"What the two men shared was the knowledge that they were individuals" (67).
In chapter four, the character of Helmholtz Watson is introduced when Bernard Marx pays him a visit. Unlike Bernard, Helmholtz is physically powerful, handsome, and the best at everything. Although that would make him seem like a foil character, Helmholtz and Bernard have a few important things in common. Both realized that they are different from the collective society; Helmholtz has excessive talent and Bernard has physical imperfections. Despite their contrast in differences, the men share the knowledge that they are different in a society were everyone is the same. Also, both men search for something more in their lives, straining to break from society's control in order to discover a deeper meaning to their existence. Both examine feelings, trying to identify what they are missing. Helmholtz and Bernard know that something more important exists, but society has carefully desensitized them, leaving both men unable to identify what extra power they possess. Since both men search for their true purpose and defy society in doing so, Bernard and Helmholtz are parallel characters. The purpose of these parallel characters is to demonstrate that not everyone is content in this seemingly perfect society. Men of higher thinking that search for deeper meanings in their lives struggling to conform to the society, showing that the utopia is not perfect.
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