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Relationship Between Technology And Humanity In Brave New World

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Brave New World
In Aldous Huxley’s novel, A Brave New World, the relationship between technology and humanity are not extensively removed from the present state at which the world is currently functioning. The mindset needed to transform a free society into a totalitarian society is already, slowly, being cultivated. In today’s world, no one wants to offend anyone else and those who are different in any setting are looked down upon no matter how inappropriate or unfair that is. That is another aspect; unfair. People are beginning to expect that just because something happened for someone else, those same things should be happening for them also. In realty, the person who has the thing worked hard to get it. People don’t understand individuality or work ethic anymore, and because of this, people are beginning to demand what they want from the government because they think it is their right, which, if not checked, can lead to a society like the one seen in Brave New World. Another intimidating factor, however, is that the technology seen in Brave New World is dehumanizing and decreases humanities empathy and compassion.
In Brave New World, the societies’ development of soma becomes a major deficiency to humanity. It is no longer socially acceptable for people to deal with their emotions or relationships in a healthy, normal manner. Emotions like malice and people who have bad tempers are no longer viewed as normal for the individual, but now, are viewed as an unacceptable disturbance in the regularity of humanity. Instead of getting anywhere near these emotions, it becomes the norm for a person to take a soma pill and take a holiday instead of feeling and dealing with situations where these feelings would arouse. Mustapha Mond explained to the Savage, “And if ever, by some unlucky chance, anything unpleasant should somehow happen, why, there’s always soma to give you a holiday from the facts. And there’s always soma to calm your anger, to reconcile you to your enemies, to make you patient and long-suffering.” (Pg. 162). The use of soma encouraged shallow, unauthentic relationships. People in this society are no longer are able to sympathize, address conflict, or truly know what healthy companionship looks like

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