Chapter XII - Summary

Bernard is trying to get John to come out of the room he has locked himself, as he has made engagements with important people, such as the Arch-Community-Songster of Canterbury, to come and see 'the Savage' again. John has decided not to go anymore and is tired of Bernard not asking him first whether he had wanted to meet them or not.
Bernard, defeated, told the impatient crowd that the Savage was not going to be appearing.

The men in the crowd were furious that they had to behave polite to Bernard who has a horrid reputation. The Arch-Songster was outraged that Bernard had played such a joke on him. The women felt they had been had on false pretences by a man who had alcohol accidentally put into his blood-surrogate. Everyone was furious, except Lenina who was starting to collect tears in her eyes.
Lenina entered the party with an odd feeling of excitement with the fact of seeing him. She was going to tell him that she liked him, more than she has ever liked anyone. She was embarrassed as she thought about what he might say back.

As soon as Bernard had made his announcement, Lenina felt like an empty soul. She felt as though her heart had stopped beating. She was certain that he did not show up because he does not like her.

Henry Foster, Fanny Crowne, and even the Head Mistress from the Upper School were all talking badly about Bernard after the announcement. Bernard felt deflated from all stabs at his ego, and began stammering apologies to everyone there but they ignored him or talked badly to his face or behind his back.

The Arch-Songster declared that he must leave and when Bernard tried to intercept him the Songster told him, "Mend your ways, my young friend, mend your ways" and asked Lenina (a good friend of his) to follow him. She followed with no elation behind him and the other guests followed his cue to leave. Bernard was left alone. He dropped into a chair and began to sob. Deciding it was not worth it, he took four tablets of soma.

Lenina, following slowly after the Arch-Songster, lingered as she looked at the moon but ran hurriedly to catch up to him when he called impatiently to her.

John was reading Romeo and Juliet in his room.

Mustapha Mond just finished 'A New Theory of Biology' and decided since it is dangerous to the present social order, it is not to published even though he believes it is a master piece of work. Mond is pondering that since it contains ideas that could easily uncondition the minds of the higher ranks. The kind of ideas that could make them lose faith in happiness as they are conditioned to believe and allow them to believe that the purpose of life was not maintenance of well-being but for some enlargement of knowledge. He then reflects, "What fun it would be, if one didn't have to think about happiness!"

John was in complete bliss as he recalled a quote from Romeo and Juliet:
"O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
It seem she hangs upon the cheek of the night
Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear;
Beauty too rich for us, for earth too dear..."

The Arch-Songster is pulling on the golden T, that he gave her once upon a day, laying on Lenina's bosom when Lenina suddenly states she needs a couple of grammes of soma.

Bernard awakes from his soma holiday for the night and he felt that he was himself again. Depressed and dejected. John shows himself to Bernard and says that this is the Bernard he remembers meeting for the first time. Bernard tells him it is because he is unhappy again, and John says, "I'd rather be unhappy than have the sort of false, lying happiness you were having here".
Bernard starts telling John off for not showing up to his party, and that everything is all his fault. In reality, Bernard knows this is not true but feels better to blame someone other than himself. He harbours a secret grievance against John as John is the only one he can truly make a victim for his grievances. Bernard feels that one of the principle functions of a friend is to mildly and symbolically suffer the punishments that we want to inflict, but are unable to, on our enemies.
Helmholtz is another one of his victim-friends. He felt that since Watson has always been there for him he is grateful to have him as a friend again after their fight, but also resentful and would like to take revenge on Helmholtz for his generosity.

Bernard confessed to Helmholtz, after meeting for the first time after their fight, that he had conflict with authority, but Helmholtz has been through the same. Watson wrote some rhymes made out of pure madness and just wanted to see what people's reactions would be. The Principal immediately threatened to fire him on the spot. Helmholtz confides to Bernard that he felt that he was beginning to have something to write about and that he was using some of that extra power he has always possessed but never known what to use it for.

Helmholtz and John took an immediate liking to one another and would recite rhymes to each other. Once when John recited a part of Juliet's from Romeo and Juliet however, Helmholtz began to burst out laughing from the ridiculous obscenity that a mother and father were forcing their daughter to have someone she did not want. John winced at his laughing about 'who would get excited over a boy having a girl or not'. Helmholtz concluded that they need another kind of madness and violence than one that includes obscenities of mothers and fathers in society, but he just does not know what.