When Aldous Huxley wrote Brave New World in 1931, nobody imagined that his fairytale story would someday be a reality. It is almost scary to see how accurate Huxley’s far-fetched fantasies came to be. When Huxley wrote about the conformity, drug use and sex and technology of the society, he was almost pinpoint exact to predicting today’s societies. Unfortunately, all of these things haven’t exactly changed our society today for the better.
It is amazing to see how accurately Aldous Huxley was in his predictions to human conformity today. The novel’s classes of Alphas, Betas, Gammas, Deltas and Epsilons each have assigned roles. In the novel, each caste is brainwashed into believing that it is crucial and important for the well being of the society as a whole. Since everyone is brainwashed at such an early age, nobody really questions the order or rules. However, there are always those few who refuse to conform. The novel’s John, Helmholtz Watson, and Bernard Marx were all exiled from their society by the World Controller Mustapha Mond. Their actions involving the soma in the hospital were considered far too disruptive to society and they were no longer allowed to co-exist in the preset world of Ford. Our own world is very similar to the world of Ford as we ‘exile’ all who are different. One example of a group whom our society’s majority refuses to accept is the gay population. They could, of course, chose to go against their ways and date the opposite sex just so that they would be accepted, but because they do not, most people refuse to accept that and therefore exile them. The conformity struggle starts as young as elementary school. Popularity is based upon those who conform the best and follow everyone else and unfortunately, those who are different and stand out are usually harassed for their differences.
Drugs are one of the most copious problems that exist today, as we are beginning to see more and more of them in today’s society. Drugs have even become commonly used by today’s youth starting as low as elementary school. The need to feel that ‘high’ has become more and more common. Unfortunately, the drugs used in today’s society aren’t as safe as those used in Huxley’s world. “Soma” is the drug of choice in Huxley’s world which gave similar ‘highs’ as does ecstasy, but did not have the harmful side effects.
Since this book was published in 1932, Huxley based his ideas of the free sexualization of women and the heavy use of drugs from the conusmerism and rising economic growth in America during the 1920’s. When Huxley wrote about the negative treatment of women in the “brave new world”, he was most likely referring to flappers, who were often characterized by their slitted skirts, short bobs, and their “debutante slouch”, made their appearance (Sauro). The “modern” behavior of the flappers, like their tendencies to smoke and drink with the men and obvious makeup, were considered improper at the time (Benson). In Brave New World, Lenina “[thought] of herself as meat” (Huxley 53), and women were often referred to as “pneumatic” and were judged by their looks (Huxley 60). The rising economic growth was a huge deal in the 1920’s because it led to excessive spending; people illegally drank because it was exciting, and “bootleggers (makers and suppliers of alcohol) became modern-day heroes” (Benson). With the extra money to spend and time to spare, people partied more frequently; these parties at the illegal bars were laden with drinking (Benson). In Huxley’s novel, the soma represents the heavy use of alcohol and drugs. People wasted their feeling away with alcohol just like how the citizens in the novel took soma to numb their feelings and
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.
Duane Champagne in Social Change and Cultural Continuity Among Native Nations explains that there has never been one definitive world view that comprises any one Native American culture, as there is no such thing as one “Native community” (2007:10). However, there are certain commonalities in the ways of seeing and experiencing the world that many Native communities and their religions seem to share.
The novel Brave New World written by Aldous Huxley has been reviewed over time by many different people. Neil Postman is a man who has read Huxley’s novel and came to conclusions himself about the comparison between the novel, and the modern day problems we have in today’s society. Postman has made many relevant assertions as to how our modern society is similar to what Huxley had written about in his novel. The three main points I agree on with Postman is that people will begin to love their oppression; people would have no reason to fear books; and that the truth will be drowned by irrelevance.
In Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, the author depicts a collective society in which everyone has the same values and beliefs. From a young age, the people in the World State’s civilization are conditioned to believe in their motto of “Community, Identity, Stability.” Through hypnopaedia, the citizens of the World State learn their morals, values, and beliefs, which stay with them as they age. However, like any society, there are outsiders who alienate themselves from the rest of the population because they have different values and beliefs. Unfortunately, being an outsider in the World State is not ideal, and therefore there are consequences as a result. One such outsider is John. Brought from the Savage Reservation, John is lead to conform to the beliefs of the World State, thus losing his individuality, which ultimately leads him to commit suicide. Through John and the World State populace as an example, Huxley uses his novel to emphasize his disapproval of conformity over individuality.
One example was the forced European ideals on male hierarchical structuring as it disrupted the inner workings of tribal council. Traditionally, the clan mother appointed male chiefs, “[serving] at her pleasure.” The clan mothers’ ratification was necessary on all council decisions as well. (p. 32) Shaking the community basic structures would undoubtedly affect all other aspects within their culture as well.
Throughout the novel Brave New World the author Aldous Huxley shows the readers a dystopian society where Ford is worshiped as a God, people only live sixty years, where there is a drug exists without the unwanted side effects, and movies where you can feel what is happening. This is what the author thinks the future of the world would be. However, despite the author's attempt to predict the future the novel and the real world contrast because the concepts in the novel like love and marriage and life and death drastically contrast with how they are dealt with today.
Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World portrays a society in which science has clearly taken over. This was an idea of what the future could hold for humankind. Is it true that Huxley’s prediction may be correct? Although there are many examples of Huxley’s theories in our society, there is reason to believe that his predictions will not hold true for the future of society.
Wrong actions can affect your surroundings negatively, and can clearly have profound effects on people, animals, or nature. One of the examples that have led to the destruction of culture and nature is colonization. Colonization is the mistreatment of a weak country by a powerful country, moving their people into the territory of interest, and exercising power to rule over the people, and the land. Some of the colonization that took place ended up eradicating people’s spiritual and religious beliefs and replacing it with theirs. Rather than destroying other peoples’ beliefs, the colonizers should have practiced spiritual syncretism. Spiritual Syncretism, also known as spiritual hybridity, is the cultural mixing of spiritual and religious beliefs. This happens when those colonized do not to lose all their beliefs and customs, and instead chose to mix them with the beliefs of the colonizers. An example of this is in the Latino culture where catholic saints and tribal African deities are worshipped as the same entity. In this essay, I will argue that, how European Colonizers eradicated the Native American worldview and forcibly converted them to their own beliefs was unjust. I will also argue that spiritual hybridity is a better solution than eradicating other peoples’ beliefs.
In his universe, Soma is the cure for everything. All problems, be they psychological, physical, or social are totally forgotten, their lurking shadows temporarily banished from sight. What is worrisome about this futuristic fabrication is its ideal reality. People in our current and very non-fictional times are taking steps toward the world of massive Soma use and acceptation. When one stops, and sees the world today, Huxley’s idea of the common drug; cure all, pleasant, and religion-exterminating seems to be a reasonable estimation of our future developments.
Modern society is filled with ever-growing, ever-changing technology that, for the most part, is not harmful to its users. In Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, Huxley demonstrates the impact scientific technology plays on the lives of Bernard and Lenina.
There were quite a few changes made from Aldous Huxley’s, Brave New World to turn it into a “made for TV” movie. The first major change most people noticed was Bernard Marx’s attitude. In the book he was very shy and timid toward the opposite sex, he was also very cynical about their utopian lifestyle. In the movie Bernard was a regular Casanova. He had no shyness towards anyone. A second major deviation the movie made form the book was when Bernard exposed the existing director of Hatcheries and Conditioning, Bernard himself was moved up to this position. In the book the author doesn’t even mention who takes over the position. The biggest change between the two was Lenina, Bernard’s girlfriend becomes pregnant and has the baby. The screenwriters must have made this up because the author doesn’t even mention it. The differences between the book and the movie both helped it and hurt it.
In most countries in our world, society has experienced technological advances to the point of being able to accomplish what Huxley envisioned. In contrast to Huxley’s vision, the moral standards of most nations allow all humans to enjoy basic human rights that embrace family, personal relationships, and individualism. Today’s society is able to comprehend how with the technological advances Huxley’s world could be a reality, but with the privilege of a democratic society, civilization would not allow the medical intervention for reproduction, the conditioning for happiness and consumerism. Work Cited "Brave New World by Aldous Huxley : Barron's Notes" Brave New World by Aldous Huxley: Barron's Notes. N.p., n.d. Web.
The “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley is one of his most famous novels. The author created a complex novel by developing a story focusing on a Utopian and Dystopian society. The novel was written 83 years ago and people are still amazed by the content of the book. The “Brave New World” takes the reader into a world of fantasy and fiction. In “Brave New World” Huxley describes a very different society.
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