Brave New World
Aldous Huxley's Brave New World paints a grim picture of what the future may hold. Through many scientific and technological advances, the lifestyle of the people in the novel has been changed dramatically from that of today. Although technological advances are currently seen in a positive light, Huxley warns us of the perils which can accompany these innovations if they are not controlled. This leads to the question of whether science and technology can improve our lives. In Brave New World, genetic engineering, the replacement of religion, the sanctioned use of drugs, and social conditioning have combined to lead to the metamorphosis in lifestyle. In the novel, Huxley illustrates how these advances can have a detrimental effect to life; however, if used correctly they can have a tremendous improvement on people's quality of life. Genetic engineering is one of the most evident technological impacters on this new society. All of the babies are born with no mother and father at a hatchery. At this hatchery their future was predetermined as their intelligence was programmed depending upon their future roles; those destined to the lower classes are given less oxygen circulation so that they are kept below par. In many ca
The use and abuse of drugs in this new society is something else which was allowed through science. The drug soma is used by the masses to take them away from any problems or unhappiness in their life. While it makes them feel happy, it does not help fix their problems. However, this is alright because there are no major problems anyways in this "ideal society." This drug soma could be compared to alcohol or a government-regulated narcotic which has been made safe with no harmful side- or after-effects. It is also comparable due to the temporary relief from problems it provides but the lack of long-term solutions. This is why it is unacceptable as the "quick fix" for which it is used. Through the use of this drug, Huxley comments on our society and its fixation on using medicine and drugs to solve problems rather than actually dealing with them. ses during the early periods of development the egg was divided and divided until there were up to ninety-six of the same person. This Bokanovsky's process is the model for efficient production of humans: "the principle of mass production at last applied to biology" (5). Also, seventy percent of females are injected with male hormones to keep them infertile (free-martins). These applications of genetic engineering remove the individuality of people and make them more like commodities. They also remove the need for the family unit and any emotional closeness between people: if there is no need to get together to reproduce then any incentive for monogamy is removed. This is captured in the slogan "everyone is everyone else's." While the application of genetic engineering in Brave New World leads to disastrous results, it can be applied to benefit society. The removal of birth defects (such as Down's Syndrome, mental retardation, and
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Approximate Word count = 1213
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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