Brave New World & 1984: Utopian writing is as much about an escape from real politics as an encounter with them

8/10/2019 Brave New World & 1984: Utopian writing is as much about an escape from real politics as an encounter with them

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University Student Number: C1101917

Module Number: SE2581

Module Title: Utopi: Su!!r"e to Cyberpun#

$uestion Number nd Title: Utopin %ritin" is s mu&' bout n es&pe !rom rel

politi&s s n en&ounter %it' t'em( )is&uss(


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*ot' 1984ndBrave New Worldre &omple+ en&ounter %it' rel politi&s( T'ey

depi&t totlitrin !uture %'ere t'e ideolo"y o! t'e stte is pplied vi"orously to

its sub,e&ts eit'er t'rou"' punitive mesures s seen in 1984- or t'rou"' t'e

"eneti&lly en"ineered &&eptn&e o! sub,e&ts s inBrave New World( .r%ell dr%s

upon t'e !ilure o! totlitrin &olle&tivism-1En"lis' &pitlism nd t'e rise o! !s&ism

in /ermny- tly nd Spin to s'o% prop'eti& vision o! t'e !uture o! totlitrin

sttes- representin"3 t'e !er o! %'t t'e !uture my 'old i! %e do not &t to vert

&tstrop'e(42u+ley4sBrave New Worldis t'e &lssi& e+trpoltion dystopi- in

%'i&' &ontemporry trends re pro,e&ted into t'e !uture(46e envisions t'e rise o!

nti )epressnts Som- eut'nsi- "eneti& en"ineerin"- t'e 'e"emony o! se+ nd

plesure in one o! t'e most po%er!ul denun&ition o! t'e s&ienti!i& %orld vie% t't

's ever been %ritten(4*ot' o! t'ese te+ts re ine+tri&bly bound to rel politi&s(

I. Manufacturing Consent / Crime and Punishment

T'e ;orld Stte o!Brave New Worldmnu!&tures t'e &onsent o! its people

t'rou"' stri&tly re"imented eu"eni&s pro"rmme to &rete servile popultion( T'e

1/re"ory Cleys- T'e .ri"ins o! )ystopi: ;ells- u+ley nd .r%ell in The

Cambridge Companion to Utopian Literature 1stedn( Ed /re"ory Cleys Cmbrid"e:

Cmbrid"e University


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*i" *rot'er "overnment o! 1984implements its politi& !rom observtion5- spredin"

n tmosp'ere o! !er nd terror t'rou"' 'i"'ly punitive remunertions !or prty

members %'o !il to up'old prty ideolo"y( T'e rise o! totlitrinism in t'e 20t'

Century Stlin4s ussi- itler4s /ermny- Mussolini4s tly- >rn&o4s Spin nd t'e

implementtion o! po%er 'un"ry politi&s !rom Dusi=reli"ious leders li"ns rel

politi&s %it' t'ese te+ts( nsted o! Stlin or itler- %e 've *i" *rot'er .ur >ord?(

Bris'n Bumr su""ests: t't t'e de!ormtions o! >s&ism nd Communism re

&entrl to t'e ssult on utopi- yet %e s'ould remember t't t'ese %ere initilly

Utopin s&'emes(4 t is t'e !iled implementtion o! t'ese de!ormed s&'emes47t't

li"ns t'ese te+ts to t'e rel politi&s .! Stlinism nd Ntionl So&ilism- by o!!erin"

dystopin vision o! t'e !uture i! t'ese s&'emes %ere !ul!illed s intended( 8

T'e one prty stte %it' se&ret poli&e to en!or&e prty ideolo"y is seen in

bot' te+ts( T'e riots poli&e o!Brave New Worlddissipte n n"ry &ro%d %it' %ter

5 prty members lives !rom birt' to det' under t'e eye o! t'e t'ou"'t poli&e( Even

%'en 'e is lone 'e &n never be sure 'e is lone( /eor"e .r%ell- 1984 @ondon:


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pistols &'r"ed %it' po%er!ul nest'eti&49nd pre=re&orded Synt'eti& nti=iot

spee&'es34 ibid$% %'ile t'e omnis&ient T'ou"'t


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;e &n dr% t'e nlo"y bet%eenBrave New Worldnd Stlin4s ussi- in

t't dissidents o!ten &demi&s %ould be sent to "ul"s nd !or&ed lbour &mps( 16

rom t'e moment 'e is t#en into &ustody- t'e vi&tim

is sub,e&ted systemti&lly to mny #inds o! p'ysi&l nd psy&'olo"i&l stress( e is

bdly !ed- 'e is mde e+tremely un&om!ortble- 'e is not llo%ed to sleep !or more

t'n !e% 'ours e&' ni"'t( nd ll t'e time 'e is #ept in stte o! suspense-

un&ertinty nd &ute ppre'ension( )y !ter dy == or rt'er ni"'t !ter ni"'t- !or

t'ese


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bein" politi&lly subversive- *ernrd Mr+ &n still be !ree to 'ppily !ul!il ll 'is

&uriosities nd desires %y !rom &ivilised4 so&iety( .r%ell uses t'e !or&ed lbour

&mp4


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ine!!e&tully by vesti"il individulism or systemi& !l%s- nd relyin" upon s&ienti!i&

nd te&'nolo"i&l dvn&es to ensure so&il &ontrol(418 n 'is essyLiterature and

Totalitariani"m 191- .r%ell de&lres t't t'e utonomy o! t'e individul is &esin"

to e+ist19s t'e %orld is enterin" t'e "e o! t'e totlitrin stte- %'i&' does not nd

probbly &nnot llo% t'e individul ny !reedom %'tever(420*ot' te+ts set up t'e

individul "inst t'e &olle&tive: *ernrd Mr+- Lo'n t'e Sv"e nd ;inston Smit'

re ll disstis!ied %it' t'eir lot s provided by o! t'eir respe&tive totlitrin

"overnments( t is &ler t't .r%ell 'd &ontemporry politi&s o! 191 in 'is mind

17Stlin lso imposed t'e Soviet system o! lnd mn"ement #no%n s

&olle&tiviHtion( T'is resulted in t'e seiHure o! ll privtely o%ned !rmlnds nd

livesto- in &ountry %'ere 80 per&ent o! t'e people %ere trditionl vill"e !rmers(

mon" t'ose !rmers- %ere &lss o! people &lled Bul#s by t'e Communists( T'ey

%ere !ormerly %elt'y !rmers t't 'd o%ned 2 or more &res- or 'd employed

!rm %or#ers( Stlin believed ny !uture insurre&tion %ould be led by t'e Bul#s- t'us

'e pro&limed poli&y imed t OliDuidtin" t'e Bul#s s &lss(O )e&lred

Oenemies o! t'e people-O t'e Bul#s %ere le!t 'omeless nd %it'out sin"le

possession s everyt'in" %s t#en !rom t'em- even t'eir pots nd pns( t %s lso!orbidden by l% !or nyone to id dispossessed Bul# !milies( Some reser&'ers

estimte t't ten million persons %ere t'ro%n out o! t'eir 'omes- put on rilrod bo+

&rs nd deported to Ospe&il settlementsO in t'e %ilderness o! Siberi durin" t'is er-

%it' up to t'ird o! t'em peris'in" mid t'e !ri"id livin" &onditions( Men nd older

boys- lon" %it' &'ildless %omen nd unmrried "irls- lso be&me slve=%or#ers in

Soviet=run mines nd bi" industril pro,e&ts(


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%'en 'e %s %ritin" 19821- re!le&tin" 'is !er o! rpidly evportin" individul

liberty(22T'is is en&psulted by ;inston Smit'4s re,e&tion- isoltion nd stru""le

"inst t'e oppressive stte pprtus s'o%in" n en""ement %it' rel politi&s o! t'e

dy( Stte in!iltrtion into t'e personl sp'ere permetes 1984- s %e see %'en

;inston Smit' elu&idtes:

n


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rebellious individuls o!Brave New Worldre t'e result o! mist#es in t'eir

en"ineerin" pro&esses( *ernrd Mr+4s individul stre# is result o! l&o'ol in 'is

blood surro"te4


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li#e t'ose o!Brave New World re tu"'t to 'old t'e idels o! t'e stte in 'i"'er

re"rd t'n t'e su!!o&tin" in!luen&e o! t'e intim&ies4 o! t'e !mily unit( >rom

!eminist perspe&tive t'e ppli&tion o! in vitro4 !ertiliHtion nd libertion o! %omen

!rom &'ildbirt' &retes so&iety %'ere men nd %omen re truly eDul( T'e issue o!

t'e eDulity o! "ender is present in ot'er Utopin novels su&' s Mr"e


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III. Who Controls the Past, Controls the Future: Who Controls the Present

Controls the Past

Stte suppression o! previous &ulture is #ey t'emti& o! bot' 1984ndBrave

New World( @iterture- rt nd musi& ll su!!er in t'e 'nds o! stte politi&s in t'e

im"ined %orld o! t'e te+ts- but lso dr% slient prllels !rom 'istory- su&' s

Stlin4s prole#ult &ulturl revolution427nd C'irmn Mo4s Culturl revolution

19?? t't removed &pitlist- trditionl nd &ulturl elements !rom C'inese so&iety-

in order to impose Moist ort'odo+y %it'in t'e C'inese Communist


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"overnment model( ;e see t'is s t'e dire&tor o! t'e 't&'ery tl#s o! t'e !mous

*ritis' Museum Mss&re t't resulted in t'e det' o! 2000 &ulture !ns- "ssed %it'

di&'loret'yl sulp'ide4(


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t'e Ministry o! Trut' is t'e destru&tion o! 'istory- s 'e tosses p"e !ter p"e o!

'istory into t'e memory 'ole to !ul!il t'e prty slo"n o! %'o &ontrols t'e pst-

&ontrols t'e !uture: %'o &ontrols t'e present &ontrols t'e pst(4


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order to stremline t'eir so&iety into t'e per!e&t utopin model( u+ley is in!luen&ed

by T'oms Mlt'us4s""a/ on &opulation (198% nd t'e e!!e&ts t't over=popultion

%ould 've on Dulity o! li!e on n over populted plnet( u+ley !ered66t'e e!!e&ts

o! stret&'in" t'e %orlds resour&es on t'e 'ppiness nd misery4 o! t'e %orlds

in'bitnts- i! rises in popultion %ent on un&'eed(6u+ley4s depi&tion o!

so&iety %'ere institutionliHed eu"eni& en"ineerin" underpins ri"idly strti!ied

&lss so&iety- t'e ;orld Stte- bsed upon breedin" bot' intelli"ent leders'ip nd

&ompl&ent subservien&e- nd "overned by privile"ed "roup o! &ontrollers465

en""es %it' response to t'is !er e+pressed by Mlt'us( e %s n dvo&te o!

33T'e problem o! rpidly in&resin" numbers in reltion to nturl resour&es- to

so&il stbility nd to t'e %ell=bein" o! individuls == t'is is no% t'e &entrl problem

o! mn#indJ nd it %ill remin t'e &entrl problem &ertinly !or not'er &entury- nd

per'ps !or severl &enturies t'ere!ter ldous u+ley- *rve Ne% ;orld evisited4

-u.le/$netvilble t: 'ttp:KK%%%('u+ley(netKbn%=revisitedK &&essed 10t' My

2013

34;e %ill suppose t'e mens o! subsisten&e in ny &ountry ,ust eDul to t'e esy

support o! its in'bitnts( T'e &onstnt e!!ort to%rds popultion- %'i&' is !ound to

&t even in t'e most vi&ious so&ieties- in&reses t'e number o! people be!ore t'e

mens o! subsisten&e re in&resed( T'e !ood t'ere!ore %'i&' be!ore supported seven

millions- must no% be divided mon" seven millions nd 'l! or ei"'t millions( T'e

poor &onseDuently must live mu&' %orse- nd mny o! t'em be redu&ed to severe

distress( T'e number o! lborers lso bein" bove t'e proportion o! t'e %or# in t'e

mr#et- t'e pri&e o! lbour must tend to%rd de&reseJ %'ile t'e pri&e o! provisions

%ould t t'e sme time tend to rise( T'e lbourer t'ere!ore must %or# 'rder to ern

t'e sme s 'e did be!ore( )urin" t'is seson o! distress- t'e dis&our"ements tomrri"e- nd t'e di!!i&ulty o! rerin" !mily re so "ret- t't popultion is t

stnd( n t'e men time t'e &'epness o! lbour- t'e plenty o! lbourers- nd t'e

ne&essity o! n in&resed industry mon"st t'em- en&our"e &ultivtors to employ

more lbour upon t'eir lndJ to turn up !res' soil- nd to mnure nd improve more

&ompletely %'t is lredy in till"eJ till ultimtely t'e mens o! subsisten&e be&ome

in t'e sme proportion to t'e popultion s t t'e period !rom %'i&' %e set out(

T'oms Mlt'us-""a/ on &opulation @ondon: Esp- 1998


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Eu"eni&s6?nd re!le&ted t'is in *rve Ne% ;orld- en""in" publi& n+ieties bout

t'e supposedly de"enertin" 'ereditry Dulity o! t'e popultion nd 'o% t'is de&line

%ould !!e&t En"lnd4s e&onomi& !uture(467T'e !er o! overpopultion nd !ood

s'ort"es remins to t'is dy 'u"e politi&l issue- s /eneti&lly Modi!ied

!oodstu!!s re bein" more %idely sou"'t in order to solve problems o! !mine in

!ri&n nd ot'er resour&e deprived &ountries68(n t'e so&iety o!Brave New Worldit

is t'e ;orld Controllers mission to stbilise t'e popultion4


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I#. T$% W&'() TAT%

n 1984 .r%ell depi&ts %orld or"niHed into t'ree %orld po%ers- Eursi-

Estsi nd .&eni( T'is division o! %orld po%er is n e+tension o! !er

e+pressed in 'is essy :ou and !tomi' Bomb, 195- %'ere 'e depi&ts t'e prospe&t

o! t%o or t'ree monstrous super=sttes- e&' possessed o! %epon by %'i&' millions

o! people &n be %iped out in !e% se&onds- dividin" t'e %orld bet%een t'em(40T'is

&n be red s predi&tion in tody4s "eopoliti&l &limte s meri&n- ussi nd

C'in vyin" !or po%er nd t'e %epon is t'e tomi& bomb( t is 'u"ely importnt

t't irstrip 1 is in !&t @ondon- Bumr su""estin" t't t'e des&ription mt&'es t'e

%r %ery %orld o! En"lnd in t'e lst st"es o! t'e se&ond %orld %r nd t'e

immedite post=%r period(41*y estblis'in" t'e &ont&t bet%een t'is )ystopi nd

En"lnd- 'e &retes sense o! !milirity nd verisimilitude t't t'e events o! 198

&ould 'ppen- promptin" re!le&tion on rel politi&s( .r%ell depi&ts t'e stte o! t'e

%orld !ter t'e bomb is developed nd used s politi&l br"inin" &'ip by t'e t'ree

%orld sttes- used to &onvin&e t'e rulin" "roups o! ll &ountries t't !e% more

tomi& bombs %ould men t'e end o! or"niHed so&iety- nd 'en&e o! t'eir o%n

po%er(4


17/21

bombs nd store t'em up "inst t'e de&isive opportunity4 nd %ould &ome to 'ed

in t'e Cubn Missile Crisis in 19?2- %'ere >idel Cstro llo%ed t'e Soviets to build

nu&ler missile bses in &lose pro+imity to meri&n &ities s retort to t'e US

buildin" missile bses in Tur#ey nd tly t't pointed t Mos&o%( .r%ell predi&ted

&orre&tly t'rou"' 1984,s nrrtive t't t'e rt o! %r %ould3 remin lmost

sttionry4


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politi&s( *ot' novels 've prop'eti& !un&tion- servin" s %rnin" s to t'e !uture

dire&tion o! our rel politi&s4 to void n nti=utopin !uture(

;.) C.UNT 620

*i+liogra"hy

/eor"e .r%ell- 1984@ondon:


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Condon- C'ristop'er- The Ma>ing o+ the Modern WorldMelbourne: M&milln-

1987 ou&ult- Mi&'el- )is&ipline:


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/vin-


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;oi#- Lonne- )esi"nin" *rve Ne% ;orld: Eu"eni&s- i&tion4-The

&ubli' -i"torian- n(s 29 2007 pp(105=129(

Documents

Brave New World & 1984: Utopian writing is as much about an escape from real politics as an encounter with them