Brave New World Psychological Analysis Essay

1222 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Education leads to freedom

Community, Identity, Stability When thinking about the future, a person would normally think of progress and advancements in society in aspects such as technology, the environment, health, social issues, and more. However, Aldous Huxley’s future London, also called the World State, in “Brave New World” seems to be quite an irregular setting, where the “Bokanovsky’s Process” is used to create babies and confiscate their individuality, the totalitarian government administers pleasure-drugs to insure conformity, and “Community, Identity, Stability” is the motto (5,6). On the other hand, Huxley also writes about the “Savage Reservation” in Malpais, a place where people are free from the uniformity of the World State (32). The contrast between the futuristic world and savage world by Huxley examines the issues of conformity, commodification, and “freedom”. Although born into two different worlds, Bernard Marx and John “The Savage” are prime examples of characters with individualism due to their alternate perceptions of their societies. With psychoanalytic criticism, which allows further insight into the character’s psychology, the reader is able to …show more content…

The contrast between the “brave new world” and “savage” world by Huxley highlights the issues of conformity, commodification, and “freedom” of two opposite worlds. This ultimately displays that no matter what society a person is raised in, if they are mentally, physically, or emotionally different from the set standards, they will experience isolation and alienation from society. Not only that, but a person will always desire to be accepted by others, whether it be consciously or unconsciously, due to the fear of being

Show More
Related

  • How Does Huxley Use Satire In Brave New World

    1498 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jett Phillips 07.02.2017 Dearing AP Lit & Comp A.3 Aldous Huxley’s Satirical Ironic World There is no novel more synonymous with irony and satire than Aldous Huxley’s 1932 novel Brave New World. Throughout the novel, Huxley takes advantage of irony and satire to bring about his message, in an attempt to criticize those who would like to see the expansion of the state and proliferation of promiscuity, by showing those how such a world would look like, through his depiction of the “World State.” As presented in the novel, the World State’s citizens are designated by birth into genetically engineered classes, controlled throughout life through drugs and endless promiscuity, and pushing the never-ending production line forward in the satirically stated year of 632 “After Ford.” However, Huxley’s use of irony shines brightest through the names of his characters, such as Lenina Crowne, Bernard Marx, and John the Savage. The former two names are in reference to Vladimir Lenin and Karl Marx, and the latter being an ironic name based on how, essentially,

    Read More

  • Fahrenheit 451 And 1984 - The Fear Of Utopia

    1240 Words  | 3 Pages

    Several conflicting frames of mind have played defining roles in shaping humanity throughout the twentieth century. Philosophical optimism of a bright future held by humanity in general was taken advantage of by the promise of a better life through sacrifice of individuality to the state. In the books Brave New World, 1984, and Fahrenheit 451 clear opposition to these subtle entrapments was voiced in similarly convincing ways. They first all established, to varying degrees of balance, the atmosphere and seductiveness of the “utopia” and the fear of the consequences of acting in the non-prescribed way through character development. A single character is alienated because of their inability to conform – often in protest to the forced conditions of happiness and well being. Their struggle is to hide this fact from the state’s relentless supervision of (supposedly) everything. This leads them to eventually come into conflict with some hand of the state which serves as the authors voice presenting the reader with the ‘absurdity’ of the principles on which the society is based. The similar fear of the state’s abuse of power and technology at the expense of human individuality present within these novels speaks to the relevance of these novels within their historical context and their usefulness for awakening people to the horrendous consequences of their ignorance.

    Read More

  • Outcasts in Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

    539 Words  | 2 Pages

    Aldous Huxley once wrote, “If one's different, one's bound to be lonely.” This is clearly a statement about public acceptance and tolerance of dissimilar people. Aldous’ beliefs can be seen in his book, Brave New World by two outcast characters, John Savage and Bernard Marx. Bernard and John are both outspoken about their ideas on society, but differ in their actions when faced with temptations.

    Read More

  • Brave New World

    937 Words  | 2 Pages

    Alduos Huxley, in his science fiction novel Brave New World written in 1932, presents a horrifying view of a possible future in which comfort and happiness replace hard work and incentive as society's priorities. Mustapha Mond and John the Savage are the symbolic characters in the book with clashing views. Taking place in a London of the future, the people of Utopia mindlessly enjoy having no individuality. In Brave New World, Huxley's distortion of religion, human relationships and psychological training are very effective and contrast sharply with the literary realism found in the Savage Reservation. Huxley uses Brave New World to send out a message to the general public warning our society not to be so bent on the happiness and comfort that comes with scientific advancements.

    Read More

  • Brave New World: A Struggle Between the Genius and the Mediocre

    918 Words  | 2 Pages

    After the publishing of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, modern literature has changed forever. It is considered a masterpiece and one of the pillars of the dystopian novel. However, both of those affirmations can be called into question. The former based on a subjective opinion of a reader and the latter through compromising its dystopian nature. Similarly to George Orwell’s novels, the main appeal of Brave New World is within the ideas it contains, not within its literary merits. Huxley’s talent is essentially composed of his ideas and the attitude he assumes towards the problems he presents. He took full advantage of his endowment in Brave New World Revisited, a non fiction work sequel to Brave New World. The sequel is devoid of a mediocre narrative in favour of factual information and proposing solutions of the tackled problems. Simply put, Brave New World Revisited is what Brave New World should have been.

    Read More

  • Brave new world essay

    1119 Words  | 3 Pages

    Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World illustrates a colorful, fantastic universe of sex and emotion, programming and fascism that has a powerful draw in a happy handicap. This reality pause button is called “Soma”. “Take a holiday from reality whenever you like, and come back without so much as a headache or a mythology.” ( Huxley 54 ).

    Read More

  • The Use of Technology to Control Society in Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley

    1235 Words  | 3 Pages

    In most countries in our world, society has experienced technological advances to the point of being able to accomplish what Huxley envisioned. In contrast to Huxley’s vision, the moral standards of most nations allow all humans to enjoy basic human rights that embrace family, personal relationships, and individualism. Today’s society is able to comprehend how with the technological advances Huxley’s world could be a reality, but with the privilege of a democratic society, civilization would not allow the medical intervention for reproduction, the conditioning for happiness and consumerism. Work Cited "Brave New World by Aldous Huxley : Barron's Notes" Brave New World by Aldous Huxley: Barron's Notes. N.p., n.d. Web.

    Read More

  • Brave New World Essay

    561 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, a society is created with traditions in place about how to handle emotions. Solidarity Services are held in order to gather the people of the Brave New World and relive tensions or anxiety. Each participant in a Solidarity Service says, “I drink to my annihilation” (82) because they are in the midst of taking soma, the community’s everyday solution to discomfort or unpleasantness. As the name of the Service says, everything is done as a unit. “Ford, we are twelve; oh, make us one,” (82) As a community, they all take part in escaping from reality and the world’s small problems. By annihilating oneself, they are essentially eradicating their conscious personalities from society and taking away their individuality. Nevertheless, that is the goal of the community. “When the individual feels, the community reels”. (92) Feelings are not supposed to be endured, and if they are, soma is highly suggested to take care of that. When someone is experiencing emotion, the community turns upside down. The community emphasizes the importance of soma; in fact, it ...

    Read More

  • Social Psychology Essay

    660 Words  | 2 Pages

    Social psychology is a scientific study that studies how people think, feel, and how they behave under the influence of other people (Aronson, Wilson & Akert, 2013, p. 2). Thinking about what social influence really means, we tend to think of a person who tries to persuade another person to acting a certain way. It can be a form of peer pressure, like taking that first puff of a cigarette, or it can be conforming to popular societal views, such as obeying the law of the land. Fiction is a great way to learn about social psychological perspectives. Watching popular theatrical films is the perfect way to learn because it illustrates the application of many perceptions within the subject of social psychology.

    Read More

  • Thomas More’s Utopia and Aldus Huxley’s Brave New World

    2373 Words  | 5 Pages

    Thomas More’s Utopia and Aldus Huxley’s Brave New World , are novels about societies that differ from our own. Though the two authors have chosen different approaches to create an alternate society, both books have similarities which represent the visions of men who were moved to great indignation by the societies in which they lived. Both novels have transcended contemporary problems in society , they both have a structured, work based civilization and both have separated themselves from the ways of past society. It is important when reading these novels to focus on the differences as well as the similarities. The two novels differ in their views of love, religion, and the way to eliminate social classes. These differences seem to suggest that if we do not come closer to More’s goal in Utopia, we will end up in a society much like that of Huxley’s Brave New World.

    Read More

  • Psycho Research Analysis Essay

    558 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the world of cinema, there’s almost always a discussion regarding what scenes would be suitable for the grasping imagination of any audience, young or old. Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 film, Psycho, sparked a plug for the movie industry as it was the first movie of its kind to display such graphic scenes of sex and violence to a worldwide audience.

    Read More

  • Dystopia

    2010 Words  | 5 Pages

    Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World is set in a society that seems more like a fantasy than a possible reality like we know today. In his novel, people are no longer born, but instead manufactured on an assembly line and therefore created into a caste system from which no citizen can escape. There is no emotion other than happiness. Not because all others are banned, but because there a scientifically not made within these humans. Because every citizen believes they are in paradise, they do not see the biggest fl...

    Read More

  • Totalitarian Government In Brave New World By Aldous Huxley

    1063 Words  | 3 Pages

    The people in a society are often a product of the presiding government’s policy. In Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, many of the citizens are artificially made and act like robots. However, in a reservation next to the new world, there exists a boy named John who was born and raised like a human. John is excited to go the new world because he believes that life will be better there. When John enters the new world, he sees many abnormalities that go against his beliefs, and the citizens call him a savage because he is not one of them. By juxtaposing John, the so-called savage, against the “refined” society, Huxley demonstrates the extreme extent of humankind 's atypical actions under the subjugation of a totalitarian government.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Technology In Brave New World

    888 Words  | 2 Pages

    Huxley begins the book by describing a cold and mechanical hatchery center where humans are made in test tubes in almost a robotic fashion in the civilized society of London. All of the humans in society are conditioned as children to act and behave uniformly, according to their social class; Alphas, Betas, Gammas, Deltas and Epsilons. The government controls the citizens by keeping them happy on the surface encouraging the use of drugs and distracts them by nurturing a consumer culture. "Call it the fault of civilization. God isn 't compatible with machinery and scientific medicine and universal happiness. You must make your choice. Our civilization has chosen machinery and medicine and happiness. That 's why I have to keep these books locked up in the safe." (p. 234). Humans are programmed to accept society’s rules without question or individual thought. In doing so they take away freedoms, such as the freedom to think for

    Read More

  • Individuality And Conformity In Aldous Huxley's Brave New World

    1015 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, the author depicts a collective society in which everyone has the same values and beliefs. From a young age, the people in the World State’s civilization are conditioned to believe in their motto of “Community, Identity, Stability.” Through hypnopaedia, the citizens of the World State learn their morals, values, and beliefs, which stay with them as they age. However, like any society, there are outsiders who alienate themselves from the rest of the population because they have different values and beliefs. Unfortunately, being an outsider in the World State is not ideal, and therefore there are consequences as a result. One such outsider is John. Brought from the Savage Reservation, John is lead to conform to the beliefs of the World State, thus losing his individuality, which ultimately leads him to commit suicide. Through John and the World State populace as an example, Huxley uses his novel to emphasize his disapproval of conformity over individuality.

    Read More

More about Brave New World Psychological Analysis Essay

Open Document