Brave New World Practice Test

This question centers on Bernard’s insecurity and need for social approval in a highly ritualized society. When the Savage refuses to greet the crowd, the expected social ritual is interrupted, and Bernard’s own status becomes precarious in that moment. He relies on being seen with the right people and on the crowd’s validation to feel important. The Savage’s defiant gesture upstages him and threatens his coveted position, provoking an irritated reaction rather than admiration, indifference, or pleasure. Bernard feels frustrated, unsettled, and unsettled by the loss of control and the potential shift in attention away from him.

Irritated fits because it captures the sense of prickly annoyance Bernard experiences when the crowd’s expectations collide with the Savage’s nonconformity.