’Observe,” said the Director triumphantly, “observe.” Books and loud noises, flowers and electric shocks-already in the infant mind these couples were compromisingly linked; and after two hundred repetitions of the same or a similar lesson would be wedded indissolubly. What man has joined nature is powerless to put asunder.
“They’ll grow up with what the psychologists used to call an ‘instinctive’ hatred of books and flowers. Reflexes unalterably conditioned. They’ll be safe from books and botany all their lives.” The Director turned to his nurses. “Take them away again.”” (22)
One of the main reasons this passage is significant, is the establishment in the reader’s minds that the society is eliminating any sources that could cause opinions or individualism. The society wants to eliminate books, flowers and things that could separate an individual from the masses that the society tries to establish. In order to eliminate these potential threats, the society conditions people to instinctively hate them: “books and loud noises, flowers and electric shocks”. These repeating consequences from interacting with the sources condition the kids to believe that these sources lead to something fearful. The consequences create a growing belief that if one stays away from these “threatening” sources then “they’ll be safe”. This conditioning allows the society to eliminate the potential for opinions and individualism to arise. The conditioning is essential for every citizen, enabling the citizen’s equality amongst each other. Equality is the primary importance in the society and by eliminating anything that may threaten this mental equality; it creates a mass of mentally identical people. By the society controlling the citizen’s view certain aspects of life, the society strengthens its superiority over the citizens.
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