Lecture Topic Sex at the Solidarity Service

The Solidarity Service

Its worth reading back through the entire of Chapter 5, as the lead in to the Solidarity Service Sequence (Part One of the chapter) acts as an interesting foil to what happens in Part Two. So, we learn that Bernard has to come to this Service once a week. It is quasi-religious (seemingly / virtually / analogous to religion, but not actually religion) in terms of it being a once a week service, held in a communal location, involving the coming together under a higher power (Ford). There are 12 people present (interestingly, the traditional belief is that there Jesus had 12 Apostles; potentially another Biblical allusion). They take some soma and are lead in hymns about coming together under Ford. The language is full of sexual euphemisms (mainly around orgasm), we need only look at the somewhat subtle: Feel how the Greater Being comes Rejoice and, in rejoicing, die! (climax and death are classically linked) And then the more obvious: Orgy-porgy brings release The service ends in an orgy, subtly hinted at in the now prone or supine dancers, which translates to those either laying face down or face up.

Superficial
First and foremost the Service is a representation of the superficial nature of the World State. The is satire: a religious ceremony that is clearly designed to be ridiculous. Ford is a car manufacturer and the sheer idea of him being worshipped with such religious fervor is absurd. This is what makes the episode so effective. It creates contrast - between the deeply spiritual and the highly superficial. Ford is a representation of machines, of objects and products. There is no spirit to this and so the idea of creating a quasi-religion around it seems really artificial and forced - it is difficult to believe, which is why the sequence becomes comic. By creating a comic episode around a moment that the citizens of the World State take extremely seriously (see Fifis calm ecstasy of achieved consummation), it alienates us from there world; further separating the reader from the World State citizens. This makes it easier for us to critique their world and to ultimately see the absurdity of such a civilisation.

Infantile
Orgy-porgy, Ford and fun, Kiss the girls and make them One. Boys at one with girls at peace; Orgy-porgy gives release.
We know the nursery rhyme, which is makes this sequence both more comic and more disturbing. Also, it is telling of the depth and complexity of this ceremony; or the lack thereof. By basing his text on a childrens rhyme, Huxley seems to be reinforcing the infantile or childish attitude towards both sex and spirituality here. There is no meaningful connection between participants, they are simply giving into their desires in the same way children do whatever they can to satisfy their desires as soon as possible. Ultimately, it illuminates the lack of emotional depth of such a society. The citizens are children. What should be a very mature, intimate connection between individuals is framed by a nursery rhyme, which completely undermines any kind of maturity within such a sequence. It also adds an appropriately disturbing quality to the sequence, ensuring that the idea of gratuitous sex doesnt become invited - it effectively positions us to dislike the World State.

Violence
If the childish and superficial nature weret enough to express how nightmarish this situation is, Huxley adds a direct connection between sex and violence to further undermine the pleasure of the Service. Oh, hes coming! screamed Clara Deterding. Aie! and it was as though she were having her throat cut. The simile is easy to pass by, but the implications of it are fairly startling. It is a strange image to use when describing someone who is meant to be at the height of pleasure, as Clara is here. Having her throat cut is an extremely violent image - even the image of being stabbed would be softer here - and so I think we can safely assume that Huxley is wanting to make a point here. I think we could argue that Huxley is actively undermining the act of pleasure. He is showing the reader that it is a tainted pleasure, a pleasure corrupted by violence. It is his way of ensuring we dont read this sequence in a positive light, it is difficult to envy someone whose pleasure feels like a violent death.