One Dangerous Bird

The most feared of all birds.

"Very slowly, with the hesitating gesture of one who reaches forward to stroke a shy and possibly rather dangerous bird, he put out his hand.  It hung there trembling, within an inch of those limp fingers, on the verge of contact.  Did he dare?  Dare to profane with his unworthiest hand that.. No, he didn't.  The bird was too dangerous." Brave New World (p. 144)

Hm... in one word, I would have to describe this chapter as creepy.

First of all, the breaking of the window.  Why?  Was the door actually even locked?  Secondly, I don't think a normal man would wear a woman's perfume and scarves.  And the Shakespeare quotes... instead of romantic Shakespearean rhetoric, I honestly thought I was reading some kind of Edgar Allen Poe horror poem.

The excerpt at the top of the page contains an analogy comparing Lenina to a dangerous bird.  A bird, because Lenina is a gentle, new creature to John.  Dangerous because John has no idea how Lenina lives or what her personality is really like.  The author places this image in the mind of the reader in order to show how something gentle and unknown can be secretly dangerous at the same time. 

John has no idea what he has gotten himself into, but I'm sure he will soon find out.  Marriage?  He might as well forget that.  I feel bad for the kid, but I honestly think he is barking up the wrong tree.  Maybe he should try a less intruding approach...