Brave New World Psychology

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All actions entail an inner, psychological cause. This idea can be applied in literary analysis, one novel being Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Throughout Brave New World, the World State emerges as ideal and flawless with scientific and technological advancements. One way to examine such world is with the psychoanalytical lens–an approach in literature focusing on character psychology–to divulge significant meanings in conscious and unconscious behaviors. Utilizing the psychoanalytic lens, one can perceive the flaws of the World State through various people. Throughout Brave New World, the citizens of the World State exhibit disparate reactions, showing a loss in humanity. In the Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre, books and flowers terrify newborn infants, prompting them to “[shrink] away in horror” and causing “their howling [to suddenly increase]” (Huxley 21). Relating to the …show more content…

From birth, all occupants of the World State undergo intense conditioning, forming their id, ego, and superego. By brainwashing everybody at an early age, their id reshapes to fit the standards of the World State. With an altered id, the populace’s instincts influence their ego and superego with values and morals different from their past. Controlled by the government, the residents are unable to truly express themselves and conform to the standards placed by the World State. Even if the World State achieves social stability, these early manipulations of the human mind also eradicate the citizens’ humanities, illustrating a tragic defect in the world. The main characters of Brave New World also portray their imperfections psychologically. One of those characters is John the Savage, who bears irrational expectations of the World State and

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