What is the tone
of Brave New World so far? What does Huxley think of the World State?
Be explicit and provide direct evidence from the text in your analysis.
The tone of Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” can be described as critical
because the author depicts a dehumanized society in which citizens have no
sense of freedom, live by the government's rules and standards, and Huxley
infers his opinion about this society to the reader through some of the
characters' roles and actions.
Right since the beginning of the book we observe the cold and scientific
process by which humans are ‘manufactured’. Here, humans are raised right from
birth up to adulthood as mere puppets of the government. If the love and sense
of trust from a mother and a father is missing right from the start of the
citizens’ lives, and the only organization they can trust in is the World
State, the government, then they will always be obedient to their orders without
opposing, judging, or questioning them.
Aldous Huxley criticizes the World State and the nation it governs through characters
like Bernard, Helmholtz, John, and Linda. These characters can be labeled as
the rebels of the bunch who oppose the regime’s criteria for ruling, in
comparison to other characters as Lenina, who accept it. Huxley’s opposition of
the World State can be clearly observed when John “The Savage” is introduced to
this society and takes a tour through the “Fordian Factory”, where children are
born and raised, he is deeply disgusted by this way of living, to the point in
which he decides to not leave his room anymore to avoid further disgust.
Blog Post #2: Explain how The Children’s Story is an example of a
dystopia. Outline your interpretation of James Clavell’s message
When we read the first couple pages of Clavell's book we can see a dystopian
society forming, in which a new, younger teacher is replacing the older one,
who is sent to the Principal's office. As the new teacher introduces herself to
the class we see that she is trying to gain control over the children's minds
by challenging their beliefs and implanting new ones onto them. The teacher
first asks the children what the 'Pledge of Alliance' really means, but they
can't answer and just say that they are taught to just say it, without
understanding the meaning. The new teacher then proceeds to explain the
children that the pledge is a way of expressing their loyalty to the flag, a
symbol of their country.
The teacher then continues by suggesting the children, including the
rebel one (Johnny), to wear the new school's uniform, saying "...you'll
all be the same." Johnny refuses to ever wear the uniform, to which the
teacher responds passively, almost convincing Johnny that it's okay not to wear
the uniform if he doesn't want to. Then the class starts to pray to God for
candy, lead by the teacher, who suggests that they call God, 'Our Leader'
instead (pretty suspicious). While the children are praying with their eyes
closed the teacher puts candy on their desks, but Johnny sees her do this and
blows the teacher's cover. The teacher responds to this by accepting that she
put the candy and then makes Johnny the class monitor. Johnny is then happy and
starts liking his new teacher.
The main idea of the book is that the new teacher is erasing the
children's old preconceptions, implanting new ones and sort of 'buying
out' those who resist, like Johnny. This clearly resembles the dystopian
societies of other books, for example '1984's. *SPOILER ALERT* At the end of
1984 Winston is apprehended and tortured, eliminating his rebel thoughts and
replacing them with positive ones towards the Party, here in Clavell's book the
new teacher is giving Johnny, the rebel kid, different rewards in order for him
to like her and accept her ideas.
Clavell's book critiques a society in which kids are 'brainwashed' to do
things without knowing the meaning of them (the Pledge of Alliance for
example), which prepares them to later accept the government's decisions
obediently.
