Aldous Huxley Life and Inspiration

Growing Up Huxley Born on July 26, 1894 Wealthy, privileged Son of famous biology scientist, Thomas Henry Huxley, who contributed to the Theory of Evolution. Related to published authors and educators, very educated family Attended Oxford, published collection of poetry Travelled between London and Italy, visited India and US United States played big role in many of his ideas for writing.

1984 BNW Sex forbidden Work is mundane No freedom Government enforces behavior Constant war Nobody allowed to read Shakespeare Winston has questions, seeks answers Limit information and control what is released No need for progress. Status quo is preferred. Sex enforced Vacation is mundane Excessive freedom Government and laws replaced by behavior training. No war or conflict Nobody wants to read Shakespeare Population takes soma anytime something confusing disrupts their happiness. Flood public with information and there is no need to modify Misuse of science and technology masking as progress.

Huxley on 1984 Within the next generation I believe that the world's leaders will discover that infant conditioning and narco-hypnosis are more efficient, as instruments of government, than clubs and prisons, and that the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience. (Huxley letter to Orwell)

Upon visiting United States, Huxley observed a “generous extravagance” but he wasn’t so sure that he liked the way life moved in this bustling and busy country. “In places of public amusement, in dancing and motoring…there is so little conversation…It is all movement and noise, like the water gurgling out of bath, down the waste. Yes, down the waste.” Those thoughts about a world driven by self gratification inspired many of his works, but especially in his design of Brave New World.

Huxley’s Influences Mussolini’s policy towards banning contraception for the improvement of man power in Italy. He was also greatly interested in the recent advancements in behavior training especially BF Skinner and Pavlov. His background with science combined with the fast movement of technology gave him interesting perspectives to consider about the direction of the human race. It’s important to note BNW was NOT influenced by WWII, Hitler, Stalin, or Communism who would come after the book was published.

Dystopia vs Utopia Brave New World was written in 1932 and considered one of the most popular dystopian novels. Utopia is a term used to describe an ideal society. The phrase is coined by Sir Thomas More’s novel called Utopia (1516) that takes place on a fictional island. The term ‘dystopia’ is a sarcastic play off of the term ‘Utopia’ and refers to a futuristic society that may ‘appear’ to show the components of an ideal society, but indeed is far from it. The term is negative and typically, in writing, technology, science, and human disregard for the important aspects of the human spirit are lost.

Huxley is a critic and he writes the essay as a satire Huxley is a critic and he writes the essay as a satire. Satires are meant to ridicule or draw out the absurdity of a particular topic and does not mean ‘funny’. Even in 1932, Huxley had little faith that humans would be able to manage moderation and think about the cost of so-called ‘progress’. One may think that Huxley’s novel could be newly published considering the many current topics that are at the forefront of our society today.