Individuality is Fleeting

"'And I had six girls last week,' he confided to Helmholtz Watson. 'One on Monday, two on Tuesday, two more on Friday, and one on Saturday. And if I'd had the time or the inclination, there were at least a dozen more who were only too anxious..."
-pg 145


This passage effectively shows the development of Bernard's character thus far in the novel. Something that he once believed so strongly in (not treating women like a piece of meat) is exactly what he is displaying at this passage of the novel. Even though it is important to recognize Bernard's shift merely for plot purposes, I believe that Huxley creates this shift in Bernard to further highlight an idea intertwined throughout the novel: that individuality is fleeting. We saw the individuality of the world (well, most of it, save the 'Savage Land') go to pieces as the new system came into play. We saw the individuality of mankind go to pieces as Bokanovsky's Process pumped out twin set after twin set. We saw the individuality of the mind go to pieces as conditioning came into effect. However, the loss of Bernard's individuality wasn't something that was expected. Huxley gave us hope with Bernard, strategically formulating his character to go against all that we as readers were against in the system. We felt sympathy for the consistently misunderstood Bernard for his smallness, his loneliness, and his pitiful infatuation with the ever-so-pnueumatic Leninia. However, the strength of the reader's bond with Bernard is the perfect environment to bring attention to the underlying argument that no matter how individual someone or something is, individuality is a precariously perched characteristic. 


The loss of Bernard's individuality also meant the loss of hope that Bernard was going to create change in the system. As readers, do you think he will regain his individuality? If not, then if there is a change, who do you predict will be its creator, and to what extent will the system change?