Both Uses of
wanton
in
Brave New World
- As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods; they kill us for their sport.
p. 254.5 *wanton = of something considered bad: excessive, thoughtless indulgence -- such as cruelty or violence
- For a moment the khaki mob was silent, petrified, at the spectacle of this wanton sacrilege, with amazement and horror.†
p. 213.3
Definitions:
-
(1)
(wanton) of something considered bad: excessive, thoughtless indulgence -- such as waste, cruelty, violence, and (especially in the past) sexual promiscuity
-
(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
In classic literature, wanton can also describe people who are playful or plants that are growing profusely.