MIRANDA
a hypertext of Huxley's Brave New World

Questions for Chapter XVII

1) Discuss the following exchange between Mustapha Mond and John Savage:

"...you know all about God, I suppose."

"Well . . ." The Savage hesitated. He would have liked to say something about solitude, about night, about the mesa lying pale under the moon, about the precipice, the plunge into shadowy darkness, about death. He would have liked to speak; but there were no words. Not even in Shakespeare."

A few lines later, after Mond has taken some books out of his safe, John replies:

"But if you know about God, why don't you tell them?" asked the Savage indignantly. "Why don't you give them these books about God?"

How does this statement confirm or contradict John's thoughts about his knowledge of God above?

2) When Mond describes Cardinal Newman as a "kind of Arch-Community Songster" - what does he mean? How are their roles similar?

3) Discuss Mond's observation: "The gods are just. No doubt. But their code of law is dictated, in the last resort, by the people who organize society; Providence takes its cue from men ."