In this blog ill give my thoughts about brave new world dystopian novel by Aldous Huxley. These are my views and personnel opinions. Spoiler alert for those who want to read the novel. Brave new world by Aldous Huxley is the classic dystopia disguised as utopia. Everyone is happy, there is cleanliness everywhere and no illness. There are no wars, and society has achieved stability and peace. We might think what’s wrong with that, the important thing is how they achieve this peace.
In the novel society is called World state, where there are predetermined class system Alphas, betas, gammas, and epsilons. Humans are not born anymore rather they are made in factories and there their cast is decided, and then they are conditioned appropriately to their cast. Alphas are made strong, curious, physically fit. Betas are conditioned to serve alphas and obey them. Gammas are there to help with everyday needs and serve the betas and alphas and finally, epsilons are workers. The important thing is that everyone is conditioned to be content with their work, right from birth through hypnopaedic messages. And if you ever feel sad, low or discontent there’s soma, drug-induced tablets that immediately makes a person happy regulated by the government. Apart from world state there’s savage land where there are people like old days as the savage land is not resourceful it is not covered in the world state.
One believes things because one has been conditioned to believe them.
The story revolves around characters are john, Bernard, and Lenina and Mustapha Mond (world controller). John lives in the savage lands and is the son of the director and Linda. Upon one visit to savage lands, Bernard discovers the john and takes him back to the world state. There john confronts with the new society and has problems trying to fit in. He finds the lifestyle of people devoid of meaning, and emotions. Humans are capable of experiencing a range of emotions, and at a certain level, there is a need to experience varied emotions. Here in the world state its taboo to feel anything except happiness and humans are conditioned like that! The recurrent theme of the novel is individuality vs society. But the important thing story tells is perseverance to feel our true emotions and not to flee from them.
If after every tempest come such calms, may the winds blow till they have awakened death.
Another thing that novels explore is Past vs Future, in the world state the art is banned, there are no museums, no classical novels, in fact, to publish the book you need permission of the world controller Mond. But there’s more, world controller has access to all the past, and all the art, and novels, still forbid it to everyone. This is revealed in the final chapters, where there is a big and deep conversation between john and Mond, from the nature of the world state to the meaning of life. The novel is ahead of its time. At the very best I would call the novel as the symbol of endurance or say persistence as value. Many scenes still feel alienating considering this book was published in 1932. Scenes like the description of hatchery (factory) where humans are made, conditioning center, etc. Also the scene of the death of Linda, and the contrast between john's grief towards her mother and the indifference of the people around him is shaking.
If you like dystopian novels this book is definitely worth the read. what was the book that made you feel alienated? comment down your thoughts.
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