Brave New World 20: Self-Torture and Suicide

"Just under the crown of the arch dangled a pair of feet.
'Mr. Savage!'
Slowly, very slowly, like two unhurried compass needles, the feet turned towards the right; north, north-east, east, south-east, south, south-south-west; then paused, and, after a few seconds, turned as unhurriedly back towards the left. South-south-west, south, south-east, east...." pg. 259

I found the end of this book to be somewhat disturbing. It was unnerving to imagine a human so disgusted with his own desires that he would whip himself to the point of vomiting. John was convinced that he had been contaminated by this advanced society and had to suffer until he was clean. He didn't even really think he had a chance of being purified.

The differences and selfishness of this other society drove the savage man insane. So different from his own lifestyle, he thought theirs must surely be wrong. It was so wrong that he had to rid himself of any trace of it. He brutally abused himself and attacked anyone from the society who came near and threatened his progress. He took his own mistake of forgetting his mother's death for a moment as a sign that he was still contaminated and repeatedly scolded himself. Being in this different environment hadn't contaminated him, it had made him insane.

He became so obsessed with the idea of punishing himself that when the large crowd came to watch him, it drove him off the edge. His own death was the only way he could make sure he was not afflicted with their customs again, so he committed suicide.

John can in some ways be compared to Jesus. Although Jesus was not completely overcome with psychopathic rage, he did stand for an ideal that was becoming obsolete. He stood for God just as John stood for beauty. Both men found the only way they could save themselves and the people was through death because death is the sole cause that always brings about change.