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Exile As A Catalyst For Self Reflection And Personal Development

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Exile is one of the most severe punishments, yet it is a catalyst for self reflection and personal development. Aldous Huxley 's World State is presented through the interactions of characters who are, at some degree, exiled. Whether physically, or metaphysically, these characters find isolation to be as punishing as it is insightful. One particular individual, John, stands among the rest of the characters as one who society rejects. In Malpais, John was ostracized as the son of a promiscuous, “New World-er”. In London, John was never truly “accepted” by society as an equal, but rather looked at “like a piece of meat”. John 's position between civilizations allows him to develop a unique position on society. Through his experiences with social rejection, John develops as one of the most complex characters in literature. John illuminates the meaning of the work through serving as a unique human character that the reader can identify with. His thoughts and actions, bold, as they are self-destructive, give a unique view of of a human society without humanity. John dwells not within the society of Malpais, which rejects him for his heritage, nor within London, which rejects him for his misguided idealism. Instead, John finds sanctum in what he learns from Shakespearean literature. The rift developed between John and his birthplace on the savage reservation represents his exile from a “normal” society to the World State 's, “perfect” society. John 's unwillingness to be with

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