Introduction
In his dystopian novel “Brave New World,” Aldous Huxley imagines a society where government and technology rule over the populace. The author wants the reader to comprehend the risks posed by a society that prioritizes security and contentment over personal autonomy and independence. Huxley promotes awareness of the negative effects of excessive governmental meddling, materialism, and the erosion of human values. The narrative also emphasizes the negative effects of unregulated scientific advancement and how they affect society. The author wants to alert the reader to the possible hazards of a culture that values pleasure and uniformity over individuality and fulfillment.
Scientific and Technological Developments
In the novel, the World State has achieved stability and prosperity through genetic engineering, mass production, and conditioning. The primary assertion in the novel is that the cost of this stability is the loss of individuality, creativity, and genuine human connection. Huxley wrote, “it is better that one should suffer than that many should be corrupted” (148). It signifies that people are conditioned to accept their predetermined societal roles, and if they do not like one, they had better suffer. This dystopian society is depicted as terrifying and plausible because it is based on the genuine scientific and technological advancements of Huxley’s time, such as genetics and mass production. It is a cautionary tale about the dangers of these advancements if left unchecked.
Huxley’s use of vivid and dystopian imagery in “Brave New World” contributes to the novel’s sense of terror and plausibility. For example, the description of the Bokanovsky Process, in which thousands of identical embryos are produced from a single egg, is disgusting and plausible (Kang 6). This process creates a caste system in which each individual has a predetermined societal place based on intelligence, physical ability, and social status (Kang 15). This dehumanizing process warns against the dangers of eugenics and the idea of creating a “perfect” society through genetic engineering.
The second assertion poses that Huxley sees how science and technology have the potential to be used for great good and be destroyed at the same time. He claims: “we can’t allow science to undo its own good work” (Huxley 227). The book explores the dangers of a society that uses science and tech to control its citizens, sacrificing their freedom and creativity. It shows how a civilization, through genetic engineering, mass production, and conditioning, can create a caste system and control the population, revealing the risks of unchecked scientific progress.
Consumerism Society
Furthermore, the author asserts that there are effects of consumerism, mass media, and drugs on society. In the World State, consumerism maintains social stability, as individuals are encouraged to take pleasure in acquiring and consuming goods. The mass media is used to control the masses and promote the World State’s values. Society is supplied with drugs that keep them contented and suppressed; thus, they conform to being controlled (Claeys 57). Huxley portrays a dystopian society where control and manipulation restrict critical thinking, deep emotions and authentic human connections. It can be found in these words: “Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the overcompensations for misery.” (Huxley 165). Huxley shows that control and manipulation techniques can lead to a society where individuals cannot think critically or experience genuine human connection.
Oppression
The last assertion is aimed to show that people should go against the dangers of an ever-growing community. Most characters are portrayed as content and futuristic amidst the crisis occurring in society. They are not bothered by the way they are governed at all. The author clears his assertions regarding people’s perceptions and attitudes toward oppression. Huxley mentions: “one believes things because one has been conditioned to believe them” (288). This signifies that society has conformed to oppression; people do not mind being controlled as long as they are happy.
Based on the novel, society and people generally focus on their respective futures and thus care less about the challenges they are forced to endure. The author fears that with this attitude, people will begin to disregard the truth, making it lose meaning and become irrelevant (Kang 254). This will consequently signify the beginning of the end, where people and society will be destroyed by the things they love the most. According to Kang, Huxley asserts that “history is bunk,” by this, he implies that society has disregarded its past and has become unaware of life and all it pertains to (36). People have been led to live this way without realizing they are caged.
Critique
Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” is a dystopian novel that has captured the imagination of readers for nearly a century. The novel raises one of the essential assertions about the dangers of unchecked technological progress and the consequences of giving up our freedoms in exchange for security and stability (Kang 15). The controller explains, “You’ve got to choose between happiness and what people used to call high art. We’ve sacrificed the high art” (Kang 245). However, some critics argue that the novel is overly pessimistic and disregards the potential benefits of scientific and technological advancements.
One of the main criticisms of the novel is that it needs to be more focused on individual freedoms. Hence, the other assertion addressed relates to the social and economic factors that contribute to the formation of dystopias. It can be found in these words: “But I don’t want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin.” (Huxley 220). While Huxley’s critique of the loss of individual identity and free will is certainly compelling, it overlooks the more prominent systemic factors contributing to the formation of oppressive and dystopian societies (Kang 102). The novel lacks consideration of inequality and poverty and disregards people trading freedom for stability and security in the face of poverty and political unrest.
Bernard Marx’s character represents Huxley’s criticism of the concept of a happy life in The World State. Through Bernard’s reactions to the concept of a happy life in The World State, Huxley criticizes the idea that control by the state can create happiness for everyone, “Huxley criticizes or opposes utopia’s.” (Zubaidillah 11). Huxley uses Bernard Marx to emphasize the importance of individual freedom and human rights. The World State uses soma to maintain stability, but Bernard represents the rejection of this control. “And Huxley in his book Brave New World, criticizes The World State with the ways of control one of them is soma.” (Zubaidillah 10). This highlights Huxley’s criticism of the World State’s use of soma to maintain stability at the cost of individuality.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” is a dystopian novel that is both plausible and terrible. The author uses vivid imagery, critiques of the dangers of scientific and technological progress, and critiques of consumerism and oppression to create a frighteningly possible world. Huxley warns against the dangers of sacrificing an individual for stability and conformity. He encourages readers to consider the consequences of a society that values efficiency and control over human dignity and individuality. He raises important questions about the dangers of unchecked technological progress and the consequences of giving up our freedoms. However, the novel is not without its flaws, and it has been criticized for its oversimplification of the complexities of human behavior, the political and economic systems that shape our lives, and the concept of happiness.
Works Cited
Claeys, Gregory. “Dystopia.” The Palgrave Handbook of Utopian and Dystopian Literatures. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2022. 53-64.
Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. Harper Perennial, 2006.
Kang, Adelaide. Brave New World: Aldous Huxley. Wincsoft, 2018.
Zubaidillah, Haris. “SOCIAL AND POLITICAL IDEAS OF ALDOUS HUXLEY THROUGH BERNARD MARX’S CHARACTER IN BRAVE NEW WORLD.”, 2019.