Brave New World #2

1. How do babies sent to the Neo-Pavlovian Conditioning Rooms develop an "instinctive hatred of books and flowers?" Why were Deltas exposed to such treatment?

Babies sent to the Neo-Pavlovian Conditioning Rooms develop and instinctive hatred of books and flowers by placing them in a room that had lots of flowers and books placed in it. It was also a well lit room with a window that the room let in a lot of sunlight. The babies were placed in this room. They then noticed the flowers and books and went towards them excitedly. They all then received a mild electric shock. The babies now connect these things to pain, and would want nothing to do with them. The Deltas are exposed to this treatment because if they spend their time reading books it is considered a waste of the communities time. "you couldn't have lower-caste people wasting the Community's time over books, and that there was always the risk of their reading something which might undesirably decondition one of their reflexes." . In the past Dela's had been conditioned to like flowers in order to let them have the desire to view the country. However this need to view the country became to great of a need and thats all they did. So now they decondition the Deltas from this.
2. What is a State Conditioning Center? Does it remind you of anything from Plato's Republic?

The State Conditioning Center is where the children are raised. When they are there and they go to sleep the 'sleepers' whisper things to them. This limit their views and teaches them how to view the world. For example Alphas are whispered different things then the Betas, which helps to separate them in society. This process tends to eliminate any free thinking. This reminds me of the cave idea in Plato's Republic, and how the people in the cave are only shown certain things. They are taught everything from an outside source by a puppet show.
3. What is hypnopaedia? Why wasn't it used for Science? What was it used for? Does it remind you of anything from Plato's Republic?

Hypnopaedia is the idea of sleep teaching. It wasn' t effect in the use of science because the children would merely repeat what they had heard in their sleep with no understanding or concept of it. "You can't learn a science unless you know what it's all about." It ended up being used for moral education. Instead of just stating facts the sleepers would act like a conscious and state the views that the children should have and why. This also reminds me of the cave idea from Plato's republic.
4. How does the Caste system work in the World State? What are the similarities and differences between this and the Hindu Caste system?

Like the Caste system in the World State in the Hindu Caste system it is something you are 'born' into. When the eggs are produced in the World State they are specifically designed so that they will fit into their Caste and will have no other want to be in another Caste. Similarly in Hinduism the people accept what they are placed in because of how the way society is set up. Also in both societies the other Castes are accepted by each other, and the system is accepted as being the best way for society to function. The Hindu Caste system has more levels to it then the World State does. Also Hindu people believe in the idea of reincarnation, and they think that their Caste may change in a different life. Since the people of the World State do not believe in this they only feel that they can be what they are determined to be and nothing else.
5. What does the Director mean when he says, "Not so much like drops of water....rather, drops of liquid sealing wax."?

When the Director says that he is talking about how the sleepers effect the children's brains. He uses the metaphor of granite in comparison of the children brains, water (or the Hypnopaedia system) would only create an imprint in the child's brain, but not enough to effect its thinking or actually 'stick'. However the wax (or the idea of moral sleep teaching) sticks to the child's mind and molds with it becoming part of it. This way it becomes a part of them. Just as wax does unlike water when it is combined to any substance.