Brave New World Sometimes very advanced societies overlook the necessities of the individual. In the book Brave New World, Aldous Huxley creates two distinct societies: the Savages and the Fordians. The Fordians are technologically sophisticated, unlike the Savages. However, it is obvious that, overall, the Savages have more practical abilities, have more, complicated, ideals, and are much more advanced emotionally, which all help the individual to grow. The Savage Reservation provides more opportunities for personal growth than does the Fordian society. Throughout the story, it is
shown how the Fordian society is much more advanced technologically than the Savage Reservation. Because the Reservation is not fully equipped with well-developed machinery to do all their work for them, they must learn to do it themselves. Unlike the Fordians, the Savages are taught functional skills, such as stitching up simple tears and weaving. In the story Mitsima, an old man from the reservation, teaches John the Savage how to make a clay pot, using nothing but a lump of clay and his own two hands. This is a very practical and useful tool. The Savages are taught to cook for themselves, and to clean for themselves. These teachings help the individual to grow practically. The Savages also bestow good ideals in their people from which they can learn, understand, and grow. One of the most important things that the Savages are taught is self-control. The Whipping Ceremony is a good example of this. In this ceremony a young man was whipped to death in front of a large audience and throughout it he “made no sound…[and] walked on at the same slow, steady pace” (97). The man is taught that to show his strength he must use the uttermost limits of his self-control. They are also taught self-control in how they are prohibited free sex. They must learn restraint through their lust and desires. It is shown how capable the Savages are when controlling themselves in chapter 13. Lenina, whom John loves and desires more than anything in the world, is proclaiming herself to John, and yet he restrains himself because they are not married. The Savages are also taught
The Future as Portrayed in Brave New World
The Future as Portrayed in Brave New World
Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World opens in a technically advanced future world. In the beginning of this book, we see the Director of World Hatcheries lead the new hatchery students on a tour of a Conditioning Center in London where babies are produced in bottles and pre-sorted to determine which class level they will be born into. These class level range from Alpha-plus, the highest level, to Epsilon-minus, the lowest. There are no parents, and babies are conditioned from birth to learn certain behaviors. All diseases have been eliminated, and when people are feeling down, they just take soma, a wonder drug. Also, people are conditioned from birth not to love one person, so there is no marriage and most people have many lovers. There is no God; instead, Henry Ford is worshipped as the god Ford. Another accomplishment of this society is the elimination of aging. Bernard Marx has unorthodox viewpoints and is outcast as an eccentric. He likes being alone, but in this society being alone is discouraged. His isolation from society has made him very different from everyone else. His only friend is Helmholtz Watson, an accomplished intellect who writes government propaganda. Watson has grown war of life as it is, and his supervisors have him under close watch. Two co-workers are discussing Lenina Crowne, another worker, in a changing room. They act as if she were property, able to be bought and sold. Bernard is disgusted by this, so he decides to ask Lenina to go to a Savage Reservation in New Mexico. Bernard visits the Director for permission to go. The Director tells a story of when he went to a Savage Reservation with Linda, a pretty colleague. During their visit,Linda was lost, and the Director had to leave. So Bernard and Lenina go to the Savage Reservation, which is inhabited by Indians. They quickly find Linda among the Indians. At first they do not realize who she is, but she explains what happened. Linda is aged and obese. Also, Linda has a son named John who is the Director’s child. John is educated and mature, having read Shakespeare (forbidden in civilization). Bernard takes the two back to London for study. Once back, Linda takes too much soma, so she falls into a coma. John is displayed by Bernard, who becomes a hero.