Flawed Perfection In Aldous Huxley's Brave New World
Flawed Perfection
As the esteemed political activist and professor Howard Zinn once said, “If those in charge of our society can dominate our ideas, they will be secure in their power. They will not need soldiers patrolling the streets. We will control ourselves.” Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World exhibits a government that successfully controls the ideas of the masses. As Zinn acutely predicted, the need for police in the World State is nearly eradicated due to the tranquility of society. Individuals are predestined prior to birth to decide which niche they will fill in society. Upon the completion of the artificial birthing process, these new members of society are conditioned according to their caste. In this dystopia, love and the concept of family are …show more content…
Mustapha Mond believes that a stable society is dependent on the elimination of unhappiness. However, without true unhappiness, it is difficult to attain genuine bliss. John the Savage, who was born outside of the World State, believes that life without discomfort is not worth living. He references Shakespeare’s Othello: “‘If after every tempest came such calms, may the winds blow till they have wakened death’” (Huxley 265). John believes that the greatest joys in life are dependent upon the deepest pains. Citizens of the World State are dependent upon soma, a drug with minimal side affects that elicits a soaring high. The phrase, “a gramme is better than a damn” is frequently used to justify an abhorrent amount of drug abuse. Linda, John’s mother, becomes addicted to the soma and loves nothing more upon her return to the World State: “The return to civilization was for her the return to soma, was the possibility of lying in bed and taking holiday after holiday” (Huxley 168). Mustapha Mond has brainwashed society to believe that their everlasting artificial bliss is genuine, and this is a key component to the society’s
As the esteemed political activist and professor Howard Zinn once said, “If those in charge of our society can dominate our ideas, they will be secure in their power. They will not need soldiers patrolling the streets. We will control ourselves.” Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World exhibits a government that successfully controls the ideas of the masses. As Zinn acutely predicted, the need for police in the World State is nearly eradicated due to the tranquility of society. Individuals are predestined prior to birth to decide which niche they will fill in society. Upon the completion of the artificial birthing process, these new members of society are conditioned according to their caste. In this dystopia, love and the concept of family are …show more content…
Mustapha Mond believes that a stable society is dependent on the elimination of unhappiness. However, without true unhappiness, it is difficult to attain genuine bliss. John the Savage, who was born outside of the World State, believes that life without discomfort is not worth living. He references Shakespeare’s Othello: “‘If after every tempest came such calms, may the winds blow till they have wakened death’” (Huxley 265). John believes that the greatest joys in life are dependent upon the deepest pains. Citizens of the World State are dependent upon soma, a drug with minimal side affects that elicits a soaring high. The phrase, “a gramme is better than a damn” is frequently used to justify an abhorrent amount of drug abuse. Linda, John’s mother, becomes addicted to the soma and loves nothing more upon her return to the World State: “The return to civilization was for her the return to soma, was the possibility of lying in bed and taking holiday after holiday” (Huxley 168). Mustapha Mond has brainwashed society to believe that their everlasting artificial bliss is genuine, and this is a key component to the society’s