Chapter XVI - Overall Analysis

Helmholtz, John, and Bernard have been arrested and are sent to the World Controller's, Mustapha Mond, office.

Helmholtz is comfortable and at ease with the entire situation, which we can tell because he sits in one of the more pneumatic and luxurious armchairs. He is basically excited that he is getting in trouble and does not see any foreseen damage or pain in his future. Bernard however, sits in one of the most uncomfortable chairs. He feels that by disciplining himself he might obtain a less wrathful punishment.
These can be seen as symbolism to Helmholtz and Bernard's characters. Helmholtz is comfortable and confident in himself and the way he does things. He knows he has a hidden, untapped power that wants to be released and with such power and great things in his life going for him, he is positively assured of himself.
Bernard is an awkward and cowardice character. Bernard always commits actions to keep himself away from trouble, especially since he is different. He is selfish - even though he chooses the most uncomfortable chair, it is for the wrong reasons. He merely is trying to make himself seem more honest to reduce the discipline that may be put upon him.
John, on the other hand, does not sit down at all. Rather, he paces around the room and riffles through the books on the shelves. This suggests that perhaps John is more active and smart about his actions. John chooses to read books rather than lazily sitting down in a chair, almost as if he wants to obtain knowledge rather than be kept in the dark. This just shows how incredibly different he is compared to Helmholtz and Bernard.

These characters can also represent the societies and worlds in which they live in. For example, Bernard and Helmholtz choose to sit in the armchairs. This suggests laziness and casualness. It also suggests an air of stability, especially since Helmholtz and Bernard sit in opposite chairs - one pneumatic and luxurious, the other uncomfortable and painful.
John paces around instead of sitting down. He chooses to take the 'bull by the horns', just as they would do in the Savage Reservation. He wants instability and maintains a sense of control by pacing around, instead of casually sitting down.

What is highly interesting in this chapter is the fact that we learn why the society is the way it is. Mustapha discusses with Helmholtz and John about why Shakespearean plays, such as Othello, are not allowed to be in the society,
"Because our world is not the same as Othello's world. ...you can't make tragedies without social instability. ...People are happy; they get what they want, and they never want what they can't get. ...they're so conditioned that they practically can't help behaving as they ought to behave" (XVI, 194), and this is really interesting to me. I cannot imagine living in a world in which I have everything I want, and never want something I cannot have. That is like living in a world without dreams, goals, and aspirations. Life would be dead without them, would they not? I think I would also not enjoy living a life that is purely conditioned. I would like to think my actions and thoughts are based on my own mind, not because I was conditioned to do or think so.
However, I suppose we are all conditioned in some way, but what is the line between being conditioned and just being taught?

Another important quote in this chapter is the talk about what is true happiness. Mustapha states, "Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the over-compensations for misery. ...Happiness is never grand" (XVI, 194-195) which is true. Once we obtain happiness, it is never as grand or perfect as we expect it to be. We only crave more of it so that we can 'truly' be happy, and yet that is impossible. There is no such thing as a time in which everything is perfect - so perfect that happiness is only emotion that you feel. It's just implausible and unrealistic, and yet the society in the novel states that they only serve true happiness. Lonely? That's what the pneumatic women and men are for. Sad? Take some soma and forget about your problems. These are not another word or synonym for happiness. These are mere fragments of the idea of happiness. True happiness is never as grand as we expect it to be.

One of my favourite quotes in this chapter is when Mustapha discusses how happiness is not free, and that we all have to give up something in order to obtain it, "One can't have something for nothing. Happiness has got to be paid for. You're paying for it, Mr. Watson - paying because you happen to be too much interested in beauty. I was too much interested in truth; I paid too" (XVI, 201). Society has given up instability and therefore majority of the emotions and humanistic characteristics in order to have 'happiness'. People in that society do not even know what happiness is in my opinion. All they do is run away from problems and commit whoreish activities all the time - is that truly what happiness is? Perhaps I'm not seeing it in the right light, but it just seems wrong to me.