Discuss the concept of class in Brave New World.

The "utopian" society of Brave New World
is set up in a pyramid caste system structure.  There are two, three, five,
or six castes/classes, depending on how you look at the novel.  Within the Alpha class,
for example, there are classes (plus or minus).  Bernard, for example, is an Alpha
minus: he's shorter than Henry, an Alpha plus.  Later, Bernard will be threatened with
outcast status (exile in Iceland).

In the Utopia, there are
obviously five castes, but if you include the Savages, there are
six:

SIX
CASTES/CLASSES:

1. Alphas - very
   small percentage of the population at the very top of the triangle who hold most status
   and power.  They are the top of the elite class.


2. Betas -
   small percentage of the population near the top of the triangle who hold secondary
   status.  They are the bottom of the elite class.


3. Gammas -
   middle of the triangle in terms of population, status, and power.  They are the highest
   of the support/worker castes.


4. Deltas - near bottom of
   the triangle; high population.  They are the middle of the support/worker
   castes.


5. Epsilons - highest percentage of the population
   who hold the least amount of status and power.  They are powerless.  Their only function
   is to work to support the other, higher castes.


6. Savages
   (Outcasts) - the non-genetically engineered; those born naturally outside of the utopia.
    They are interned at the Savage Reservation in New
   Mexico.

THREE CASTES /
CLASSES:

1. Upper class:  These are
   the World Controllers, the DHC, and most Alpha
   pluses


2. Middle class: These are primarily the Betas, but
   also some of the Alpha minuses and even a few of the
   Gammas


3. Lower class: These are most of the Gammas and all
   of the Deltas, Epsilons, and Savages.
   

TWO CASTES /
CLASSES:

1. The Elite: the Alphas
   and the Betas


2. The Workers: the Gammas, Deltas,
   Epsilons