A Consideration of the Underlying Themes in A Brave New World
The story of a Brave New World takes place in a totalitarian society where people are raised with the understanding that they have been hatched from test tubes rather than through the normal process of birth.(1) As a result, this thinking in the absence of a spiritual deity changes the view of the world the characters live in. This thought is reinforced by the fact that the character, Bernard Marx does not fit the societal norms and leaves many with the idea that there must have been a chemical mistake during his period of incubation.
Huxley skillfully paints a picture that is so technologically advanced that the common threads of morality and normal human aspirations have been pushed aside so that people are focused more on the advancement of industrial and economic growth rather than on the individual. They have been conditioned to view their lives from an entirely different perspective where success is determined by the scientific advancements of the time.
While the society that Huxley created takes place in the future, it forces us all to view the role that technology is playing in our day and to ask whether we are already on the precipice of the birth of this new world. Many of the advancements he writes about and the standardized regulation of science can be seen emerging right now in today’s modern and progressive world. For that reason, many may view A Brave New World as a sort of prophetic picture of where our society is heading and how the cultural morals and values of today are already beginning to change.
The Themes
There are several pervasive themes that emerge throughout the novel; one of which is the concept that without technological advancements progress is society is hampered. We see that the fundamental goals of mankind, consumerism, and productivity are at the heart of Huxley’s world. Consumerism for example, can be seen in his comment that “We always throw away old clothes. Ending is better than mending.” The people in his society are conditioned to believe that replacing the old is a symbol of success. Leading all to conclude that in order to succeed one must embrace invention and new innovation.
We also learn though the story that religion has been forgotten and the only figures that are due homage are historical inventors like Henry Ford, the inventor of the Model T. The fact that Ford has been elevated to a god like status is clearly indicated by the fact that the traditional BC and AD used in our present dating system has been replaced with BF and AF, Before Ford and After Ford. In this he shows us that God, is the very ideal of society and at the heart of his new government, a ‘Technocracy.’
The impact of technological advancements can be seen in Huxley’s depiction that society has surrendered to technology in a number of ways.(2) While technology does not provide mankind with a moral balance or a philosophy on which to base their lives upon, there is an underlying philosophy by which they can base their very existence upon.
Caste Systems
To that end, there are several castes of Huxley’s society. At the low end are the simple workers, which make up drones and one-task thinkers. We recall that even the creation of human life is now a matter of mass production and through this process, each worker can and is engineered to perform a specific purpose; those that are born for a life of servitude are conditioned from birth that their lives will be meager so they are content with the lot they have been given.
In short, in Huxley’s new world the concept of individualism and spirituality have been removed and the reader is forced to not only learn about Huxley’s world through the pages but take a closer look at the world we live in today. Based on Huxley’s theories, there will come a time when our advancements in modern technology will have already begun to head in that direction where the best of intentions can go horribly wrong and mankind’s individuality and uniqueness will eventually fade into the background. We are left with the question; will we embrace this loss as a natural evolution in the world or will we fear it.
References:
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/bravenew/themes.html>
http://www.huxley.net/>