Brave New World

1. Brave New World By Aldous Huxley Introduction Lecture

2. Genre: Dystopia Utopia: an ideal society possessing a perfect social and political system Dystopia: a society where the condition of life is extremely bad, as from deprivation, oppression, or terror • Often futuristic • Often under the guise of being a utopia • Often totalitarian 1

3. Popular Dystopias Earliest Literary Dystopia: Plato’s Republic • Government had a deep suspicion of literature • Viewed educated men as potentially subversive Genre became extremely popular in the 20th century… 2

4. Popular Dystopias 20th century popularity Attempts to put utopian ideals into place resulted in real-life dystopias: • Soviet Communism • German Nazism • Western Consumerism • Modernism • Technological mass production 3

5. Soviet Communism • Political system of social engineering working for a classless society of equals • Individual liberties were taken away from citizens because the government thought people could not be trusted to make decisions for themselves • Atheist worldview: Religious worship was suppressed 3

6. German Nazism • Movement led by Adolph Hitler to lead Germany out of its post-WWI depression • A pure race (Aryans) were thought to be superior • “Final solution” included eliminating whole races of people (e.g., Jews) and religion • The Aryan military class executed Jews, disabled people, the elderly, Catholic priests, an all dissenters • Doctors carried out experiments on non-Aryan patients (including pregnant women), treating them as sub-species animals 3

7. Western Consumerism • A social and economic order that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods and services in ever greater amounts. • People purchasing goods and consuming materials in excess of their basic needs • Characterized by propaganda and advertising everywhere • “Who owns you?” 3

8. Modernism • A group of movements in the 20th century that sought to break with the past • To eliminate traditions • To live without dependence on the family, the Church, and the community • Only novel and innovative ideas were considered worthy • Technological advancement was worshiped without questioning the possible ill consequences 3

9. Mass Production • Product of the Industrial Revolution • Production of large amounts of standardized products, including and especially on assembly lines • Contributed to consumerism • Henry Ford’s Model T was the first Mass produced car. 3

10. The Dystopian Writers • Reacted against one or more of the many 20th century movements to alter human society • Believed “the more man controls nature, the less he controls himself” • Warned against the “evil ends” that our technological advances would be used. • Created futuristic worlds that showed the potential dangers of the new 20th century movements. 3

11. Metropolis, the Movie • German silent film, 1927 • Credited as the first dystopian movie. • Depicting a mechanized, rigid society with a mindless, self-indulgent upper class benefiting from the brutal exploitation of the working-class masses. • (Ironically, the screenwriter of this hymn to equality and love, Thea von Harbou, went on to work with the Nazis.) 3

12. The Time Machine • H.G. Wells thought society was splitting into two castes that would eventually evolve into separate species because of their different conditions of existence. • The owners of capital were doomed to be physically weak • The workers were made increasingly amoral and angry by the harshness of their work. • Created the Eloi (owners) and the Morlocks (workers) 3

13. 1984 (George Orwell) QUESTION #3 • Orwell portrays the potential effects of Soviet Communism • Totalitarian state, where everyone is watched by Big Brother • TV cameras capture everyone’s movements • No one has any freedoms • Children spy on their parents and turn them in for any kind of political dissent 3

14. 1984 (George orwell) • Parents lose moral authority over their children • Children raised by the state (“It takes a village”) • Doublethink: to hold simultaneously two opinions which cancelled out, knowing them to be contradictory and believing in both of them. • War Is Peace, Ignorance Is Strength, Freedom Is Slavery • Newspeak: the attempt to make certain thoughts inexpressible through the reform of language. • Example: Ethnic Cleansing 3

15. Brave New world QUESTION #4 • Portrays a society that has been socially engineered for a mindless happiness. • No need for a totalitarian state because everyone is so “amused” and entertained by sex and drugs. • Technology drives the culture and takes away one’s humanity • A critique of consumerism, technology worship, mass media hypnotism 3

16. Brave New world • Human beings are treated like different model cars trundling off the Ford assembly line. • Babies are bred in bottles for designated roles in society comparable • The family is seen as unnecessary and revolting. 3

17. Fahrenheit 451 • Bradbury was influenced by Brave New World and 1984 • Provided a critique of the “information society” • Predicted many current trends: • the “dumbing down” of popular entertainment and education, • our growing addiction to TV, video games, and the Internet, • the rise of random violence among youth • taking pills for everything, the cult of consumerism. 3

18. For Next Class Read Chapters 1-3 Complete LRJ #1 Mood-Altering Drugs & Happiness Download : Brave New World LRJ prompts 3