"'Benard's an Alpha Plus....' 'But his reputation?... They say he doesn't like Obstacle Golf... And then he spends most of his time by himself-- alone....They say soebdy made a mistake when he was still in the bottle--thought he was a Gamma and put alcohol into his blood-surrogate. That's why he's so stunted.'" -pg. 44-46
This sequence of quotes is an example of characterization. In this case, the author reveals the qualities, personality, and values of a character by using dialogue of two other characters. This quote is specifically describing Bernard Marx, a man that Lenina is interested in. Fanny, a close friend, tries to talk her out of pursuing him. By showcasing what other people say about Bernard and how others react to him, the author indirectly characterizes Bernard. In this way, the reader already knows background information on a character before they have spoken or appeared in a scene. Huxley is actively choosing to present a figure through others rather than just telling the audience outright. Doing so adds flavor to the book and creates a variety of ways to present new characters as they are being introduced.
I find this choice of characterization refreshing, because it's sort of in the style of gossip, which is always appealing and relevant, regardless of the reader's age, status, or personal life. So I guess one could say teens gossipping is just preparation for becoming great novelists.
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