While Bernard Marx is clearly one of the main characters in Brave New World, Huxley does not present him as "the hero" or even give him any heroic qualities except, perhaps, intelligence. In spite of this - or perhaps because of it - Bernard is closer to the reader than any other character except, later on, John, "the Savage."


In some ways it seems that Huxley uses Bernhard as a means to help the reader understand the "New World" society better. John has an outsider's view -almost everything in it shocks or disgusts him.

Helmholz Watson, much closer than Bernard to being a typical "hero" is such a forceful character that he always seems to be in control - the reader is invited to admire him rather than feel with him.

But Bernard is bright enough to question his society, individual enough to rebel in small ways but - until the last conflict - not brave enough to reject it fully.

So I think we can see Bernard as a kind of hero for a society without heroes - scared, confused and critical - an Everyman with whom the reader can sympathize even while finding him flawed and comical.

I believe that John is the hero because he proves by hanging himself that he has overcome society's control