Redefining Religion in Dystopia

2110 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Religion effects on society

In states overshadowed by continuous negative messaging, having abandoned many of the social systems of today’s society, can religion exist? While religion is present in numerous works, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and P.D. James’ The Children of Men offer alternative insights into what constitutes religion in their contrasting dystopian societies. Both works contain scenes and themes with religious connotations. The traditional beliefs of the world’s common religions are suppressed in both works by their monocratic governments or rulers and replaced by either a convoluted form of religion in the case of The Children of Men or by state-sanctioned replacements in Brave New World. Religious imagery is recreated in both works, such as in the sexual, Ford-praising solidarity service that parallels the Catholic mass and communion, as well as in the barn birth of Julian’s baby that is much like a modern nativity scene. Journeys propelled by faith are also prevalent in both novels and while the journey of The Children of Men’s protagonist, Theo is quite clearly intended by James to be highly spiritual, the journey of one of Brave New World’s protagonists can be seen as spiritually driven due to the ways in which he sacrifices himself for a sense of purity.

Within the first few chapters of both novels, the reader is exposed to the current state of traditional religions within the societies of each. Of both works, the transformation of religion is most drastic in Brave New World, as it has not only been suppressed, but has also been replaced entirely by state-sanctioned systems. While religion in many societies is credited with imparting morality unto its followers, one value has been maintained in the World State without religion...

... middle of paper ...

...Further emphasizing the role of religion, the protagonists of both novels follow spiritual journeys, allowing them to determine their own interpretations of the meaning of religion and the role it is to play in their respective lives. The meaning of religion, not only in both works, but in today’s society, is constantly debated and interpreted. While these debates are not likely to end in the near future, through Huxley and James’ novels, readers are able to be exposed to societies very different from their own, allowing them to better understand the endless possibilities of the influence and role of religion.

Works Cited

Dalley, Jan. “Mistress of Morality Tales: PD James” The Independent. 20 Sept. 1992. Web.

Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York: Perennial Classics, 1998. Print.

James, P. D. The Children of Men. New York: A.A. Knopf, 1992. Print

Show More
Related

  • Hypnoaedic Values In Aldous Huxley's Brave New World

    1166 Words  | 3 Pages

    Through hypnoaedic teachings, reservation contrasts to the “Civilized” world, and John’s critique of the society, the reader sees Huxley’s point of view of the importance of an individual. With hypnoaedic teachings, Huxley creates the society and the values. Inside the reservation, Huxley contrasts the society of the reservation to that of Lenina’s society. Finally Huxley’s main evaluation and critique of lack of identity is seen in John’s character. John’s horrid descriptions in his point of view on society demonstrate to the reader the importance of an individual. Since there were absolutely no conscious men or women throughout society, ideas of ignoring death, God, and beauty creates a world where men and women sacrifice true happiness (Where pain and hard work are involved for a greater happiness) for a “smooth running society.” The picture of the society to the reader is horrifying and quite terrifying. Overall, within our society, the importance of the individual is not a problem. People, even teenagers, are encouraged to show who they are inside. One can truly see the idea of the importance on individual through the new openness to different sexualities. Overall, within the book, Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley, Huxley demonstrates the need for conscious individuals through a horrifying

    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

  • Discrimination in "The Chrysalids" by John Wyndam

    810 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout time, readers have learned many different lessons from their favourite books. In The Chrysalids, John Wyndam used his story to teach his readers valuable, lifelong lessons. He makes it evident to his readers that prejudging certain people is not right. Also, he relates how change is possible, but hard to achieve. More specifically, religion often influences one’s point of view. John Wyndam’s, The Chrysalids was written with a purpose that teaches his readers about discrimination, about how change is possible, and how religion often influences one’s point of view.

    Read More

  • Imagery And Metaphors In Zamyatin's We

    627 Words  | 2 Pages

    Zamyatin wrote his dystopian novel, We, to expose the fact that government will repress human freedom and nature to promote society’s stability. However, the theme of religion can be observed throughout the novel as Zamyatin uses imagery and metaphors to the “old religions.” Even though the Benefactor is seen sparsely through the eyes of the protagonist, His influence on OneState citizens is imminent. The reader is forewarned of the Benefactor’s omnipotence and the harsh judgement with which He governs over the citizens. Zamyatin religious metaphors depicted through the Benefactor and His ruling of One State in We function mainly to critique Christianity to be a totalitarian and deteriorated culture.

    Read More

  • Symbols in Brave New World

    885 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the dystopian novel, Brave New World, Huxley uses symbols to create meaning and to get his agenda across. The use of sex and reproduction, and Shakespearian writing and religious texts, as symbols in the novel help to push Huxley’s agenda that total government control is devastating, and the inner human drive to be an individual can never be suppressed. Also, the fact that the novel was written in 1931 shows that Huxley was attacking the newly forming Socialist nations.

    Read More

  • Comparison Of Religion And Religion In 'Slaughterhouse Five'

    936 Words  | 2 Pages

    Introduction: All of the three texts explore religion and its practises, but each approach it from a different perspective. Whilst Owen and Brecht refer directly to the idea of God and Jesus, Vonnegut uses a far more ambiguous approach; the opinion of God in ‘Slaughterhouse 5’ has to be read allegorically, as Vonnegut’s mentions of Christianity are seldom stated. Religion does not have to be seen as only an ideology and references to God are not the necessity needed to create the theme of Religion – it appears through spirituality and communities which follow the same belief. The Thirty Years’ War of 1618 in ‘Mother Courage’, which emerged from a disagreement between Protestant and Catholic believers, is a distinct example of religious communities

    Read More

  • Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley

    623 Words  | 2 Pages

    Brave New World by Aldous Huxley is written with the idea of a totalitarian society that has complete social stability. Huxley demonstrates how a stable world deprives a person of their individuality, something that was also lost in Anthem by Ayn Rand. Brave New World exemplifies the great sacrifice needed to achieve such a stable world. This novel envisions a world where the government has complete control over people in its mission for social stability and conformity. The outcome of this is that the government has created a society with no love, freedom, creativity, and the human desire for happiness.

    Read More

  • Brave New World - The Basis of Religion

    609 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the novel "Brave New World" civilized society lives in a world of science and technology. Major changes have occurred during the future; Utopia now revolves a religion of drugs and sex. God and the cross have been replaced by Ford and the symbol T, the founder of the age of machines. Instead of Sunday church, members now attend solidarity services where morals and tradition are not learned, but rather faith is taught in the belief of hallucinations produced by a substance known as "soma." Soma has effectively replaced the belief in a higher being by its elimination of problems and stress resulting in a lack of imagination , creativity, or "soul." Yet religion can still be found in today's society because of man's continuing need for answers to questions that cannot be solved by science or technology.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between The Giver And The Hunger Games

    1385 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout time humans have struggled with the unknown, with the fear that once life is over nothing remains, that the only thing awaiting them is oblivion. To combat these fears we create various religions, belief systems, and faiths to reassure ourselves that we are not shouting into the void, that something will come out of our existence. Prime examples of these belief systems are Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism which emphasize a spiritual world. In dystopian novels, characters are often placed in situations without faith or religion such as The Giver by Lois Lowry, and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, the removal of faith forces characters to rely solely on themselves and helps depict the hopelessness in their world. The erasure of faith leads one to believe that it is a selling point of our society and should be kept intact, which is why Octavia Butler’s use of religion is odd in the genre. In Butler’s novel Parable of the Sower the narrator Lauren Oya Olamina creates a new religion called Earthseed and aims to offer her society hope for the future while they suffer the corruption and disintegration of the only world they know. Parable of the Sower states the function of religion, and specifically Earthseed, is to unite people in a single hope as the world goes to hell.

    Read More

  • Individuality Vs. Religion

    1156 Words  | 3 Pages

    Many works of literature have been known to have their words wrap around a certain subject such as gender, politics, and experiences. But some works go into a more personal level such as religion. In Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” and Salman Rushdie’s “Imagine There’s No Heaven”, they talk about the strength in the relationship between individuality and religion. These two authors have written their stories based on how an individual’s life, choices, and beliefs can or can be altered by the religion that surrounds them. As one reads these stories, they might be able to notice that they have a lot in common but there are many difference on what the stories are actually about. These two authors have expressed the relationship between individuals and religion through the similarities, differences, and resolutions.

    Read More

  • Religious Conflict in 20th Century Non-western Literature

    2153 Words  | 5 Pages

    Religion is essential to every human being. Not only does it serve as a foundation for one to form his/her own set of values and integrity, but it also acts as a source of conflict for many people. Internal religious conflict can be seen in the form of one’s personal struggle with his/her belief. However, personal struggles are mostly influenced by external factors, which cause disturbances to one’s faith and loyalty to their beliefs. On the other hand, external conflict is the concept of which chaos and upheavals occur in society from clash of beliefs. Both conflicts between religions and internal religious conflict are found to be central to the plot of many examples of 20th Century Non-Western literature. African and Middle-Eastern literature, in particular, addresses many aspects of religious conflict, both in the form of the individual and collective struggle.

    Read More

  • Geertz Religion Analysis

    1024 Words  | 3 Pages

    Geertz defines religion as ‘(1) a system of symbols which acts to (2) establish powerful, pervasive, and long-lasting moods and motivations in men by (3) formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and (4) clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that (5) the moods and motivations seem uniquely realistic.’ In this essay, I will focus on the Geertz’s idea, and Asad’s subsequent critique, of symbols. (Geertz, Clifford, and Michael Banton. "Religion as a cultural system." (1966).)

    Read More

  • Religion and the Development of the Western World

    1103 Words  | 3 Pages

    The accomplishments and success of civilizations are closely linked to their religious outlook and the role of religion in their governments and society. Throughout history rulers have used the influence of religions to control their populations and provide the justification for their power. A society with a greater degree of separation between religion and government promotes a superior level of liberty and creativity amongst its people. By the time of the decline of the Roman Empire in the west, however, the world had come full circle to a return to theocratic dictatorship.

    Read More

  • The Philosophy of Erich Fromm

    1138 Words  | 3 Pages

    Even more appealing is Fromm’s innovative understanding of religion. He calls it “any group-shared system of thought and action that offers the individual a frame of orientation and an object of devotion”(Fromm 135). In this sense, every society in the world has had a religion. He says that modern society is characterized by a new religion – the Industrial religion. It developed because of the way modern society is rooted in the having mode.

    Read More

  • Censorship and Satire: Unpacking Huxley's Brave New World

    1566 Words  | 4 Pages

    Of all of the world’s ironic masterpieces, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World is one of the most commonly banned. It is a political satire set far after the time it was written. This satire has not prevented a long list of bans from being placed on it. The book has been challenged a multitude of times for its inclusion of sexual content, drug use, and anti-theism.

    Read More

More about Redefining Religion in Dystopia

Open Document