* WORK IN PROGRESS*
A reflection on A Brave New World .
So far in my life, Brave New World has been the book that has impacted me the most. It is not by any means the most enjoyable read, and it is also not my favorite novel. Huxley’s masterpiece is deeply uncomfortable, and it also does not end on a particularly comforting note.
But that is precisely the beauty of a Brave New World.
Hang on to that thought, for now, let me introduce you to a Brave New World. Please keep in mind that I will be commenting on the entirety of the novel, so maybe you would like to read it first so to avoid spoilers. If you do not mind such things, then by all means, continue reading.
The novel is largely based on a futuristic version of London. People living in this vision of the future are engineered into classes. Some are physically and mentally able. Some others are less so, yet, everyone is engineered to be perfectly content. Content with their class status, with their according job, with their appearance and any other thing that might be contribute to their quality of life. This doesn’t mean everything is ( from a 21st century human standard perspective ) great for everyone; but because they have been engineered to be content with their situation, they are happy.
Take for an instance, the pilots in a Brave New World. Being a pilot can be physically and psychologically challenging, and potentially upsetting. In the world of a Brave New World, kids that are meant to be pilots are engineered to only feel well when flying. This assures that they will perform exceptionally as pilots, enjoy their work and consequently their life. No matter how degrading or upsetting a task may seem to us, Life by all accounts seems fine in London; yet by further reading of the novel we discover that they key to happiness that the citizens of London hold, not only lies on biological control, but also in a radical reimagining of human culture.
Human customs have changed significantly in Huxley’s imagination. How we relate to each other is different, relationships in a Brave New World are different and seems to lack depth and intimacy. People maintain sexual relationships with whomever they desire. And although there are some "close" relationships, the concepts of marriage or family are non existent. However, the citizens of London don’t seem to be “lacking the intimacy”. They c are perfectly content
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Something else that also has changed dramatically in the fictional society of a Brave New world. Art. Art is the reflection of the environment on which the author is in, a reflection of a conglomeration of human culture and the reaction of the human response to events viewed through the lens of said culture. Brave new world ask the following question. What happens when human psyche evolves? And in then case of the novel, what happens when not everyone evolves alongside it?
The most interesting aspect of the novel, at least for me, is John. John is a “savage” meaning he grew up outside modern civilization. After a series of Horrified after experiencing life in London, John asks ——— Why is it that Shakespeare is banned in this bizarre new human civilization. ——
* WORK IN PROGRESS*
Amor Fati,
- Atlas
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