Huxley

A detailed Summary of Huxley

How will scientific advances change our society? In his novel "A Brave New World" Aldous Huxley tries to present his vision of technological advances ruling humanity. The novel takes us to a place called the World State, where using technology, the government eliminates unhappiness to produce contented and effective workers. "Men will come to be valued more and more, not as individuals, but as personified social functions." From birth, people are split into six social classes that determine their futures. The government then conditions them to conform to its needs. Using hypnotism, electric shock treatment and other methods of behavior modification, babies are conditioned to fit the state's ideals. Literature is banned because it may make people think and detract from their work. People are encouraged to be promiscuous and impersonal and families and close relationships are frowned upon because they can cause pain. When individuals are unhappy they take a drug called 'soma' to remove their unhappiness. Happy workers are productive workers.

The government's philosophy is brought to near the end of the novel, during a conversation between the Savage and the controller, Mustapha Mond. The Savage

The Savage is in love with Lenina, but not in the same way that she loves him. He views monogamy as something positive and even suggests marriage to her. She, however, is not conditioned to think that way and she dismisses his suggestion as "a horrible idea." He doesn't understand the promiscuity that is encouraged in the New State, and every time Lenina makes advances, he refuses to sleep with her even though he would like to. He has read a great deal of literature telling him the proper way to court a woman and he feels that to do any less would be dishonoring her. When he tries to explain this to Lenina she does not understand him or what he is trying to say. He says, "I mean I'd sweep the floor if you wanted." To which Lenina answers "but we've got vacuum cleaners here." When he gives in to his desires and he sleeps with her, he is so ashamed that he kills himself.

is showing the controller his point of view and the controller is defending his society. He does so by explaining that the people's total bliss makes up for their lack of freedom. "The world's stable now. People are happy; they get what they want, and they never want what they can't get. They're well off; they're safe; they're never ill; they're not afraid of death; they're blissfully ignorant of passion and old age; they're plagued with no mothers or fathers; they've got no wives or children, or loves to feel strongly about; they're so conditioned that they practically can't help behaving as they ought to behave. And if anything should go wrong there's soma." What the government does not understand is that by eliminating pain you are, in effect, eliminating happiness. How can people be truly happy, if they do not understand pain? Thi

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Approximate Word count = 1162
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English