BRAVE NEW WORLDBy Aldous Huxley

Introduction Lecture

 What does the “perfect” or “ideal” society look like?

How does it function?

“O WONDER!HOW MANY GOODLY CREATURES

ARE THERE HERE! HOW BEAUTEOUS MANKIND IS!

O, BRAVE NEW WORLDTHAT HAS SUCH PEOPLE IN’T!”

-MIRANDA, THE TEMPEST

GENRE: DYSTOPIAUtopia: an ideal society possessing a perfect social and political system

Dystopia: a society where the condition

of life is extremely bad, as from deprivation, oppression, or terror Often futuristic Often under the guise of

being a utopia Often totalitarian

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POPULAR DYSTOPIASEarliest Literary

Dystopia:Plato’s Republic Government had a

deep suspicion of literature

Viewed educated men as potentially subversive

Genre became extremely popular in the 20th century…

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POPULAR DYSTOPIAS20th century popularityAttempts to put utopian ideals into place resulted in real-life dystopias:

Soviet Communism German Nazism Western Consumerism Modernism Technological mass

production 3

SOVIET COMMUNISM Political system of social

engineering working for a classless society of equals

Individual liberties were taken away from citizens because the government thought people could not be trusted to make decisions for themselves

Atheist worldview: Religious worship was suppressed

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GERMAN NAZISM Movement led by Adolph Hitler

to lead Germany out of its post-WWI depression

A pure race (Aryans) were thought to be superior

“Final solution” included eliminating whole races of people (e.g., Jews) and religion

The Aryan military class executed Jews, disabled people, the elderly, Catholic priests, an all dissenters

Doctors carried out experiments on non-Aryan patients (including pregnant women), treating them as sub-species animals

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WESTERN CONSUMERISM A social and economic order

that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods and services in ever greater amounts.

People purchasing goods and consuming materials in excess of their basic needs

Characterized by propaganda and advertising everywhere

“Who owns you?”

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MODERNISM A group of movements in the

20th century that sought to break with the past

To eliminate traditions To live without

dependence on the family, the Church, and the community

Only novel and innovative ideas were considered worthy

Technological advancement was worshiped without questioning the possible ill consequences

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MASS PRODUCTION Product of the Industrial

Revolution

Production of large amounts of standardized products, including and especially on assembly lines

Contributed to consumerism

Henry Ford’s Model T was the first Mass produced car.

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THE DYSTOPIAN WRITERS Reacted against one or

more of the many 20th century movements to alter human society

Believed “the more man controls nature, the less he controls himself”

Warned against the “evil ends” that our technological advances would be used.

Created futuristic worlds that showed the potential dangers of the new 20th century movements.

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SOME FAMOUS/IMPORTANT DYSTOPIAN NOVELS

BRAVE NEW WORLD

Portrays a society that has been socially engineered for a mindless happiness.

No need for a totalitarian state because everyone is so “amused” and entertained by sex and drugs.

Technology drives the culture and takes away one’s humanity

A critique of consumerism, technology worship, mass media hypnotism

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BRAVE NEW WORLD Human beings are

treated like different model cars trundling off the Ford assembly line.

Babies are bred in bottles for designated roles in society comparable

The family is seen as unnecessary and revolting.

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Setting: 2540 AD; referred to in the novel as 632 years AF (“After Ford”), meaning 632 years after production of the first Model T car

Narration: Third-person omniscient

Point-of-View: Narrated in the third person from the point of view of Bernard or John, but also from the point of view of Lenina, Helmholtz Watson, and Mustapha Mond

ALDOUS HUXLEY WAS BORN IN ENGLAND IN 1894, GRANDSON OF THE PROMINENT BIOLOGIST T.H. HUXLEY AND BROTHER OF JULIAN HUXLEY, ALSO A BIOLOGIST. HUXLEY FIRST STUDIED AT ETON COLLEGE BUT LATER WENT TO BALLIOL COLLEGE IN OXFORD. AT 16, HE SUFFERED MONTHS OF BLINDNESS BUT ONE EYE RECOVERED AND WITH SPECIAL GLASSES HE COMPLETED HIS STUDIES. HE MAJORED IN ENGLISH WHEN HE WAS UNABLE TO PURSUE HIS CHOSEN CAREER AS A SCIENTIST.

“Universal happiness keeps the wheels steadily turning; truth and beauty can’t.”

- Aldous Huxley

“Manmade utopia is an oxymoron.”

- Mike Duran

ALDOUS HUXLEY INTERVIEW 1958

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TQZ-2iMUR0

As you watch and listen to this interview, answer the questions on the handout provided and be prepared for a discussion to follow.