In many different places around the world, sex and drugs are a huge part of culture which is seen in the movies and TV shows that portray it. In Aldous Huxley’s novel, Brave New World, he writes about the problems and tragedies that come with a world that is so focused on sex and drugs. Readers can see the problem that drugs and sex cause through Bernard and Lenina’s relationship and also through the death of John and Linda. Huxley uses his novel to show readers the dangers of a society based on sex and drugs when Bernard almost loses his life because of it and John and Linda die because of their struggles. There are many problems that come along with drugs, “ The adverse effects of drug abuse can be thought of in three parts that together determine the overall harm in taking …show more content…
Lenina is confused and interested as to how John could not sleep with her and he tries to explain the importance of having a real relationship and being married. Despite his efforts, Lenina simply cannot understand John and his beliefs. Once John’s mother passes away he becomes disgusted by the society he is now a part of and cannot stand how Lenina is constantly begging him for sex. In anger he moves to a secluded lighthouse, here he can become separate from society but continues to have sexual thoughts about Lenina. John remains feeling disgusted but now also guilty because of his thoughts so he begins to flog himself as a way to cleanse himself through the pain. This only ends up intriguing the society around him as they watch him through video cameras and huge amounts of people, including Lenina, begin showing up at his house to flog one another and participate in sexual activities. In the midst of all the commotion John gives in and has sex with Lenina. The next morning he wakes up feeling so ashamed and guilty, just like Bernard did, only John is unable to handle the guilt and hangs himself from the lighthouse
Neil Postman, in his 1985 book “Amusing Ourselves to Death” asserted that Aldous Huxley’s worry, we are becoming a passive and trivial society controlled by what we love, is coming true. Now, more than ever, these fears are becoming reality. Our society’s addiction to drugs and the stigma against the communication of emotions are causing us to fall down the slippery slope that is leading to an oppressive society similar to that of the one depicted Huxley’s Brave New World. ****
As analyzed by social critic Neil Postman, Huxley's vision of the future, portrayed in the novel Brave New World, holds far more relevance to present day society than that of Orwell's classic 1984. Huxley's vision was simple: it was a vision of a trivial society, drowned in a sea of pleasure and ignorant of knowledge and pain, slightly resembling the world of today. In society today, knowledge is no longer appreciated as it has been in past cultures, in turn causing a deficiency in intelligence and will to learn. Also, as envisioned by Huxley, mind altering substances are becoming of greater availability and distribution as technology advances. These drugs allow society to escape from the problems of life instead of dealing with reality. With divorce rates higher than ever in the past few decades, it has become evident that lust has ruined the society's sexual covenants. People are indulging in their sexual motives; lust runs rampant, thus strong, long-lasting relationships are becoming a rarity.
In Aldous Huxley’s novel, “Brave New World,” published in 1932, two idiosyncratic, female characters, Lenina and Linda, are revealed. Both personalities, presented in a Freudian relationship (Linda being John’s mother and Lenina being his soon to be lover), depict one another in different stages of life and divulge ‘a character foil’. Lenina and Linda are both ‘Betas,’ who hold a strong relationship with the men in their lives, especially John. It can be stated that John may partially feel attracted towards Lenina, because she is a miniature version of Linda, in her youth. They both support the term of ‘conditioning,’ yet also question it in their own circumstances. Nonetheless, they both are still sexually overactive and criticized for such immoral decisions. Linda espouses it from her heart, while Lenina supports the process partially due to peer pressure and society’s expectations. Both female characters visit the Reservation with Alpha – Plus males, and both find a common feeling of revulsion towards it. Linda and Lenina are similar in many ways, yet they hold their diverse views on the different aspects of life.
Chemicals are excessively used to achieve youth and happiness in both Brave New World and in Canadian Society. The prime example being the use of drugs to achieve a euphoric feeling and to escape something versus dealing with it in both societies. In Brave New World, Soma, a hallucinogenic drug, is a pertinent part of life that is a necessity to keep their world in order. When a member of society is unhappy, it is a natural instinct to consume soma. When Lenina is upset John does not join her after their date, Lenina thinks, “One gramme, she decided, would not be enough; hers had been more than a one-gramme affliction” (Huxley 171). Lenina uses soma to prevent unacceptable unhappiness in the Brave New World, as many Canadians use antidepressants as a simple fix to their unhappiness. The utilization and prescription of pharmacotherapy for depression has increased from 3.2 to 14.5 million between 1981 and 2000 in Canada (University of Toronto Magazine). ...
One major issue that helps maintain social stability in Brave New World is sex. It is thought of as normal for people to be completely open with their sexual nature. It is typical for children to run around naked during recess playing games that are sexual and sometimes homosexual in nature. Every adult is encouraged to sleep with as many different partners as possible. This outlook on sexual nature is quite different from actual accepted views. Today, sex is most widely accepted as a private, romantic event that should take place between monogamous couples. Because sex is a natural need of the human body, people of Huxley’s society feel pleased by being open with their sexuality. Indulging in their sexual pleasures eases their minds and keeps them from questioning the level of freedom they have.
...t can be so traumatic that we choose not to leave our fragile emotions into hands of others. After all of these setbacks, we are more willing to settle for just pure sex. This is in hopes that it will be stress-free and painless. What we don’t know is that commitment-free relationships come with many consequences. Brave New World shows how escaping pain, especially in terms of relationships, can actually cause greater suffering. By the World State essentially forcing these relationships on their citizens, they are also depriving them of vital immunity to suffering. They are being deprived of the wisdom that is accompanied by heartbreak. The consequences that Aldous Huxley was warning about are extraordinarily relevant to the contemporary American society.
It was the late 19th century when a lot of conflict for families from the Industrial Revolution and illegal drugs had easy access to anyone in the United Sates. These illegal drugs like morphine, cocaine, and alcohol were available through manufacture, delivery, and selling. It was proved that the over use of alcohol and violence in families’ homes were linked together around the 1850’s and that women and children were being abused by the father and husband from the letters and journals that were wrote. These were times when women were stay at home mothers and it was the man’s responsibility to be the provider for the wife and children. Because of the abuse in the household it led up to the temperance movement. The purpose
... suddenly two tears rolled down her cheeks. Inaudibly, she spoke again; then, with a quick, impassioned gesture stretched out her arms towards the Savage, stepped forward."(227). She along with John are the only people to have cried in the world state,this leads us to believe that Lenina has some degree of feelings for John.The changes in the characters of Bernard, Lenina and John occur as a result of some sort of passion or need..
The consequences that follow the use of any drug are unfavorable. Although many individuals may see drug addiction as a mere lifestyle choice, it is a problem that many individuals suffer from and inevitably a growing issue that leaves major social and economic impacts.
Past and Current Trends of Drug Abuse in the United States. Drug abuse has changed over the years due to the trends that Americans face from the encouragement of different cultures. The abuse of substances creates many health problems. The following will discuss the past and current trends in drug use and the effects these drugs have on the health of the individuals who abuse the drugs. The use of cocaine in the United States has declined over the last twenty years, while the use of crack has increased.
Lenina was introduced to a different way of life and at first, this life seemed absolutely repulsing, but after a little while she began to see that some parts of the savage ways connected to her quite deeply in what she wanted out of life. ““Oh shut up”” she said as she turned back to her neglected embros... As if she could have forgotten her V.P.S.”. The context of this quote gives off the fact that Lenina does not want to go to a feely with another man because she has eyes for only one,John, and at this point she is frustrated with the man judging her for it. This excerpt is perhaps the first time that the change in Lenina is pointed out.
Aldous Huxley’s, “Brave New World,” explores the roles of people in society, morals concerning sexual activity, and other controversies in our reality. One of the principal characters in the novel is ‘John the Savage.’ John is a unique character in the story because unlike the other characters in the book, his emotions and morals were similar to those of the majority of our society. He felt emotions in a way others did not, and his morals can be regarded as ethically right (for example, he did not consider sex to be meaningless; in fact, he considered it an intimate act. Unfortunately, by the end of the story, John develops into a corrupt and barbaric man- the novel even finishes with the image of John whipping both himself and others, eliminating our prior perception of John’s character. This paper will analyse the themes and importance of the final moments of “Brave New World,” and explore how a person’s sexual experience is heavily experienced by their environment.
at the beginning of the novel. When John enters the story, the story focuses mainly on him and his thoughts. This allows for into the strength of his desires towards Lenina, comparing her to Juliet, from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and considering himself the “unworthiest” (Huxley, Brave New World 144). It also provides direct insight into the reasons why he punishes himself so severely for his desires, as he considers them “[d]etestable” (145). While Bernard and Lenina are the main characters of the story, the focus is mostly on Bernard, to allow for an explanation of his differences and idiosyncrasies, aside from the rumors that a factory worker made a mistake and “put alcohol into his blood-surrogate” (46).
Lenina is an object of desire for a large portion of the male populous, including Bernard Marx and John the Savage. Lenina’s primary means of relating to others is through sex, which is what the government wants. Although this may be true, Lenina shows her unorthodox way by being exclusive to Henry Foster for several months. Fanny Crowne, Lenina’s friend, notices this quirk about her and warns her that essentially belonging to one man looks bad to others. Fanny does so in a conversation with Lenina by saying, “I really do think you ought to be careful.
Drug abuse and addiction are issues that affect people everywhere. However, these issues are usually treated as criminal activity rather than issues of public health. There is a conflict over whether addiction related to drug abuse is a disease or a choice. Addiction as a choice suggests that drug abusers are completely responsible for their actions, while addiction as a disease suggests that drug abusers need help in order to break their cycle of addiction. There is a lot of evidence that suggests that addiction is a disease, and should be treated rather than punished. Drug addiction is a disease because: some people are more likely to suffer from addiction due to their genes, drug abuse brought on by addictive behavior changes the brain and worsens the addiction, and the environment a person lives in can cause the person to relapse because addiction can so strongly affect a person.