"The stiffly twitching bodies relaxed, and what had become the sob and yelp of infant maniacs broadened out once more into a normal howl of ordinary terror." (Brave New World p. 21)
Let me begin with saying, in my life terror is usually not ordinary. If that is the case in your life, I am sorry.
In Chapter 2, Aldous Huxley places the oxymoron "ordinary terror" after children are tortured with electrical shock and loud noises. Ordinary is juxtaposed with terror to show how every day in the lives of the young, perfect Delta children is a struggle. The children must struggle in order to reach the "perfection" adults in no ordinary way. The Director speaks of "Social stability" - could this be so ordinary that it leads to terror?
The author may also want to show that not everything is as great as it seems. Even though these children are perfect replicas of one another, they each suffer individually. Their lives are filled with hardships and loneliness because no variety exists. Their lives are glum and boring. Everything is ordinary. Although every kid wishes to be ordinary, is it really worth it in the end?
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