• in the garden, numerous naked children are playing and the Director wonders about how back then, children only played with a ball, some sticks or a net and how that did nothing to increase consumption
• a little boy interrupts the Director with his crying and the nurse takes him to a psychologist because he does not want to participate in the erotic play that the other children participate in
• also back then, erotic play was considered abnormal and immoral for children
• his fordship Mustapha Mond approaches the Director and the group
• at the same time, there is a shift change at the factory and Henry Foster and Lenina Crowne get ready for their date
• on his way, Henry mocks Bernard Marx who has an unsavory reputation
• at this point, the story switches between three different scenes
  
  • Mustapha Mond‘s speech to the boys
  • Henry‘s conversation in the male changing room
  • Lenina‘s conversation with her friend Fanny in the female changing room
• Mustapha Mond as Resident Controller for Western Europe impresses the students with his talk about the past
  
  • he tells the students about the time before the World State seized control over human reproduction and relationships
  • he goes on that the strong emotions enhanced by family relationships or sexual repression endangered stability
  • those strong emotions caused instability in the form of war, disease and social unrest and many people lost their lives over that
  • at the beginning, the population resisted against the World States‘ tamperings
  • that resistance was eradicated through a war that included chemical and biological warfare and propaganda (all books published before a.f. 150 were banished)
  • social concepts such as religion or family but also aspects of entertainment such as literature or museums receded
  • the introduction of the Model T marked the beginning of a new era and the tops of all crosses were cut off in order to shape them into Ts
  • the perfect drug called soma was developed which preserved the mental and physical character of youth throughout life
• Bernard (an Alpha Plus hypnopaedia specialist) overhears a conversation between Henry Foster and the Assistant Predestinator about Lenina
  
  • the Predestinator suggests that Henry and Lenina should go to a feely (basically a 4D-movie)
  • Henry is so impressed with Lenina that he suggests that the Assistant should have her also
  • this disgusts Bernard and the Predestinator notices that which is why he and Henry mock him
  • Henry offers Bernard soma, Bernard declines and causes Henry and the Predestinator to mock him even further
• the conversation between Lenina and Fanny
  
  • Fanny claims that she feels out of sorts and tells Lenina that she is taking a Pregnancy Substitute mimicking the hormonal effects of pregnancy
  • also, Fanny criticizes Lenina for exclusively dating Henry and recommends being more promiscuous, reminding her of the fact that this is how a good World State citizen should behave
  • Lenina then thinks about going out with Bernard Marx who also invited her to the Savage Reservation
  • however, Fanny worries about Bernard‘s bad reputation, mainly for spending his time by himself and for being smaller and less confident
  • they even speculate over Bernard‘s small frame and talk about the rumour that alcohol was injected into his blood surrogate when he was in the bottle
  • Lenina wants to go out with Bernard and thinks that he is sweet - also she wants to see the Reservation
  • Fanny marvels at Lenina‘s outfit, especially at her Malthusian belt (a contraceptive holder that Lenina got from Henry)

Function

• traditional taboos about sexuality are no longer valid
  
  • children engage in erotic play
  • Lenina does not care about being naked
  • Henry and the Predestinator talk about Lenina as if she were an object that anyone can have (which she actually is, because everyone belongs to everyone in the World State)
  • Bernard indirectly protests against the system as he is not comfortable with commercializing human beings; he is thus considered a misfit
• surveillance ensures stability in the World State
  
  • Fanny warns Lenina about her failure to live up to the expected promiscuity
  • human beings do not have a private life and doing something abnormal is feared - they are to behave appropriately at all times
  • Lenina mentions that the only time where she is really alone is during sleep
  • human beings are under constant surveillance through their peers (such as Fanny) or through superiors (such as the Director)
• physical satisfaction through feelies, the abundance of soma and sex - both sanctioned by the state - and the lack of an alternative lifestyle (through not knowing about the world‘s history) ensure the safety and stability of the World State
• historical knowledge is a privilege that only the nine World leaders have access to
  
  • history is considered worthless in the eyes of the people
  • because they do not know about any alternative lifestyles, they do not wish for one
  • hence, they are trapped in the World State