ...........................6. supporter : ...........................7. amélioration :
...........................8. vingtaine : ...........................9. devise : ...........................10. résoudre : ...........................
Going further
Explain why the D.H.C. gives the students a tour of the Hatchery.
Describe the D.H.Cs attitude toward the students. What about the students' attitudes?
Explain what the goal of Bokanovsky's Process is.
What kind of society did Aldous Huxley devise?
In your view, what was his aim in imagining such a society?
What scientific discoveries anticipated in the novel have become possible in today's society?
EXPRESSION (between 200 and 300 words)
Write a page in a student’s diary dated in the future.
The student who asked about the advantage of Bokanovsky's Process writes a diary.
Imagine and write down the entry he wrote that day.