Economic Issues In Brave New World

Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World examines key world issues before the geopolitical storm of the 20th Century. These key world issues centerpoint the concerns of the sovereignty of nations, the effects of economic class on society, and the idolatry of public figures. A perplexing number of these issues prevail in modern-day society. A key issue found in Huxley’s Brave New World is the threat of one-world government. In 1920, the League of Nations was formed in an attempt to ease tensions between nations and encourage cooperation (United Nations Office of Geneva, “The League of Nations (1920-1946)”, United Nations Office of Geneva). The organization attempted to dominate world affairs until World War II, but ultimately caused the outbreak of

The main economic classes (in order from wealthiest to impoverished) in the novel are Alpha Plus’s, Alphas, Betas, Deltas, Gammas, and Epsilons. In modern-day America, the main classes are upper class, upper middle class, middle class, lower middle class, working class, and the poor. In Brave New World, members of society are conditioned to become certain classes from birth, similar to the distribution of wealth in present-day America where top families such as the Rockefellers and Kennedys have held the majority of wealth for the past century (“Social Stratification and Inequality”, Sparknotes). In this regard, the vast majority, and possibly the entire remaining portion of the population have been denied this wealth, with most working-class people laboring in heavy industry until the middle of the 20th century (Central Intelligence Agency, "The World Factbook: UNITED STATES”, Central Intelligence Agency). The majority of America has been working in service-industry jobs since, but despite having a higher overall income, have still been denied the majority of the wealth (Wessler, “Class in America: Identities Blur as Economy Changes”, NBC News). For example, an average teacher or office worker will not be able to send their child to a prestigious university through lack of funds (Francis, "Where Do You Fall on the American Economic Class System?", US News & World Report). In conclusion, the division of wealth still is a major force in America today as it was in the time when Brave New World was