In
Brave New World, Aldous Huxley makes a satire of a future age and reflects,
in many aspects, the negative consequences of the industrialization in
the second half of the 20th century, overcoat, in the last decades. This
novel is a negative utopia in which Huxley glorifies the technique and
the science progress.
In
the 20th century, ther´s a change of thoughts respecting the previous
century. In the 19th century, there´s a flourishing of the positive
utopia, as a result of the society optimism. At the end of this century,
there´s an optimistic view to the science progresses, seeing that
it was thought that these progresses would drive people to a better society.
Later on, wars and economical crisis made people feel pessimistic. These
feelings affected the field of art and thought.
The
use that the states of the 20th century make of technology and science
(reflected, mainly, in communist and fascist states) and the absolut control
they wanna exert on the population, is the fact that Huxley denounces in
this novel.
Wells
(as opposed to the pessimism created due to Huxley´s progress proposal)
advocated science progress as the one that would allow a free and happy
man development. Huxley himself says in a letter: "I´m writting a
novel about the future (Brave New World), about Wellshian utopia fear and
a rebellion against it. It´s very difficult. I hardly have the imagination
to deal with this subject".
At
the beginning of the novel, Huxley shows us what´s gonna happen during
the rest of the story. In this first part, he reflects the hypothetical
way of reproduction which is reduced to a production line, with more industrial
characteristics than biologycal ones. Natural reproduction is mentioned
when Linda appears, and it´s labelled as an obscenity. There´s
a dehumanization of a social mythified process; the term "to be born" is
changed by "to decant". As a result of this, there´s a creation of
genetically definited men to make particular functions and act in a certain
way according to the lineage they belong to. we can observe this dehumanization
as well, in this society population death. This death is seen as a last
service to the society because it produces an economical yield.
Nowadays,
Huxley´s predictions are confirmed. Processes such as artificial
insemination or in vitro fertilization caused a great stir in our society,
because a great dehumanization in human reproduction was denounced.
Actually,
society faces a new moral dilemma predicted by Huxley, clonation. Clonation
is showed as a genetic definition method, it can help to improve livestock
and avoid an important amount of diseases. The possible application to
human race brings about a moral rejection, despite the amount of numerous
benefits that this method is thought to present.
The
characters of the hypothetical society that Huxley describes have, from
their birth, a task which they can´t avoid, the man is simply an
instrument. The work is divided to achieve the best results (materialist
aim). On the other hand, this division is made depending on the lineage
to which each human being belongs to. As a result of this, the higher lineage
human beings belong to, the better work they have, leaving the worst works
for the lower lineages. the extreme specialization is a phenomenon which
is well stablished in the first half of the century, this is the reason
why Huxley warns us about the dehumanization that this work organization
means (that´s nowadays confirmed in big companies). The employee
that makes an insignificant task feels neither useful nor identified with
the company, this affects his selfsteem and provokes stress and low yield.
In
Huxley´s story, these factors are caused neither determination nor
this utopian society members education. State interventionalism promotes
also, different methods to scape from "reality" such as drugs and exercise
after work.
In
relation to the accordance of Brave New World characters, we find, as a
very important factor, the limitations in thought freedom. They try to
avoid human knowledge acquisition, they even reject the benefit of the
existence of philosofers. Besides, the previous art to the creation of
the new world is hiden, trying to avoid a revolution against the regime
established. Despite the presentation of science advance as the basis of
the society, there´s no boubt in hiding it from the population in
case it could cause a social disorder. Again, we find a reflex of the society
in which we live.
Authoritarian
regimes have used similar methods to the ones described in the novel, such
as books and publications censorship, trying to avoid population knowing
other countries freedom.
With
the "only thought" predominance, the possibility of a social revolution
is non-existent. Nowadays, we live a similar situation than the one described
in the novel, this is due to the media. They try to show the system in
which we live as the perfect one and try to avoid the possible complaints.
In the novel, there´s a kind of exile of the characters that, despite
the adds and other methods of "only thought" have discordant ideas and
can be harmful to the established system.
Religion
is a very important fact in a human being´s life, that´s why
Huxley gives shape to it in this novel. Heavenly and imaginary gods that
survive due to the faith are replaced by a wordly idol called Ford. Previous
symbols are replaced by another one that glorify science and industry,
that´s "T" from "Ford T"; this "T" replaces, in Huxley´s novel,
Christian Cross. Moral values change, then, religion ment love; now, there´s
an unlimited trust in science advances. With this new religion, the need
to admire a superior being is satisfied, being this new idol adapted to
the new society. Religion is used by the state as a way to calm the population,
although there are a lot of doubts and worry because this new religion
doesn´t imply reflexion but faith. Nowadays, although religion has
a great influence on our society, there are several myths such as sportmen,
musicians or actors in order to dell products such as clothes, drinks,
cars and so on.
Another
parallelism between Huxley´s society and ours is the glorification
of certain characters who have achieved business success; no matter the
way they have achieved it. Huxley prevents us about a moral values mutation.
During
the trip that the main characters make to the savage reservation, we can
observe terrible differences among both cultures; the way people from the
reservation act is incomprehensible for both visitors. Both aesthetic standards
and savage rits were strange and unjustified.
In
Huxley´s world, sexuality is simply a game, even monogamy is not
well seen and in a certain way, society imposes polygamy. Relationships
desappear because the links in which these relationships were based desappear
as well, and so does family, that is a basic element in education and moral
values acquisition. Aesthetic values change as well because science has
stopped the degeneration of the body.
In
relation to the loss of irrational feelings, we find the nationalism. Terms
such as nation, country or state don´t appear in the novel, he even
talks about dead languages referring to languages which are used nowadays
such as Polish. Human identification is universal, not individual of each
country.
Huxley
refers to some characteristics which are showed as daily in the novel
and are historical aims for the society such as non growing old, showing,
again, a victory of science on nature.
To
sum up, Brave New World is a right prediction about the future of our society
in case we consider science advance as the source of human beings´
freedom and happiness.