Brave New World Essay
Mary-Margaret West
For one to experience such a rift as to be exiled from their intellectual or physical home it is often assumed to result in mental destruction and constant alienation. It can be terrifying to have a part of you forced to be repressed, or possibly clarifying. As for Lenina in Brave New World, despite the alienation by her peers, her intellectual exilation actually enriched and provided for her an enlightened view of the world and of love.
Lenina Crowne is a young woman living in the future dystopian society of The Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre. Here, the concept of love is extremely distorted and goes as far as to mass produce perfectly caste children in a factory. This process incredibly devalues actual committed marital relationships, therefore cutting Lenina off from the relationships that she enjoyed most. The idea that everyone belonged to everyone encouraged the free movement from lover to lover without a second thought. Even her closest of friends ridiculed her, claiming that it is “horribly bad form to go on like this with one man” (Fanny, Page 41)
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She craved stability of her own, more than the twisted stability of the society. Though she often fell victim to the societal love game by the pressure of her peers, her longing for a relationship in which she could feel truly at home and connected haunted her. Lenina’s constant crave for commitment finally overcame her societal conditioning of sexual promiscuity when she was introduced to what true love is. Her exposure to an outsider of the Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre allowed her to feel and see what a true relationship takes and enriched her emotional and intellectual rift. Though she experienced social alienation and internal conflicts, through her rebellion Lenina was able to find and enrich within herself a true meaning of love and
Jett Phillips 07.02.2017 Dearing AP Lit & Comp A.3 Aldous Huxley’s Satirical Ironic World There is no novel more synonymous with irony and satire than Aldous Huxley’s 1932 novel Brave New World. Throughout the novel, Huxley takes advantage of irony and satire to bring about his message, in an attempt to criticize those who would like to see the expansion of the state and proliferation of promiscuity, by showing those how such a world would look like, through his depiction of the “World State.” As presented in the novel, the World State’s citizens are designated by birth into genetically engineered classes, controlled throughout life through drugs and endless promiscuity, and pushing the never-ending production line forward in the satirically stated year of 632 “After Ford.” However, Huxley’s use of irony shines brightest through the names of his characters, such as Lenina Crowne, Bernard Marx, and John the Savage. The former two names are in reference to Vladimir Lenin and Karl Marx, and the latter being an ironic name based on how, essentially,
Both Lenina and Linda use soma to escape from the realities of the world. Soma is a symbol for instant pleasure, and to avoid unpleasant situations. Lenina’s use of soma suggests that she is trying to suppress feelings of embarrassment, depression, and later her infatuation with John. Resembling words that of a drug addict, Lenina says “I wish I had my soma”, so that she could escape from her melancholic problems (Huxley 104). Similarly, after accusing the Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning, and having him publicly deny her, the emotional toll on Linda was so great, that she felt the need to consume soma to escape. Dr. Shaw “let her have what she wanted”; she “took as much as twe...
Lenina and Linda are both shown as Beta females who come from the civilized world. Even though Huxley does not clearly state that Lenina is from a upper class within society; however the text strongly suggests her to be a Beta through dialogue and association presented with other characters, and her specific thoughts and actions. Having a background and childhood in ‘The Other Place’, both women support the idea of conditioning from heart. Despite sharing a common interest in obsessing over materialistic possessions, such as jewellery, clothing, outer appearances and body fragrances; they also share an interest in p...
Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley, exemplifies the idea that in an ever-growing modern world, one who demonstrates traditional values about love will be unable to cope up with the questionable morals and differentiating, controversial values present, seen through John’s difficult experience in the Brave New World. In the novel, there is a severe disconnect between what John was taught and the ideals of the Brave New World, which encouraged ruthless, unemotional, and quick interactions with someone found attractive instead of a stable relationship with a loved one. As a result, John struggled greatly to try to adapt to the Brave New World while still trying to maintain his own values, and proved to be unfit to stay there. It is evident that John could have never survived in such a society, due to the great difference in between both of their morals, and the Brave New World’s disapproval of his own values, seen through John’s reaction to the recreational activities, the people in the Brave New World’s mockery of his most favorite pieces of literature, which formed his ideas on love, and finally in his own relationship with Lenina. However, while John’s downward spiral of his mental and emotional state in the Brave New World and his unwillingness to accept their values cause him to leave London, his final conformity and unwilling acceptance to the Brave New World ideals cause the final tragedy at the end of the novel, revealing that he would have never been able to survive in this society, for he was bound to be tainted by their values.
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.
Huxley also uses distortion as a way to make people "see" in his depiction of human relationships. In the book, sex is looked upon as a tool for sharing with multiple partners. The frequency with which people sleep with each other is a disturbing aspect Huxley chooses to portray. Lenina Crowne symbolizes Huxley's portrayal of the complete lack of sexual morals and self-respect. Along with Soma, sexual promiscuity is another form in which the governm...
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...
In today's society, we are distracted by things like technology, people, and even sex. These distractions prevent us from “being” in the real world. Lenina tells John, “put your arms around me… Hug me till you drug me honey… kiss me till I’m in a coma. Hug me honey, snuggly…” (198). She is so focused on having sex, she will disregard her everyday life. People in today's society think sex is everything and let it take over their lives, but it is not the most important thing. John tells us “the happiest times were when [Linda] told him about the other place” (129). He disliked the real world and was so desperate to go to this so called “perfect” and “wonderful” place. John completely disregards the real world. Technology in today's society seems to have more of an influence and tends to distract people from the real
Woodcock, George. "Brave New World: Overview." Reference Guide to English Literature. Ed. D. L. Kirkpatrick. 2nd ed. Chicago: St. James Press, 1991. Literature Resource Center. Web. 25 Mar. 2011.
It is taught at a very early age that one should not form intimate relationships with another human. At one point in the novel Lenina had only slept with Henry Foster for several months, when Fanny, Lenina’s friend, found this out she was quick to try to persuade Lenina to go out with another man. People in the World State have no concept of what marriage is. The belief in the World State is that with love comes heartbreak, and people are not as productive with a broken heart. Therefore, people are conditioned to sleep with multiple men at a time and form no meaningful
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...
...terature or life and does not have a deeply satisfying sense of family and love. Brave New World suggests that the readers should seek freedom, knowledge, and love in their lives by producing humans in test tubes and simultaneously rendering family, marriage and love obsolete , removing religion and all prior knowledge of art and history humans would lose their nature and become like robots; emotionless and without freedom or independent thought. The pursuit of happiness is a long, treacherous road that is superficial and misguided. Individuals should seek meaning in life and happiness may or may not follow. Having meaning in life is much more satisfying and meaning cannot be achieved without the freedom to seek the answers to many controversial questions, without the knowledge of what it means to be human or without another individual to share this experience with.
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
Lenina Crowne is a perfect example of someone who was conditioned, but does not fit into the social norms of Brave New World. Furthermore, religion would only strengthen Lenina’s tendency to have one man for a long period of time. In the book, Lenina is known to have boyfriends, and this shows her self-conscious knowledge of having many sexual partners to be immoral. In Brave New World, Christianity is looked down upon as a defect, but with the reintroduction of religion billions of people would be saved by the saving grace of our God.
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