Chapter 5

Summary

After their game of golf, Henry and Lenina depart in their helicopter. They pass over the crematorium where the goodness from the cremated bodies is eventually processed and returned to the soil. They remark that in death, all castes are equal, as they all end up in the same place.  They dine and have coffee and soma and then they go to a nightclub, which apparently was once Westminster Abbey.

Meanwhile, Bernard goes to the Fordson Community Singery, which as at Big Henry (Ford), formerly Big Ben.  A Solidarity Service is held here weekly, a substitute for religious Communion.  Unfortunately, Bernard finds no comfort in the service, which involves an erotic frenzy of the members who obtain solidarity in a mass orgy at the climax of the ceremony.  This mass hysteria sickens Bernard.

Interpretation

The main aim of this chapter is to promote Huxley’s sense of satire towards present day institutions.  Again we see how famous London landmarks have been reduced to temples where orgies take place, and nightclubs.  The revelry at the Solidarity meeting is described as “orgy-porgy”, a play on words in respect of the Nursery Rhyme ‘Georgy Porgy, showing how childlike the society is, but certainly not innocent.

It is interesting to learn that there is still prejudice between the castes, illustrated by Henry and Lenina’s conversation concerning the crematorium.