Page+74+II

“I suppose Epsilons don’t really mind being Epsilons,” she said aloud. “Of course they don’t. How can they? They don’t know what it’s like being anything else. We’d mind, of course. But then we’ve been differently conditioned. Besides, we start with a different heredity.” “I’m glad I’m not an Epsilon,” said Lenina, with conviction. “And if you were an Epsilon,” said Henry, “your conditioning would have made you no less thankful that you weren’t a Beta or an Alpha.”
 * Page 74, Part II **

Huxley uses this conversation between Henry and Lenina to represent the varying views of the class system. Lenina’s comments are simple and straightforward, a basic reiteration of what she has been taught to believe. She represents the view that “ignorance is bliss” when it comes to the class system. She states that she is glad she is not an epsilon, and Huxley adds that she says it “with conviction”, to emphasize how strongly she feels. Her whole childhood was tainted with hypnopaedia telling her to be happy how she is, and she knows nothing other than that. Henry’s comments are a bit more knowledgeable and educated. He understands what is happening and why, but he never challenges or questions it. He represents ignorance in a different way. He just simply chooses to be happy where he is and not try to understand anything more. Huxley uses their conversation to show that although members of each caste are completely happy where they are, they have never learned anything else and therefore cannot form their own opinion.