Brave New World Ch. 18.a: Is Suffering the Price of Being Human? | Why Books Get Banned

We start the final chapter of Brave New World and John immediately decides civilization has poisoned him… so he purifies himself the old-school way. Then he heads off to a lonely lighthouse “hermitage,” where he tries to earn the right to beauty through pain, shame, and some extremely intense main character energy.

Banned Camp is a comedy podcast where we read banned books chapter by chapter, we don't read ahead, so you're discovering the story with us.

Things To Listen For:

• Robot’s “previously on” recap, including John’s big “I claim the right to be unhappy” moment
• The mustard-and-warm-water fact check, aka “rage vomiting as wellness”
• Jennifer vs. English place names (and Dan’s promise that London is the only one we need)
• The “soma helicopter” version of drunk driving, and why this world would absolutely have accidents
• John’s lighthouse self-flagellation era, plus Dan’s strong public stance against nipple rings
• Our end-of-season listener call: vote for the next banned book, and get your email in now

Why was Brave New World banned?
It’s been challenged for sexual content, drug use and “immorality,” and for being openly hostile to organized religion and traditional social norms, especially when it portrays pleasure and control as the official tools of the state.

Banworthy to Bingeworthy
Need something good in your feed after all this dystopian nonsense? Here are two shows we think you’ll like:

• Rachel Maddow Presents: Burn Order: A sharp, unsettling series about state power, targeting, and what happens when “security” turns into removal and coverups.
• Good News for Lefties and America: A steady dose of genuinely positive stories for progressives, because you deserve a break from doomscrolling without pretending everything’s fine.

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Disclaimer:

Banned Camp features readings and discussions of banned books for the purpose of criticism, commentary, education, and entertainment, in accordance with fair use guidelines.

The material used from the book Brave New World by Aldous Huxley is shared under these principles, with the intent of provoking thought and discussion about literature, censorship, and societal issues. The original work remains fully owned by its copyright holders, and we strongly encourage listeners to purchase a copy to experience the book in its entirety.

This podcast is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to Aldous Huxley, their estate, or the publishers of Brave New World. Any monetization of the podcast is separate from the copyrighted material discussed.

Topics Covered:

Brave New World, Aldous Huxley, Chapter 18, John the Savage, Lenina, Bernard, Helmholtz, Mustafa Mond, Robot, Beowulf Rochlen, self-flagellation, purification rituals, beauty vs control, banned books, banned books podcast, book banning, censorship, literary analysis, comedy podcast