"For a very long period before the time of Our Ford, and even for some generations afterwards, erotic play between children had been regarded as abnormal (there was a roar of laughter); and not only abnormal, actually immoral (no!): and had therefore been rigorously suppressed."
- Page 32
It is clear at this point that the setting of this novel is way in the future, and something had happened that had totally changed the ways of society. This quote uses the literary term local color to show a specific custom to this futuristic setting. Apparently in this setting, children are advised at a young age to engage in sexual activity. The Director tells the students that this was not always the case, and that "erotic play" was considered immoral for children and adolescents. The students, who knew not much at all about the past, were extremely surprised with this fact. The author emphasizes that the setting for this novel is not the same as ours, and gives a specific example of a difference. The parentheses in the sentence are the responses of the students to this new information. I'm curious to find out why "erotic play" is viewed as normal or even beneficial.
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