Feminist Criticism In Huxley's Brave New World

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Though each dystopian novel contains a great amount of pungency on its own, there are several schools of thought that have taken the liberty of analyzing both Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four for the purpose of discovering any deeper or hidden significance. The Feminist, Critical Race Theory and Postcolonial schools of criticism are three examples of the aforesaid analysis movement. Each critic has found ample material in each novel that pertains to its own specific subject matter. The Feminist criticism, for example, highlights, disapproves and protests the negative portrayal of specific female characters in Huxley’s Brave New World. As a “Juvenalian satirist,” Huxley was common to the practice of “misanthropically chastising his culture” …show more content…

For the remaining chapters of the novel, Lenina “becomes nothing more than a mouthpiece to play the most conventional platitudes off against Bernard’s adolescent attempts to shock her” (Higdon). Contrary to her initial characterization, she is reduced to yet another “Huxleyan sexual predator” (Huxley is practiced in the art of portraying females as sexual fiends) (Higdon). Because of her vast degradation it is no wonder that Lenina’s end comes violently under the force of John’s whip. The women in Brave New World were greatly marginalized, only serving in “satellite positions” and “in relationship to the males” (Higdon). According to feminist critics, Brave New World does a great injustice, not only to female characters like Lenina, but additionally to women in general. .Just like Lenina in Brave New World, Julia in Nineteen Eighty-Four is recognized purely for her physical characteristics and personal desire for sexual rebellion. The reader is never introduced to any more depth within her personality. Again this exemplifies the “spiritual dimension” lacking in women, but present in the men of these dystopian societies

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