"'Don't you wish to be free, Lenina?' 'I don't know what you mean. I am free. Free to have the most wonderful time. Everybody's happy nowadays'" (p.90)
Searching for passion, Bernard gets as close to exploring freedom as he possibly can at this point in the novel. He wishes to have a connection with Lenina that she can't comprehend. Attempts at isolation remain faulty as Lenina fails to understand why simple conversation sans sex can be fun and fulfilling. At this moment, Bernard is stimulated with curiosities of his surroundings, without the aid of soma, and pushes Lenina to search for more. I think this moment is important because it is the first time anyone has expressed an interest in contesting his/her state of being and the forces of society. Bernard is obviously divided from the masses by his physical attributes, that of which Lenina calls attention to and finds interesting, and finally, he realizes his ability to think independently. By asking Lenina if she wishes to be free, Bernard forces Lenina to question her own being, whether she realizes it or not. It's interesting that Bernard is still able to formulate and respond to these curiosities after the years of brainwashing and oppression, and that he finds a false sense of happiness that is taught to his society.
No matter what is manually taught or scientifically controlled in human beings, will there always be an urge to gain free will in mankind? Is there ever a chance for us to gain happiness if the pursuit is denied to us?
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