For as long as humans have existed, personal desires and conformity have been at odds with one another. Many great individuals have had to decide whether they want to sacrifice the social acceptance that comes with conformity in order to pursue the gratification that their personal desires encompass. In the case of Bernard Marx, he has a tough time finding a balance between pursuing his personal desire and conforming to society, seeing as his personal desire is to be recognized and admired by his peers without actually having to conform to the guidelines that his society has set for him and everyone else. In the novel Brave New World, Aldous Huxley conveys the idea that individuals seeking acceptance among their community can find it extremely …show more content…
For example, Bernard lives in a society where conformity and social stability are so highly valued that people literally live their lives by these principles. Hence, it is expected that being a free thinker or a unique individual is not tolerated by any means as these traits threaten the stability of the community. Indeed, Bernard constantly struggles to find satisfaction in his life as he longs to feel recognized and admired for being an individual, but lacks the ability and confidence to rebel. Therefore, he just complains about what a disaster his society is and how he wishes it was different. “It makes me feel as though...as though I were more me, if you see what I mean. More on my own, not so completely part of something else” (Huxley, 78), this is a very dangerous opinion to express considering the circumstances of Bernard’s society and the reaction it could provoke which is represented by Lenina’s shocked incomprehension. Bernard is starting to realize the impossibility of finding a balance between pursuing his nonconformist desires and not causing controversy within his society. Bernard did not have much respect from his peers to begin with, so all he is gaining in purposefully going against the grain is a reputation that is even more resented than before. If he wants to remain a member of the society he currently lives in, he will either have to abandon his rebellious antics or take some sort of drastic measure that wins him recognition from his
“You should see how a negro ovary reacts to pituitary” is one of the several controversial quotes incorporated in the dystopian novel Brave New World. The author Aldous Huxley presents several stereotypes within the book, although not always consciously. The society in the book is sex and drug based, and everyone belongs into a certain inescapable caste. In this essay I will put forth three distinct points which support the idea that Aldous Huxley portrays social and racial stereotypes through his worldview. Whilst this novel was being written, the definition of race was biological, which means that race was purely based on your skin color. In today's society race has no biological factor as the distinct groups have more genetic variations within them than between them.
The caste system of this brave new world is equally ingenious. Free from the burdens and tensions of a capitalistic system, which separates people into social classes by natural selection, this dictatorship government is only required to determine the correct number of Alphas, Betas, all the way down the line. Class warfare does not exist because greed, the basic ingredient of capitalism, has been eliminated. Even Deltas and Epsilons are content to do their manual labor. This contentment arises both from the genetic engineering and the extensive conditioning each individual goes through in childhood. In this society, freedom, such as art and religion, in this society has been sacrificed for what Mustapha Mond calls happiness. Indeed almost all of Huxley's characters, save Bernard and the Savage, are content to take their soma ration, go to the feelies, and live their mindless, grey lives.
In Aldous Huxley's novel, "Brave New World" he introduces a character named, Bernard Marx an alpha part of the upper higher class who does not quite fit in. Bernard is cursed by the surrounding rumors of something going wrong during his conditioning that he becomes bitter and isolates himself from those around him in the World State. Huxley's character experiences both alienation and enrichment to being exiled from a society that heavily relies on technology and forms of entertainment with little to no morals.
As each decade passes what implies and defines 'conformity ' changes as societies norms grow and transform yet the strength of its influence remains constant when stood against the wall of rebellion. Individuals such as the artist in Kafka 's Hunger Artist who craved to be adorned for hid differences of normality were seen inhuman by the audience 's eyes. While people like the cashier from A&P by Updike; tried to cross the boundary of social class are view by society as momentarily confused in need of guidance to remain where they rank in class status. And those who indeed bend to the advances of norms that are acceptable may end up like the unknown citizen in Auden 's poem whose identity was forever lost by mass grouping with the another unknowns who never did anything special.
Religious Repression In what ways do countries differing religions affect our ever changing society? Does our diversity, combined with our lack of resources and overpopulation, ensure constant violence? I believe that the religious persecution of certain nations has been nothing more than denial of a human right. In Brave New World, Huxley predicts an all powerful government: “the world state”.
The characters in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World represent certain political and social ideas. Huxley used what he saw in the world in which he lived to form his book. From what he saw, he imagined that life was heading in a direction of a utopian government control. Huxley did not imagine this as a good thing. He uses the characters of Brave New World to express his view of utopia being impossible and detrimental. One such character he uses to represent the idealogy behind this is Bernard Marx.
Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World portrays a society in which science has clearly taken over. This was an idea of what the future could hold for humankind. Is it true that Huxley’s prediction may be correct? Although there are many examples of Huxley’s theories in our society, there is reason to believe that his predictions will not hold true for the future of society.
Bernard Marx is an intriguing character in the book Brave New World. At the beginning of the book, he is a very main character, but as the book goes on he is put more and more into the background of the story. The reason for this can be explained by the way his character changes as the book progresses. Aldous Huxley makes an interesting point by showing how a person can be changed by obtaining something he desires. It makes the readers wonder whether success would change them in the same way or if they would be able to maintain their character.
Social stability can be the cause of problems. After reading Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, we are informed that “Bokanovsky’s Process is one of the major instruments of social stability!” Now is it worth it? Is it worth the sacrifice? Questions like those are addressed throughout the book. Huxley wants to warn us of many things, for example the birth control pill, the way that we can colon ourselves and many other things. He wanted us to know that many of the experiments that they do to the caste in Brave New World, we were later going to do investigate more ourselves or start doing them to others. We have all, at a point; come to a point to the question where we ask ourselves “is it worth it? Is it worth the sacrifice?”
A president-like figure, Mustapha Mond the World Controller, references the society's logic. “‘Stability,’ said the Controller, ‘stability. No civilization without social stability. No social stability without individual stability’” (Huxley 31). The Controller represents the whole of the society when he speaks of stability. By applying Lenina as an example, there is clear irony and hypocrisy in the Director’s premise. Lenina does not have a strong identity as her sense of self-worth is entirely dependant on the praise of others. With society’s praise, Lenina appears to have a strong identity, which is structured from her self-image. Without societal praise, Lenina fails to have a strong identity as she lacks appreciation from others. In the same way Lenina is conditioned, children are conditioned to be familiar with death and loss as to prevent the emotional trauma that results from it. This emotional detachment leads to a society that is materialistic and unable to attain true passion. Bernard realises this when he says, “‘I want to know what passion is,’ she heard him saying. ‘I want to feel something strongly’” (Huxley 63). Bernard attempts to find passion which is an example of individual expression. Instead of letting society pressure him into wanting stimulant soma and recreational
In Brave New World, Aldous Huxley deftly creates a society that is indeed quite stable. Although they are being mentally manipulated, the members of this world are content with their lives, and the presence of serious conflict is minimal, if not nonexistent. For the most part, the members of this society have complete respect and trust in their superiors, and those who don’t are dealt with in a peaceful manner as to keep both society and the heretic happy. Maintained by cultural values, mental conditioning, and segregation, the idea of social stability as demonstrated in Brave New World is, in my opinion, both insightful and intriguing.
Brainwashing… does it exist now? In Aldous Huxleys book, Brave New World, people are grown from tubes, and then psychologically conditioned to behave and act the way the World State, or government per say, wants them to act. Sometimes psychological conditioning can be good, but in this case it is more of a type of brainwashing. The World State misuses its power to make sure people are controlled because they don’t want anyone to be unhappy or to know what is actually happening. This book can be a warning to humanity, telling society that brainwashing can become common and destroy the modern day world. This book makes the people of the modern day world think about what could happen in the near future if society decides to go farther and more into scientific research. Misuses science could contribute to the making of man into an animal, not a smart, adapted, emotional connected human being.
There were quite a few changes made from Aldous Huxley’s, Brave New World to turn it into a “made for TV” movie. The first major change most people noticed was Bernard Marx’s attitude. In the book he was very shy and timid toward the opposite sex, he was also very cynical about their utopian lifestyle. In the movie Bernard was a regular Casanova. He had no shyness towards anyone. A second major deviation the movie made form the book was when Bernard exposed the existing director of Hatcheries and Conditioning, Bernard himself was moved up to this position. In the book the author doesn’t even mention who takes over the position. The biggest change between the two was Lenina, Bernard’s girlfriend becomes pregnant and has the baby. The screenwriters must have made this up because the author doesn’t even mention it. The differences between the book and the movie both helped it and hurt it.
Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley, portrays a future society where people are no longer individuals but are controlled by the World State. The World State dominates the people by creating citizens that are content with who they are. Brave New World describes how the science of biology and psychology are manipulated so that the government can develop technologies to change the way humans think and act. The World State designs humans from conception for this society. Once the humans are within the society the state ensures all people remain happy. They program these humans to have needs and desires that will sustain a lucrative economy while not thinking of themselves as an individual. Huxley describes the Worlds State’s intent to control their society through medical intervention, happiness, and consumerism which has similarities to modern society.
Bernard Marx an Alpha plus specialist in sleep teaching is an example of a character that changes in the brave new word. He changes from a character that symbolized individuality to a character that just wanted to desperately belong to the society. At the beginning of the novel he seemed to be very different from the society, he acts like a rebel trying to battle against the order of things. He seemed to be an “individual” in the first few chapters. For example On his first date with Lenina with lenina he says ” I’d rather be myself. ‘Myself and nasty .Not somebody else, however jolly”(77). He wanted to be something else different from the rest of the society. However we see that his root concern is to be socially acceptable and not really about becoming an individual. In chapter 6 Bernard shows signs of undergoing a change in his character. When the Director summoned Bernard to his office for being unorthodox, Bernard goes on to brag to his friend Helmholtz Watson on his victory over the director when he says” I simply told him to go to the bottomless past and marched out of the room and that was that “(85). We get the sense that Bernard’s victory wasn’t so much about personal integrity as it was social acceptance. Finally, his character undergoes a c...