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Brave new world aldous huxley's predictions
Brave new world aldous huxley's predictions
Brave new world aldous huxley's predictions
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Unorthodox New World
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines unorthodox as “different from what is usually done or accepted” ("Unorthodox"). Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World takes place in the futuristic World State. State-of-the-art technology has been created to produce the castes systems of the society. Alphas, Betas, Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons make up the idyllic consumer population. Among them are many unorthodox individuals. These unconventional characters disrupt the natural order of the World State resulting in many misfortunate outcomes. Brave New World written by Aldous Huxley features copious unorthodox citizens, the most prominent being Lenina Crowne, John the Savage, and Helmholtz Watson.
There are many features that set Lenina
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Crowne apart from the rest of the World State. To begin, Lenina chooses to be more monogamous in the promiscuous world she lives in. While discussing whom she has been going out with, Lenina discloses to her friend Fanny that she has only been seeing one person: ‘Henry Foster.’ ‘Again?’ Fanny’s kind, rather moon-like face took on an incongruous expression of pained and disapproving astonishment. ‘Do you mean to tell me you’re still going out with Henry Foster?’ (Huxley 40) Lenina have been seeing only Henry Foster for four months, which her friend Fanny believes is outrageous.
In the World State, people are constantly fluctuating between love affairs. Another point of unorthodoxy that stands out is Lenina’s ability to have feelings towards others. The World State designs citizens through Hypnopaedia or sleep teaching to condition unfeeling consumers, being told “every one belongs to every one else” and “a gramme is better than a damn” (Huxley 43, 55). Even with these ingrained mantras, Lenina becomes ensnared in feelings for John the Savage. Not knowing how to correctly express her unexplored feelings, Lenina throws herself at John. Lenina’s actions result in much confusion on John’s part, as he does not fully understand Lenina’s culture. Like Lenina, John the Savage does not mold to the World State …show more content…
nature. Spending his whole life in the Savage Reservation, John is not prepared to conform to the new world he is thrust into.
One distinguishing factor of John is his belief in multiple higher powers. In the Reservation there are many different belief systems acknowledged, whereas in the World State, citizens only believe in the fabricated Ford and Freud. To explain why the World State is without God, the World Controller Mustapha Mond claims, “God isn’t compatible with machinery and scientific medicine and universal happiness” (Huxley 234). Believing in God goes against the World State’s stipulation of its citizens being continuously happy. In addition to believing in traditional religion, John the Savage has a passion for reading and intellect. At a young age John was given the works of William Shakespeare. In the World State no one has the desire for knowledge, so John is seen as outlandish for having read anything other than books of reference. John is told, “We don’t encourage them to indulge in any solitary amusements” when he asks about what the libraries in the World State contain (Huxley 163). Much the same, the character Helmholtz Watson stands out amongst the World State
citizens. Helmholtz Watson has many distinguishing factors compared to the World State population. To begin, Helmholtz feels as though he could be doing something “more intense, more violent” (Huxley 70). Though Helmholtz disagrees with the “smutty” themes of Shakespeare, like love, jealousy, and family, Helmholtz finds the intensity he seeks in the weather. In the process of being exiled, Helmholtz requests a “thoroughly bad climate” on the basis that “one would write better if the climate were bad” (Huxley 229). Additionally, Helmholtz dismisses the flagrant advances he receives, telling Bernard Marx, “I’ve been cutting all of my committees and all my girls” (Huxley 68). Parallel to Lenina, denying promiscuity and choosing solitude in the World State is preposterous. Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World provides unique characters that shatter the molds of the World State. Lenina Crowne pushes the borders against relationships, John the Savage expresses humanity, and Helmholtz Watson searches for passion. By breaking their own paradigms, the characters in Brave New world expose the truth about the dystopian society and reality.
In Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, Lenina and Linda are character foils of one another. Huxley foils these characters in order to show the differences not only between their characters, but also to show the difference in the societies that which they are accustomed to. Lenina and Linda were complete strangers and had never met; however, they share many similarities while remaining different.
John gradually discovers that Lenina is not the innocent, undiluted woman he once loved. Lenina’s sexual promiscuity is horrifying to him; the thought that other men have had sexual experiences with Lenina causes him to go insane. When Lenina makes a sexual advance, John shouts: “Whore! Impudent strumpet” (132). John’s dream is shattered – the perfect Other has its own imperfections, and this reality corrupts John’s self-awareness. Lenina’s image was a reflection of the person John viewed himself to be: an innocent character that is untainted by the “Brave New World” (94) and its vices. In order to expunge his sins, John flees civilization and moves to the countryside to spend his time gardening, praying, and whipping himself. His redemption is uprooted as he succumbs to the ways of the citizens of the World State by engaging in a masochistic “orgy-porgy” of self-inflicted pain and whips a woman who appears to be Lenina until she becomes a shell of a human being. Huxley provides closure to the fantasy John created by plunging John into an abyss of anguish, reflecting the idea that intense fantasy nurtures insanity. Voltaire, by contrast, ends on a relatively positive note. After a long voyage, Candide is reunited with his dear Cunnegonde only to realize that she is “a scullion … and is very ugly” (84-85). Candide stays true to his word and marries her, but he regains a sense of purpose by opting to tend to his own garden. Instead of relying on the fantasy of a perfect Other, Candide assumes responsibility for his own life by focusing on labor and cultivating his own work ethic. In Candide, characters escape the temptation of fantasy through hard work; by applying themselves to do “some service or other” (87), life is
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.
Bernard noticed the manipulation of Lenina. Lenina wanted to have sex with just one person, but she wasn’t allowed. “Everyone belongs to everyone else” (page #) was one of the world state’s mottoes. Sexual promiscuity eliminates emotional tension. By eliminating tension and anxiety the World State was able to better control its citizens.
John obviously shows a strong interest in Lenina, although she does not retort mutual affection for him; she is unable to express such passions. Lenina does not know how to show affection and how to express feelings; she lives in a society of which represses such emotions. For example, after her first date with Bernard, Lenina simply expects sexual relations with Bernard to occur. Bernard refuses the proposition, and Lenina is utterly shocked to be informed that he’d prefer talking and getting to know her beforehand. Lenina is unable to understand a connection is supposedly felt between two individuals; she has never experienced it. Linda on the other hand, is John’s mother, whom lacks the maternal connection of a typical mother/child relationship; she alienates and abuses him. For example, John alludes to his childhood and retells of a time when he tried comforting his mother. She pushed him off, shouted at him and began hitting him. The inadequate level of affection shared between the two women is explained through the reinforcement of values in the community of “Brave New World”; this leads to the incapability for the two women to express love. Lastly, both Lenina and Linda prefer to live in the moment and escape any bad situations that arise. Lenina simply consumes large doses of soma in order to escape the harsh realties she cannot come to terms with. After
Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World introduces us to a futuristic technological world where monogamy is shunned, science is used in order to maintain stability, and society is divided into 5 castes consisting of alphas(highest), betas, gammas, deltas, and epsilons(lowest). In the Brave New World, the author demonstrates how society mandates people’s beliefs, using many characters throughout the novel. John, a savage, has never been able to fit into society. Moving through two contradicting societies, John is unable to adapt to the major differences of the civilized society due to the different ways upon which it is conducted.
In the first couple of chapters, Lenina, a young woman, is introduced. When we first meet her, we learn that she has been seeing a guy, Henry, for the past 4 months. The reader can assume that this is normal, since the same happens in our everyday lives, but we soon discover that this is abnormal. In the new world, a regulation is set that men and woman cannot be in committed relationships, but are supposed to have sex with as many men or woman possible. The fact that she is not promiscuous enough can get her into trouble. “And you know how strongly the D. H. C. objects to anything intense or long-drawn… why, he’d be furious if he knew…” (Huxley, 41) As the story progresses, however, she becomes an example of new world regulations, admitting that she had sex with many men. “She was a popular girl and, at one time or another, had spent a night with almost all of them.” (Huxley, 57) Old world r...
After the helicopter ride, Bernard asks Lenina what life would be like if he was not enslaved by conditioning; she responds with surprise (Huxley 78). Firstly, in Brave New World, every adult lives by themselves but to combat feelings of loneliness they have many sexual partners. Lack of personal connection with others is removed and replaced with false love through recreational sex. When John’s mother dies, the sadness he portrays is strange in the eyes of other citizens because they do not care for one another personally ( ).
In Brave New World’s World State, relationships are extremely insignificant. Long-term relationships are basically laughable, and the words “Mother” and “Father” are seen as obscene. This futuristic society revolves around short-term relationships that are exist for the sole purpose of pleasure. It is purely sexual. One of the main characters, Lenina, is questioned after telling her friend she is going on multiple dates with the same man. Fanny asks, “I suppose you’re going out? Who with?” A cautious Lenina replies, “Henry Foster.” Fanny asks, “Do you mean to tell me you’re still going out with Henry Foster?”(40). Lenina’s friend is basically confused why she would go on more than a single date with one guy. This is very reflective of the relationships that can flourish in a society wit...
In this world where people can acquire anything they need or want, we have to wonder, “Is the government controlling us?” Both the governments in A Brave New World and in the United States of America offer birth control pills and have abortion clinics that are available for everyone, thus making birth control pills and abortion operations very easy to acquire. Although both governments offer birth control pills and abortion clinics, A Brave New World’s government requires everyone to take the pills and immediately get an abortion when pregnant. This in turn shows us that A Brave New World’s government is controlling the population and the development of children. China is one of the few countries that currently have control of the development of children. In controlling the development of its children, China is also controlling the population levels. In any country, controlling the amount of children a single family can have can dramatically decrease the population levels. Just by having birth control pills and abortion clinics there for anybody to take advantage of shows that the involvement of either government is already too high.
Suffering and its role in Crime and Punishment are centered on Raskolnikov, his “infinite love” for Sonia, and the “repay[ment for] all her sufferings” (542). Sonia, the eighteen-year-old stepdaughter of Katerina Ivanovna, does not want to be sucked into prostitution but is forced to because of the living conditions her family is faced with (17). The situation that Raskolnikov believes Sonia to be in fosters the misconception that she is just as bad as he, thus he confronts her about it. Raskolnikov does not realize that his shallow thoughts add to her suffering and he takes her for granted until she becomes ill (540). Sonia’s suffering is final pivot that turns Raskolnikov’s perception of an ubermensch. Now, it is Raskolnikov turn to pay for his new life, the life that will only come after “great striving, [and] great suffering” (542).
Humans seem to be obsessed with finding a certain substance to rely on for a better life. In almost every culture on the planet, such substances have been imagined, like the glorious ambrosia of the ancient Greek gods, the forbidden fruit by which Eve was tempted, or, in the World State, the censoring soma. Soma ‘enhanced’ the lives of the people of the World State by allowing them to ignore reality, suppress negative emotions, and amplify positive feelings, but through the consumption of soma, the citizens also censored themselves to the full awareness of their monotonous lives and hopeless state. Lenina, a character noted for her continuous use of soma, visits a reservation where soma is not used. After seeing humans experience ‘real emotions’ that were not under the influence of the drug, she, “...felt herself entitled, after that day of queerness and horror, to a complete and absolute holiday.” (Huxley, pg. 149) The wo...
In Aldrous Huxley’s A Brave New World, pleasure is the main driving force in life. The government uses tools such as the wonder drug soma and the endorphins naturally released during and after sexual intercourse to keep the minds of their well-tended flock off of matters that might concern them if they had not previously been conditioned to resort to a vice the moment that they begin to conceive an ill thought. Lenina 's adulation of John, the Savage, is perhaps one of the more obvious triggers of soma usage within the novel. Lenina does not understand John 's concept of love, and attempts to show her affection in the only way she knows how, and that is by having sex with him. She thinks this is a normal act, but for him, it is sanctity. John believes that one should only express their passion through sex if they are married as is the custom on the reservation. This leads John to call Lenina many obscene names and to send her into the tender arms of soma instead. She merely wishes him to reciprocate her advances, which she would take as meaning that he was happy to be with her. She simply wants the both of them to be joyous in their carnal revelry but “Happiness is a hard master – particularly other people 's happiness. A much harder master, if one isn 't conditioned to accept it unquestioningly, than truth” (Huxley 227, Brave New World). John and Lenina are very different people however, as Lenina tells Bernard “I don 't understand … why you don 't take
The moral dilemma of monogamy would be the bane of Brave New World itself. If the people of Brave New World found out about religion the people would learn the moral dilemma of “every one belongs to everyone else”(Huxley 31). Lenina Crowne is a perfect example of someone whom was conditioned, but does not fit into the social norms of Brave New World. Furthermore, religion would only strengthen Lenina’s tendencies of having one man for a long period of time. In
However, to Lenina and the World State, theses beliefs promote happiness with repercussions- essentially, they strived for eternal happiness, without ever having to experience any negative emotion. The ending of the novel may have been Huxley’s commentary on this belief; one cannot escape reality, and for the Lenina and the World State, reality would be the emotions that they are trying to avoid (such as sadness, anxiety, anger, etc.). Lenina has never had to experience any negative emotions; she has always avoided them, through sex, drugs, and so on. However, reality caught up to her when she went to visit John; she was brutally beaten, and whipped back into