'Sometimes I think he does and sometimes I think he doesn't. He always does his best to avoid me; goes out of the room when I come in; won't touch me; won't even look at me. But sometimes if I turn round suddenly, I catch him staring; and then--well, you know how men look when the like you.'" pg. 166
It's funny and almost sad to read this conversation that takes place between Fanny and Lenina. It's odd to think that Lenina has no idea as to how John feels about her. How could she not know how deeply obsessed he is with her. He craves her smell, her appearance, everything about her, but she is completely oblivious.
But, when I think more about it, it seems obvious why she doesn't realize how he feels. He never directly shows her his true feelings. Though he sneaks glances at her when she is not looking at him, how can she feel confident that this means he loves her? He guards how he actually feels for fear that he will scare her.
As a reader who knows his pain, one wants Lenina to know how he feels. I want him to understand that she likes him too, so that he will no longer be afraid of telling her how he really feels. It's almost painful to watch him love her from afar. This dramatic irony succeeds in inspiring a desire for their love inside the reader. Knowing what each of the characters does not, one wants to be able to tell them so that they can be together. But because the reader can not, it makes the reader hope for their love. It draws the reader into the story and makes them want to continue in order to find out what will happen between the two.
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