Every individual has a different point of view as to how they view society. In the dystopian novel, “Brave New Word”, by Aldous Huxley, Bernard Marx, and John want individuality but struggle to find freedom and individuality in a society where the government restricts individuality. The totalitarian government controls individuals through technology, reduce the sense of individuality, and categorize citizens in different social classes. Bernard Marx works for the world state and is categorized as an alpha, but his physical appearance is different from the other alphas. As a result, he wants others to accept him, but others fail to accept him and gets sent away from the society. John visits the world state society and questions why others avoid …show more content…
They do this by monitoring the citizens every move and beliefs. Citizens consume Soma as a source of the sacrament and religious belief. The government convinced people that soma is a religious view, but they actually use it as a weapon to control them. They also limit their citizen’s opportunities and freedom through the use of science. They control reproduction and genetically select traits that they want certain individuals to possess. Then, they categorize individuals into different social classes and assigned roles to serve in the society. Although every individual has a role in the society, they are categorized into groups to act as a whole rather than acting as an individual. Bernard Marx is categorized as an alpha in the new world society. Alphas are superior to everybody else in the new world society because of their intelligence and physical appearance. Because they are alphas, they are tall and strong, unlike Bernard Marx who is short for his social status. As a result, others in the alpha social category make fun of him for being different. Bernard wants others to accept him but others fail to accept his physical appearance. He begins to question the motives and rules of the new world society and wonders why individuality is not encouraged. ‘’Everyone works for everyone else. We can’t do without anyone. Even Epsilons are useful. We couldn’t do without …show more content…
They both want to be accepted by the rest of society but are rejected for being different from others. In the case of Bernard Marx, he is an alpha, the highest social class in the new world society. But is treated different for being short for his physical appearance, John comes from the savage world, coming to the world state society he questions why others don’t accept the concept of individuality. He wants others to know the truth and see the world through his eyes. However, people reject him because he comes from the savage world and his opinions are different from their world state beliefs. Both individuals face consequences and conflicts for wanting to be individuals from a society where individuality is restricted. Such as being rejected from others because their ideals are
2005, In a novel or play that you have studied, identify a character who outwardly conforms while questioning inwardly. Then write an essay in which you analyze how this tension between outward conformity and inward questioning contributes to the meaning of the work. Avoid mere plot summary. In Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, Bernard Marx does not fit in the perfectly structured society. As an Alpha-Plus, he is tasked with the most important work, but he still feels like an outsider.
In Aldous Huxley’s novel a Brave New World, published in 1931, there are several attacks on society. Throughout this essay it will be seen what these problems were and if they were fixed. If the problems were fixed, it must be determined when they were. The primary focus is to answer whether we have changed for the better, women’s role in society and the social classes. In the end it will be obvious that a perfect society is impossible but we have made improvement.
In Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, human beings have been engineered and conditioned to have detailed traits and castes in society; however, the birthing methods of the world state seem virtually full proof, some characters in the novel deviate from this standard. Bernard Marx and Helmholtz Watson both alpha plus males; share a dislike for the world state. Bernard abhors it because of his physical defect, Helmholtz because of his psychological surplus.
Often individuals choose to conform to society, rather than pursue personal desires because it is often easier to follow the path others have made already, rather than create a new one. In the novel Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, this conflict is explored. Huxley starts the story by introducing Bernard Marx, the protagonist of the story, who is unhappy with himself, because of the way he interacts with other members of society. As the story progresses, the author suggests that, like soma, individuals can be kept content with giving them small pleasure over short periods of time. Thus, it is suggested in the book that if individuals would conform to their society’s norms, their lives would become much
One may think that the society in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World is a gross representation of the future, but perhaps our society isn’t that much different. In his foreword to the novel Brave New World, Aldous Huxley envisioned this statement when he wrote: "To make them love it is the task assigned, in present-day totalitarian states, to ministries of propaganda...." Thus, through hypnopaedic teaching (brainwashing), mandatory attendance to community gatherings, and the use of drugs to control emotions, Huxley bitterly satirized the society in which we live.
As it is seen in Brave New World, the World State has controlled so much of their lives that they have lost their consciousness through conditioning. In other words, the World State has controlled their minds so much that the people are unaware that they have lost their person freedom but since conditioning has failed on Bernard, he is able to recognize the loss of individuality in the World State. The government controls because they would rather have others lose their personal identity than have them be a threat to society. Therefore, if the country progresses to being all-powerful and invading the lives of individuals, there would be conformity and a loss of individuality.
Huxley’s Brave New World and Lowry’s The Giver explore the idea that conformity and sameness replace diversity and individuality by means of scientific experiments done to the genes. So the ideology of eliminating individuality and uniqueness is one of the requirements of the continuity of the dystopian functional society. Chris Ferns sees that in the dystopian society “people are types rather than distinct individuals” (Ferns 113). Booker and Thomas also see that “people are even referred to as numbers rather than people. These numbers have lost all true individuality; they are merely interchangeable parts in the giant machine of the State” (Bookers and Thomas 67). This elimination of individuality prevents individual choice and keeps people away from participating actively in society.
In the novel "Brave New World", Aldous Huxley creates a utopia world, where people live in a society with the motto of community, identity, and stability. In this novel, human are created in test-tubes. Taking soma to fix human problems and having multiple sexual relationship with different partners are considered as progress of civilization. From my opinion, throughout this novel, there are various contradictions among the characters. Huxley creates many characters who stuggle from their own values and the World States ' values.
“Words are like X-rays, if you use them properly--they’ll go through anything. You read and you’re pierced” (“Aldous Huxley Quotes”). This compelling quote from Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World exemplifies exactly how words are crucial to creating a powerful novel or essay. The use of words throughout Huxley’s various works is part of what made him an accomplished writer and how he connected with his readers. Aldous Huxley has greatly impacted the world of literature because of his background, success through his best works, and his philosophy of life.
Although the phrase of “every one belongs to every one else” (Huxley 43) is used by the society of the World State to show social conformity and unity, multiple cases of alienation and isolation are present among the main characters within the novel. In the World State, people live “where everyone is happy, but no one is free” (“Brave New World”). In the beginning of the novel, readers are introduced to Bernard Marx, who is conditioned to be an alpha, one of the highest rankings in the social ladder, but is alienated because of his size and anti-social approach to the civilized lifestyle lived out by the majority of his colleagues. Bernard’s characterization by Huxley sanctions the reader to enter into the controlling society of the World State. Bernard has “erratic attempts to conform to a society in which he feels essentially alienated” (Neilson). Correspondingly, John, the savage, believes in love and marriage, which are values instilled into him by the natives while he lived on the reservation.
Humans go through their entire lives searching to find out who they are and how they can fit into society. The World State of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World is able to solve this problem by creating a society where people are able to feel as a unified group by making all citizens think a specific way. However, one individual, Bernard Marx, is not able to see the same views as the State and his peers, such as Lenina Crowne, thus making it harder for Bernard to form relationships. The State eliminates the problem of identity crisis by predetermining who you will be. This is carried out through series of conditioning, such as hypnopaedia and genetic manipulation.
Aldous Huxley develops many of his characters in Brave New World by focusing on how their interactions with those around them influences their personalities. During this post-Ford era, the world has become extremely well-organized. Mass production, hypnopaedia, and narcotic usage are common practices promoted by those in power. However, Huxley quickly introduces the audience to Bernard Marx, an Alpha-Plus who is constantly berated for his lacking physical structure and his contradictory views on civilization. His different characteristics and opinions cause him to become detached from his peers in London society. He reveals his desires to Lenina, a potential love interest, by announcing, “More on my own, not so completely a part of something else. Not just a cell in the social body” (page 90). Bernard’s experiences emulates Edward Said’s theory that isolation can be both alienating and enriching. Bernard has become suspicious of others, is constantly aware of his shortcomings, and feels reviled. In contrast, he has developed mental excess and inquiry, holds enlightening views on common practices, and has temporary success due to his eccentric ways. All of these qualities are attributed to his extended segregation in society and have resulted in two very different outcomes.
The New World, a man-made Utopia, governed by its motto, Community, Identity, Stability (Huxley 3). A man-made world in every way. Human beings fertilized in bottles. Identity, gender, intelligence, position in society, all predestined. Human beings classified in the order of precedence: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon. Every one conditioned to be a certain way. Every one works for every one else (Huxley, 74). All man-made to ensure social stability. Is society in the New World truly better than in the 2000s? Are people in the New World truly happier than we are in the 2000s? Do we in the 2000s have any thing in common with the New World? Are there significant sociological differences between
Through this process, ninety-six copies are made using the same embryo. This results in people in the New World being exactly the same or almost identical to others from the same caste. Ideally, stability is attempted to minimize conflict and differences between the individualizes in the World State. Bernard thinks less of himself and believes that he is treated different than the other Alphas because of his height and “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”( Huxley 65). Bernard Marx treats the three lower castes unfairly because he feels inferior to other Alphas and wants to assert his
A dystopia is an imaginary, imperfect place where those who dwell are faced with terrible circumstances. The novel Brave New World by Aldous Huxley illustrates the concept of a dystopia. A utopia is an ideal place where everything is perfect, but in the novel, it becomes apparent that the author is trying to demonstrate the negative effects on a society when it attempts to become an unreachable utopian society. Brave New World is seen as a dystopia for many reasons, as citizens are deprived of freedom, programmed to be emotionless and under the control of a corrupt dictatorship. These points illustrate the irony of a society’s attempt to reach utopia by opposing ethics and morality; citizens are tragically distanced from paradise,