Brave New World By Aldous Huxley 12/9/2018

DEFINITIONS 12/9/2018

SATIRE A literary style that blends criticism, wit, and humor with the intention of improving society. 12/9/2018

ANTI-UTOPIAN NOVEL A novel that presents the idea of a “perfect world” as an impossibility. Examples are 1984, The Hunger Games, The Handmaiden’s Tale, Divergent, and Brave New World. 12/9/2018

NOVEL OF IDEAS A novel in which the ideas the characters represent are more important than the characters themselves. Characters with opposing views are included, with the novel providing the setting for the conflict of these ideas. 12/9/2018

Aldous Huxley Born in Surrey, England, 1894, into a distinguished scientific and literary family. Planned to become a doctor, but an eye disease almost blinded him, thus preventing him from reaching this particular goal even though it was a temporary illness. Attended Oxford University Degree in English Literature Published two volumes of poetry while still a student 12/9/2018

BNW is Huxley’s most famous novel. Moved to U.S. in 1937. Published his first novel in 1921, a novel about pretentious intellectuals. This was followed by several more satiric novels, establishing Huxley’s reputation as a critic of Western civilization. BNW is Huxley’s most famous novel. Moved to U.S. in 1937. Died in California in 1963 on the same day JFK was assassinated. 12/9/2018

INTRODUCTION to BNW Criticism of Western civilization in 1932 A lament for the loss of old values A warning about the future 12/9/2018

The novel takes place in London in 2540 A.D. The date indicated in the novel is 632 A.F. (After Ford) The novel anticipates developments in reproductive technology and sleep learning that combine to change society. 12/9/2018

Characters in the novel “worship” Henry Ford Ford developed the assembly line. For the first time in history products could be mass produced for consumption. Ford also had strict standards of behavior for his employees. He spied on them in their personal lives and if they didn’t meet his standards they were fired. 12/9/2018

In the novel BNW Babies are grown in bottles in an assembly line kind of way. The government controls the behavior of its citizens. This was intentional satirical writing by Huxley about American culture in general. 12/9/2018

An Ironic Title: The term “Brave New World” comes from a quote in Shakespeare’s play “The Tempest” (Act 5, scene 1) Oh wonder! How many goodly creatures are there here! How beauteous mankind is! Oh brave new world! That has such people in’t! 12/9/2018

The reason this is ironic: Characters in the novel are forbidden to read Shakespeare and classic literature 12/9/2018

Other values in Brave New World society: Children are not “born.” Eggs are fertilized in a laboratory and fetuses mature in bottles. The babies are then “decanted” and taken out of the bottle. There are no such things as marriage or love or family. 12/9/2018

5 Castes in Society Alphas (highest caste- most privileges) Betas Gammas Deltas Epsilons (lowest caste- fewest privileges) 12/9/2018

Members of this society are “conditioned” to like their caste through sleep conditioning- a recording playing while they sleep tells them what to like and how to think. 12/9/2018

Sex is only for recreation NOT procreation Sex is only for recreation NOT procreation. Words like “mother” and “father” are considered dirty words that make everyone in the society uncomfortable. 12/9/2018

The government gives out a drug called “soma” that citizens ingest every day. It makes everyone happy and is a mild hallucinogen without any after effects. 12/9/2018

The Government uses the drug to control all the citizens and keep them compliant. Think about this. 12/9/2018

Finally, Spending time alone is considered an outrageous waste of time. Admitting to wanting to be an individual in the social group is shocking, horrifying, and embarrassing. 12/9/2018

Huxley warns, “This is possible: for heaven’s sake be careful about it 12/9/2018

BNW addresses these issues with an irony that is simultaneously hilarious and horrifying. 12/9/2018

Is this prophetic??? Can we ignore the similarities between Huxley’s imaginary world and our current real world? Test tube babies Cloned animals Genetically engineered fruits and vegetables Dependence upon technology 12/9/2018

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