Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

1. Brave New Worldby Aldous Huxley Utopiavs.Dystopia ELF 40S Ms. Van Den Bussche

2. Utopian and Dystopian Literature ELF 40S Ms. Van Den Bussche

3. What is Utopia? • A Utopia is a place or society that appears perfect in every way. • The government is perfect, working to improve societies standards of living rather then their own, social aspects of the community run perfectly. • There is no war or disease, only peace and happiness. Everyone outside this Utopian society looks to this place in wonder and awe, believing it is completely perfect in every such way. ELF 40S Ms. Van Den Bussche

4. What is Dystopia? • Dystopia came from the term Utopia. • It defines a place or society which is in complete chaos. • The citizens are all suffering and are miserable. • Often times in novels what appears to be a Utopian society it first by the visiting protagonist is actually revealed to be a dystopian society. • The citizens are often revealed to live in terror, under complete control by the government, unaware of corrupt world in which they actually live in, or suppressed by the society as a whole. ELF 40S Ms. Van Den Bussche

5. Historical Context of novel • Written in 1931 and published in 1932. • The novel is a response to the rapid changes that were taking place in society at this time. • The Industrial Revolution meant the world was transformed through science and machinery – improved medicine, sanitation, transport and communication links meant life was getting better for many. There was a lot of utopian fiction written at this point. • Then WW1 – 1914 and post world war era.

6. Roaring Twenties • The Roaring Twenties is a phrase used to describe the 1920s, principally in North America, but also in London, Berlin and Paris for a period of sustained economic prosperity. • After the doom of the First World war people started to break free from traditions: • Women gained more independence. • The working classes had more money to spend on leisure pursuits – drinking, dancing, music halls, etc. • Jazz and dancing rose in popularity and sexual morals began to change. • Consumer consumption was encouraged as a way of achieving economic stability.

7. Henry Ford& THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY

8. Henry Ford (1863 - 1947) was from Detroit, Michigan, USA and made his first car in his back yard in 1896. After several false starts, the Ford Motor Company was formed in 1903. The first product was the Model A, introduced in the same year. Their most successful product ever, the Model T, came out in September 1908. The Model T was the world's most successful car of the pre-WWII era. Between 1908 and 1927, sales outstripped any other with over 15 million cars and commercial vehicles produced world-wide...  approximately 100,000 Model-Ts survive... they were available in a variety of body styles, however the basic mechanical specification was the same in each. 

9. Henry Ford • Founder of the Ford Motor Company. • Developed assembly line technique of mass production • A Model T could be made “bumper to bumper” in 93 minutes. • Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry. • He became one of the richest and best-known people in the world.

10. Henry Ford • He is credited with "Fordism": mass production of inexpensive goods coupled with high wages for workers. Ford had a global vision, with consumerism as the key to peace. • Created Greenfield Village – paid men high wages of $5 a week but their wives could not work, they could not take in boarders, men could not drink in local bars, and workers had to attend church on Sundays. These were monitored!

11. Aldous Huxley Aldous Huxley was born in England in 1894 He wrote Brave New World in 1931 He moved to the USA in 1937 He died on November 22, 1963

12. Plot Synopsis A satire on a utopian society based on assembly lines. Everybody in the world is happy because they have soma. The main part of the book is about a savage, John, who is alienated by the utopia.

13. Brave New World • No one ever gets old or ill. • No one has parents. • There are no long term, loving relationships – e.g. between boyfriend and girlfriend or man and wife. • You can have as much sex as you want and there is no moral judgement made. Infact multiple sexual partners are encouraged!!!!!

14. Brave New World • Drug taking is encouraged – soma rations are handed out to all citizens to stop them being depressed/angry/unhappy. • There is no fighting, rebellion or questioning of authority because everyone is content. • Because no-one ever forms real attachments to each other – e.g. no mother, father, sister, brother then you will never experience grief and you are conditioned to accept death without emotion.

15. Biological Engineering • Human beings are grown in laboratories and brought up in large nurseries by staff rather than parents. • The opening chapter takes place in The Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre.

16. Caste System • Alphas – most intelligent, attractive and physically developed. • Betas • Gammas • Deltas • Epsilons – least intelligent and physically developed, often handicapped.

17. Bokanovsky Process • The Bokanovsky process means one embryo can be split to produce hundreds of human beings who are the same. Only applies to Gammas, Deltas and Epsilons.

18. Characters Director of Hatcheries – Opens the novel Henry Foster – Scientist in the Hatchery Lenina Crowne – Young and Pretty but Shallow Bernard Marx – A specialist in sleep-teaching who dates Lenina Fanny Crowne – Lenina’sroomate (not related) The Controller, Mustapha Mond – one of 10 people who control the state

19. Characters Helmholtz Watson– Alpha Plus who is a mental giant as well as superior physically but is a nonconformist John the Savage– grew up in New Mexico on a Reservation Linda – John’s mother – a Beta minus – accidently becomes pregnant Pope – Linda’s abusive lover on the reservation Soma – recreational drug

20. Conflicts Individual versus society John (Savage) versus the utopia Individual versus self Bernard Marx versus his conditioning

21. Themes The welfare of the individual vs. the stability of the community Materialism Commodification Utilitarian happiness

22. Tone The book is critical of the society presented in it Strongly satirical of the problems in our own society. Omniscient, godlike point of view.