Both the film Gattaca (directed by Andrew Niccole) and the novel Brave New World (written by Aldous Huxley) are of the dystopian genre and explore the notions of mass control and freedom; or lack of freedom. Both societies are controlled by a totalitarian dictatorship that push their suppressive ideologies- genoism in Gattaca, and the complete eradication of viviparous births and the implementation of a caste system in Brave New World. Characters in both dystopian worlds challenge the rules and expectations of their societies. In Brave New World, Bernard Marx and John Savage rebel against the World State, albeit to different extents. In Gattaca, Vincent Freeman and Jerome ‘Eugene’ Morrow oppose their society ruled by genoism.
Bernard Marx’s dislike for the oppressive World State is solely superficial. His outrage stems from his own personal sense of injustice- although he is an Alpha, he is an outsider. Emotionally, Bernard is an enigma to others. Physically, Bernard is thin and small; a complete juxtaposition to the other Alphas. These physical and emotional defects are the root of his feelings of separation to society, and his value of individualism and non-conformity. This point is exemplified on page 56, which explains ‘The mockery made him feel an outsider; and feeling an outsider he behaved like one, which increased the prejudice against him and intensified the contempt and hostility aroused by his physical defects. Which in turn increased his sense of being alien and
Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and George Orewell’s 1984 were both composed surrounding times of war in the twentieth century. The authors were alarmed by what they saw in society and began to write novels depicting the severe outcomes and possiblities of civilizaton if it continued down its path. Although the two books are very different, they both address many of the same issues and principles.
After reading the novel 1984 and watching the movie Gattaca, I was able to perceive many concepts and similarities and differences between both pieces of art. Gattaca, directed by Andrew Niccol, shows a story of a society where life is controlled by genetics, rather than education or experiences. Based on your DNA, society determines where you belong, and your future. This allows no room for people to gain experiences and to grow, as they are confined to a specific lifestyle. It is evident however in the film that Vincent tries to violate societies’ structure, by playing the role of a navigator, using his blood samples and urine. George Orwell, the author of
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley are both great examples of dystopian literature. Beyond that, they both share several common themes including the longing to feel something deeply like love or passion, seeking knowledge of the past, and reading books that really mean something. The shared theme that is going to be focused on is feeling something deeply because that is really what sparks everything else.
The first way is the changes in the thoughts and actions of Bernard Marx. In the beginning Bernard sees himself as a being separate from society as he is of small stature and an Alpha Plus.
Dystopian texts’ roots lie in social criticism. Many of the classics such as Orwell’s 1984, Huxley’s Brave New World and Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale all end bleakly for the protagonists: their purported futures are warnings, and at least part of their purpose is to make us wonder what horrors our own real world decisions could ultimately engender. Gattaca is a 1997 “cautionary futuristic fiction” film directed by Andrew Niccol and the predominant reason for its dystopic nature is due to society’s yearning towards a utopic world, where humans are genetically perfect. In attempting to create this flawless world, dystopic elements such as the genetic engineering, discrimination and oppression as well as a lack of individuality are brought about, generating an unintended dystopia, and encouraging the audience to speculate about the world mankind has created.
In Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley, Bernard Marx is an Alpha who can´t fit in to his strict society, where individuality no longer exists. The government,
The main conflict in Brave New World is individuality versus social stability. The notion of Brave New World is that one must give up their individuality and fulfill their role in the society for the greater good which is social stability. The totalitarian government in the novel controls every aspect of the id, superego, and ego. Aldous Huxley distinguishes each of his characters from the other to portray the different levels of individuality they display. Through the psychoanalytical perspective, it is interpreted that the “World State” dominated the characters throughout the novel. However, Bernard and John Savage show the readers the individuality aspect of the society
Many titles that are heard around the average high school english classroom on a frequent basis are considered to be a classic. These titles include The Great Gatsby, 1984, Brave New World, To Kill a Mockingbird, and many more. Although these books are considered to be classics and a requirement for many students, do some of these belong on that list, or are there some that should be on that list that are not very well known. The books Brave New World and A Lesson Before Dying should both be on the classics list as they teach many important values and are a great introduction to more intense novels to be found later in education.
What if one doesn’t see the need to be happy all day, every day? Do they overtly defy society, and risk their reputation? Or do they try to hide their thoughts, and try to be a part of this community, simply so they don’t feel so alone? Such is the dilemma of Bernard Marx. While Bernard often feels alone and depressed because of his physical differences, his social exile gives him a different view of his society, and different views of what is right and what is wrong.
In the dystopian novel Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, the reader follows main character Bernard Marx through the workings of a new society – something many
Imagine being the only person in the world to know an imperfect society. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and, Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy are two novels about a a corrupt government trying to create an ideal society. Both novels address the different social classes that exists in the new societies. Literary critic Elke Brown wrote an article about how Brave New World is in fact a new world. In these two novels the societies are broken up into different social classes and, how the government controls the citizens to make the world perfect.
George Santayana once said, “Ideal society is a drama enacted exclusively in the imagination.” In life, there is no such thing as a “complete utopia”, although that is what many people try to achieve. Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World is an attempt at a utopian society. In this brave new world, mothers and fathers and family are non-existent. Besides being non-existent, when words of that sort are mentioned, ears are covered and faces of disgust are made. In a report to the Controller, Bernard wrote,”…This is partly due, no doubt to the fact that he heard them talked about by the woman Linda, his m-----“(106). Words of the sort cannot even be written. Art, history, and the ability to have emotions are shunned.
Social position refers to the class of an individual in the society. It is noted various communities have different ways of measuring the social status of an individual. For instance, wealth, level of education and genetic character of a person. The paper is critically analyzing a film Gattaca and the social measurement of the characters in a given community.
In Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley, the social boundaries that we have today regarding sex does not exist, families are obsolete as citizens are made in Bokanovsky’s Process (one that does not require sex meaning, the need for parents is gone), and the government conditions their citizens from early ages to keep stability throughout its regime. Brave New World follows protagonist Bernard (and his hidden love for nature and struggle for freedom) through this society, revealing all of it’s glory, from soma to Helmholtz the literature lover to the Savage Reservation, where modern day beliefs still reside in this negative utopia, leading us to John the Savage, which leads to the ultimate conclusion of Bernard, Helmholtz and John the Savage. Aldous Huxley, through Brave New World, answers the question of what society would look like if the government gave people happiness and stability at the cost of individual freedom.
Bernard Marx, who is the main character until John’s appearance in chapter seven, is one of the most important characters in the novel. Marx first appears after the director has finished explaining that jealousy and lovesickness don’t exist in the World State. This introduction is ironic because, as we gain insight to the mind of Marx, we learn that he is experiencing both jealousy and lovesickness. In this same scene we are shown that he struggles with his emotions towards Lenina and finds it difficult to express his feelings towards her, which probably stems from his anxiety about rejection. Marx is an Alpha Plus, which means that, naturally, he should be able to enjoy the benefits that come with being a member of the upper caste.