‘Brave New World’ by Aldous Huxley

Superman (It’s Not Easy) Five For Fighting (aka John Ondrasik) Ondrasik performed this song on October 20, 2011 at a tribute concert for the NY first responders. He stated, this is “the most important thing I’ll ever do musically”.

Topic: Acceptance

Textual Evidence #1 The Savage shook his head. "He wouldn't let me […]. He said he wanted to go on with the experiment. But I'm damned," the Savage added, with sudden fury, "I'm damned if I'll go on being experimented with. Not for all the Controllers in the world. l shall go away to-morrow too.” (Chapter 18)

Textual Evidence #2 Bernard desires a different relationship with Lenina than is the norm. Her resistance frustrates him and he wishes for a different ‘home’ – one that he will never see due to the nature of society.

#3 It may sound absurd but don't be naïve Even heroes have the right to bleed I may be disturbed but won’t you concede Even heroes have the right to dream And it's not easy to be me

Textual Evidence #4

#5 “The Savage nodded gloomily. At Malpais he had suffered because they had shut him out from the communal activities of the pueblo, in civilized London he was suffering because he could never escape from those communal activities, never be quietly alone.” (17) John was not accepted and seen as an outsider in both New Mexico and London. He did not belong and habored great sadness and shame over the slight. He internalized this condemnation as a characterization of his being. He punished himself for imagined sin because he BELIEVED what society told him about himself – he was a SAVAGE. In the end, he could not love himself, forgive himself, or accept himself – and died.

Non-Print

According to statistics reported by ABC News, nearly 30 percent of students are either bullies or victims of bullying, and 160,000 kids stay home from school every day because of fear of bullying ( Bullying hurts others and can destroy lives! Both the bully and those who are bullied need help and healing. If you are a bully, STOP! Look far! Right now your struggles my seem like heavy weights, but keep lifting; keep pressing on and keep believing in yourself. Continue to fix your eyes on what you want and what you can become, not on how you feel or where you are or what you may be going through at the present time. When you approach life in this manner, you will go beyond the scope of your imagination and accomplish great things you never thought possible! Dream BIG and never give up! (

Theme Restated People view us in different ways, placing us on pedestals with difficult to reach tasks. Trying to gain acceptance by society with unrealistic expectations is an impossible undertaking that leads to isolation, depression, and despair. We must accept ourselves for who we are and break away from others opinions and judgments. When we accept who we are; we begin to emerge, embracing the person we are meant to become. Rising above the stereotypes and labels, embracing our uniqueness, and realizing our own value destroys the need for societal acceptance and created feelings of isolationism.

Movie Link: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs When Sam tells Flint that her true identity is a “nerd” but that she’s conformed to society, Flint encourages her to be herself. She ends up following her dream and finding her place while staying true to herself. In BNW, John was faced with a similar dilemma, but chose a different path; ending his life in pain and misery.