Every Human Craves Relationships Suggests Aldous Huxley in the Brave New World

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One of the biggest aspects of human nature is the desire for relationship. Humans crave a sense of belonging which is undoubtedly an evolutionary advantage given to us by our ancestors that traveled in packs. The more relationships they instinctively formed, the more likely they were to survive and pass of those genes. The more complex humans have become over the years corresponds to the difference in complexity that their relationships have undergone. Because humans will never stop evolving in their technologically advanced world, it is logical to think that relationships won’t either. Complex is better, right? The truth is that biological instincts such as craving belonging were introduced for survival. When relationships occur in an environments in which the members aren’t just trying to survive, deterioration becomes a possibility. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley suggests that the more society progresses, the more relationships deteriorate.

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...

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...t can be so traumatic that we choose not to leave our fragile emotions into hands of others. After all of these setbacks, we are more willing to settle for just pure sex. This is in hopes that it will be stress-free and painless. What we don’t know is that commitment-free relationships come with many consequences. Brave New World shows how escaping pain, especially in terms of relationships, can actually cause greater suffering. By the World State essentially forcing these relationships on their citizens, they are also depriving them of vital immunity to suffering. They are being deprived of the wisdom that is accompanied by heartbreak. The consequences that Aldous Huxley was warning about are extraordinarily relevant to the contemporary American society.

Works Cited

Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York: Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2006. Print.

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