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Plot Development in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World Essay examples

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In the beginning of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, set in the year 2450, the reader is educated on the society in which the novel’s premise takes place, through a tour given by the hatchery director for a group of students. It introduces the basis of the society, artificial procreation, while also establishing the societal hierarchy that they hold so dear. It also demonstrates the fact that Alphas, members of the highest caste, hold prestigious positions of honor, while Epsilons, members of the lowest caste, are left to hold the world’s unwanted work. They show how each and every test tube human is conditioned to be content in the world they live in, no matter the caste. Through this scene, Huxley sets up the ruling …show more content…

When Lenina and Fanny are discussing hypnopædic phrases, a particular one, “Ending is better than mending, ending is better than mending” (p. 50) comes up. This phrase, repeated ad nauseam, uses the art of euphemism to command people to perform society’s bidding. This statement is stating that it is better to end a piece of clothing, than mending it. In this case, ending means that people will be in the market to buy a replacement for what they chose to end, and thus will be supporting the economy in this pursuit. On top of that, as a direct result of Bokanovsky’s Process, the creation of humans has fallen into line with the economic principles of supply and demand. For example, when the Hatchery Director is giving a tour to students, the reader is enlightened by what this process entails:

…a bokanovskied egg will proliferate, will divide. From eight to ninety-six buds, and every bud will grow into a perfectly formed embryo and every embryo into a full-sized adult. Making ninety-six human beings grow where only one grew before… (p. 6)

The process shows that humans have become a commodity in the society of the Brave New World. They are no longer separate humans, but rather beings that were genetically engineered under the principles of mass production. This transformation into a commodity experienced by the human race endeavors to prove that their idea of societal success includes economics, and thus mass

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