Brave New World Analysis

Brave New World Essay
A society not believing in the presence of a higher power or in the existence of suffering is hard for anyone to imagine. In the book Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, the society, referred to as the “New World,” does not really have an actual form of god, and the World state has eliminated all forms of suffering “for the good of the people.” The society in Brave New World not only has no moral or ethical values, it does not allow people to be individuals. The inhabitances are always forced to be together. The lack of a higher power and assuring no single person suffers are the two main reasons why the New World’s society has become corrupted. Without these two elements in the society it cannot thrive on a functional level.
The World State believes that there is no reason for society to have a god. In chapter 17 Mustapha Mond and the savage, John, have a deep, intellectual conversation about the New World and why it operates the way it does. Mond states to John, “… God isn’t compatible with machinery and scientific medicine and happiness.” Mustapha Mond is explaining to John that if there was a God, people would not be able to lead the extravagant lifestyle that they live. John disagrees with him completely and says, “It is natural to believe in a god when you’re alone… in the night, thinking about death.” John believes that people need to believe in god so when they are going through rough times they have someone to talk to. What John believes is correct; it is necessary for society to need a god. The World State has become fraudulent from all the “pleasures” individuals in society are given, and therefore society has no moral values.
The World State also believes that suffering is not needed. John cannot grasp the fact that people can live life not having any turmoil or rage. Mond explains to him, “We flood the whole system with adrenin. It’s the complete physiological equivalent of fear and rage… without the inconveniences.” The World State believes that individuals do not need to actually experience pain but can simply get hormones injected to make them feel as if they have been involved in an agonizing situation. John replies to Mustapha, “…I don’t want comfort. I want god, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin.” John’s statement is correct: People need to experience being put in dangerous situations so that they feel a need to look up to a higher power. The citizens in the New World have neither freedom nor nothing to appreciate.

In Brave New World, every individual in society worships the same higher power, referred to as “Ford”. This insures there will be no conflict among individuals about one certain power being better than another. The World State’s motto is “Community, Identity, Stability.” The World Sate believes everyone being together will eliminate all problems of loneliness, and if something goes wrong with someone, and then there is always soma to fix a problem. The society wants everyone to be happy by having sex all the time with everybody. In reality, a stable society needs some balance between suffering and having fun. When people go through hard times it makes them value what they have more and therefore enjoy the everyday qualities of life. In the New World, people are not able enjoy what they have because they have no god nor suffering.
Some people who read Brave New World might say that society does not need to have a higher power or have feelings of suffering. They may believe this because the New World seemed so perfect and had “no” imperfections. Everyone could have sex whenever they wanted, and if they felt sad, they could just take soma to make themselves feel better. People who believe this are wrong. Society needs to believe in a higher power and suffering. When people suffer they can look up to a god for strength and renewal. Moreover, when people suffer, it makes them feel happy for everything else they have. In Brave New World, no one enjoys what they have because they do not have anything of which to worry.

It is easy to convey that the lack of a belief in a higher power and suffering are the reasons why the New World’s society has become corrupted. If people believe they have a higher power to look up to, they can always feel that they have someone whom they can communicate their problems. Furthermore, when people go through agonizing, rough times, they appreciate what they are given. The individuals in Brave New World do not experience any of this. They have no perception of anything besides being happy all the time. People in the New World have no moral or ethical values and live life according to how the World State directs them. In a balanced society, people have to experience suffering and need to have a higher power to look up to.