D2    Character file 'Helmholtz'

by Nadine

Helmholtz Watson is an intellectually superior Alpha-Plus who is adored by the women. 

“This Escalator-Squash champion, this indefatigable lover (it was said that he had had six hundred and forty different girls in under four years), this admirable committee man and best mixer had realized quite suddenly that sport, women, communal activities were only, so far as he was concerned, second bests.”(Page60, ll.18-24).

He works at the College of Emotional Engineering and is very successful, but he feels that his work is empty and meaningless and would like to use his writing abilities for something more meaningful.

 “By profession he was a lecturer at the College of Emotional Engineering (Department of Writing) and in the intervals of his educational activities, a working Emotional Engineer.” (Page 59, ll. 29-32).

“I´m thinking of a queer feeling I sometimes get, a feeling that I've got something important to say and the power to say it – only I don't know what it is, and I can't make any use of the power. If there was some different way of writing … Or else something else to write about …’”(Page 62, ll.8-13). 

He is friends with Bernard Marx because both become outsiders within the society. Unlike Bernard, he is well liked and respected. Though he and Bernard share a dislike of the World State, Helmholtz condemns it for radically different reasons. Helmholtz's criticisms of the World State are more philosophical and intellectual than Bernard’s more petty complaints. As a result, Helmholtz gets often bored of Bernard's complaints.

“What the two men shared was the knowledge that they were individuals.” (Page 60, ll. 12-13).

“’Are you?’ said Helmholtz, with a total absence of interest.” (Page 61, ll.18-19).

“’Poor little Bernard’ he said to himself. But at the same time he felt rather ashamed for his friend. He wished Bernard would show a little more pride.” (Page 63, ll.20-22).

“He liked Bernard; he was grateful to him for being the only man of his acquaintance with whom he could talk about the subjects he felt to be important. Nevertheless, there were things in Bernard which he hated. This boasting, for example. And the outbursts of an abject selfpity with which it alternated. And his deplorable habit of being bold after the event, and full, in absence, of the most extraordinary presence of mind. He hated these things – just because he liked Bernard.” (Page 89, ll. 3-11).

Helmholtz and the savage John become very good friends. They are very similar in spirit; both love poetry, and both are intelligent and critical of the World State. But there is an enormous cultural gap between them. Even when Helmholtz sees the genius in Shakespeare's poetry, he can't help but laugh at the mention of mothers, fathers, and marriage—concepts that are vulgar and ridiculous in the World State. The conversations between Helmholtz and John illustrate that even the most reflective and intelligent World State member is defined by the culture in which he has been raised.

“Helmholtz had listened to the scene of the lovers first meeting with a puzzled interest. The scene in the orchard had delighted him with its poetry; but the sentiments expressed had made him smile. Getting into such a state about having a girl – it seemed rather ridiculous. But taken detail by verbal detail, what a superb piece of emotional engineering!” (Page 166, ll 27-33).

“The mother and father (grotesque obscenity) forcing the daughter to have someone she didn't want! And the idiotic girl not saying that she was having someone else whom (for the moment, at any rate) she preferred! In its smutty absurdity the situation was irresistibly comical. He had managed, with a heroic effort, to hold down the mounting pressure of his hilarity; but ‘sweet mother’ (in Savage's tremulous tone of anguish) and the reference to Tybalt lying dead, but evidently uncremated and wasting his phosphorus on a dim monument, were too much for him.” (Page 167, ll.16-26).

But Helmholtz also manages to get into trouble for writing a piece of poetry about being alone and then reading it to his students. Helmholtz doesn't mind getting in trouble, because he feels relieved and happy.

“ ’Besides,’ he added more gravely, ‘I wanted to do a bit of propaganda; I was trying to engineer them into feeling as I'd felt when I wrote the rhymes. Ford!’ He laughed again. ‘What an outcry there was! The Principal had me up and threatened to hand me the immediate sack. I’m a marked man.’ ” (Page 163, ll. 27-32).

“In spite of all his troubles, he seemed, Bernard thought, profoundly happy.” (Page 165, ll. 4-6)

Because of their individuality, Helmholtz and Bernard are sent to one of the many islands. That is no disadvantage for them, because the islands are for those who break away from civilization and become individuals. Helmholtz is now able to write everything he wants without getting punished.