Brave New World is a dystopian novel by Aldous Huxley, first ..., Study notes of History

Download Brave New World is a dystopian novel by Aldous Huxley, first ... and more Study notes History in PDF only on Docsity! POWER OF LANGUAGE BRAVE NEW WORLD STUDENT: HOUR: DATE: BRAVE NEW WORLD PAGE 1 OF 16 Brave New World is a dystopian novel by Aldous Huxley, first published in 1932. Set in London in 2540, the novel anticipates developments in reproductive technology, biological engineering, and sleep- learning that combine to change society. History and context Aldous Huxley wrote Brave New World in 1932 while he was living in France and England (a British writer, he moved to California in 1937). By this time, Huxley had already established himself as a writer and social satirist. He was a contributor to Vanity Fair and Vogue magazines, had published a collection of his poetry entitled The Burning Wheel in 1916 and published four successful satirical novels. Brave New World was Huxley's fifth novel and first attempt at a utopian novel. The work was inspired by the H.G. Wells’ utopian novel Men Like Gods. Wells' optimistic vision of the future gave Huxley the idea to begin writing a parody of the novel, which became Brave New World. Contrary to the most popular optimist utopian novels of the time, Huxley sought to provide a frightening vision of the future. Huxley referred to Brave New World as a "negative utopia", somewhat influenced by Wells’ own The Sleeper Awakes and the works of D.H. Lawrence. Although the novel is set in the future, it contains contemporary issues of the early 20th century. The Industrial Revolution was bringing about massive changes to the world. Mass production had made cars, telephones, and radios relatively cheap and widely available throughout the developed world. The horrific events of the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the first World War (1914-1918) were resonating throughout the world. Novel Elements The novel begins in London in the "year of our Ford 632" (AD 2540 in the Gregorian Calendar). The planet is united as The World State under a peaceful world government established in the aftermath of an apocalyptic global war in the 21st century; a government which has eliminated war, poverty, crime and unhappiness by creating a homogeneous high-tech society across Earth, based on the industrial principles of Henry Ford. Fordism forms the bedrock of the new society, gaining a quasi-religious status and forming the backbone of political and economic ideologies. You will learn more about these societal elements as you read, but some unique facets of the new World State are described below: * Society is rigidly divided into five classes - Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon which can be sub-divided even further into categories such as plus, minus and semi-moron. * Recreational drug use has become a pillar of society and all citizens regularly swallow tablets of soma, a narcotic-tranquilizer that makes users mindlessly happy. * A significant aspect of the society is the mechanization of reproduction. Citizens of the World state do not reproduce naturally: people are taught to view natural reproduction as a primitive act. * The World State is built around the principles of Henry Ford, who has become a Messianic figure revered by society. The world has embraced a cult of consumerism, and Ford's famous phrase "History is bunk" has become The World State's approach to the past. BRAVE NEW WORLD PAGE 2 OF 16 Major Characters Most of the characters in this utopian novel exist to voice ideas in words or to embody them in their behavior. John, Bernard, Helmholtz, and the Controller express ideas through real personalities, but you will appreciate most of the others more if you see them as exaggerations or caricatures rather than as fully-developed characters: THE DIRECTOR OF HATCHERIES AND CONDITIONING The Director opens the novel by explaining the reproductive system of the brave new world, with genetically engineered babies growing in bottles. He loves to pretend he is a “know-it-all”, but he actually knows less and is less important than the Controller. The Director, whose name is Thomas, makes a startling confession to Bernard Marx that later comes back to haunt him. HENRY FOSTER Henry is a scientist in the London Hatchery, an ideal citizen of the world state: efficient and intelligent at work, filling his leisure time with sports and casual sex. He is not an important character but helps Huxley explain the workings of the Hatchery, show Lenina's passionless sex life, and explore the gulf between Bernard and the "normal" citizens of Utopia. LENINA CROWNE Lenina is young and pretty. She is, like Henry Foster, a happy, shallow citizen. One notable idiosyncrasy is the fact that she sometimes spends more time than society approves dating one man exclusively. THE CONTROLLER, MUSTAPHA MOND Mond is one of the ten people who control the World State. He is good-natured, dedicated to his work, and extremely intelligent; he understands people and ideas that are different, which most Utopians cannot do. Indeed, he resembles the Oxford professors that Huxley knew, and his discussion of happiness with the Savage resembles a tutorial between an Oxford don and his most challenging student. Mond is one of the few Utopians who can choose, who has free will. As you learn more about him, you will have to decide whether he is a “servant” of the World State or perhaps the most dangerous person in this Brave New World. BERNARD MARX A specialist in sleep-teaching, Bernard does not fit the uniformity that usually characterizes all members of the same caste. He is an Alpha of high intelligence and therefore a member of the elite, but he is small and therefore regarded as deformed. Notice how his personality changes as the novel progresses. HELMHOLTZ WATSON Helmholtz, like Bernard, is different from the average Alpha-plus intellectual. A mental giant who is also successful in sports and sex, he's almost too good to be true. Helmholtz’s interaction with John complicates his life considerably. JOHN THE SAVAGE John grew up absorbing three cultures: the Utopia he heard about from his mother; the Indian culture in which he lived, but which rejected him as an outsider; and the plays of Shakespeare, which he read in a book that survived from pre-Utopian days. John, in short, is different from the other Savages and from the Utopians. Consider how Huxley uses this character to explore some intriguing moral and philosophical questions. LINDA Linda is John's mother, a Beta minus who is also rejected by both the Native community and the World State. Notice the effects of her self-destructive behavior, and its effects on her son. BRAVE NEW WORLD PAGE 5 OF 16 Standards Focus: Allusions and Unique Terms In his fictional novel Brave New World. Huxley makes many allusions, or references to real-life people, places or concepts. But he also invents his own terminology, and there are many new terms and concepts with which you should become familiar before reading and for reference as you read the novel. Allusions Character/Concept Bernard Marx Lenina Crowne Benito Hoover Malthusian belt, Malthusian Drill conditioning and Neo-Pavlovian Ford George Bernard Shaw Freud Helmholtz Watson Mustapha Mond Mond Brave New World Allusion to Karl Marx, founder of Marxism, Socialism Russian revolutionary and founder of the communist party Vladimir Lenin Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and 31 at U.S. President Herbert Hoover Political economist Thomas Malthus, an early proponent of birth control for population regulation Russian scientist Ivan Pavlov and his conditioning experiments (Pavlov’s dogs) Henry Ford, creator of Model T Ford and modern assembly-line work Irish writer and socialist George Bernard Shaw Austrian psychiatrist and founder of psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud John B. Watson, American psychologist, founder of behaviorism, together with Rosalie Rayner conducted controversial "Little Albert" experiment Founder of modern Turkey, Mustapha Kemal Ataturk rnonde-''world'' or "people" in French From Shakespeare's The Tempest, Miranda says: "O,wonder How many goodly creatures are there here! How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world, That has such people in’t" BRAVE NEW WORLD PAGE 6 OF 16 Terms A.F. Bokanovsky Group Bottling Centrifugal Bumble-Puppy D.H.C. decanting room ectogenesis feelies hypnopaedia Malthusian belt Neo-Pavlovian Conditioning Nine Years' War orgy-porgy phosphorus recovery pneumatic Podsnap's technique pregnancy substitute Annum Ford, After Ford identical twins which have been created by a single egg divided numerous times through Bokanvosky's Process process by which embryos are grown a game in which children throw a ball onto a rotating disk that throws the ball back in a random direction, and is meant to be caught The Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning a room where the babies are removed from the bottles a process by which embryos are grown outside of a womb, in this case, they are grown in bottles similar to modem movie-theaters; viewers are able to feel the emotion and smell the smells of the movie in front of them one step of the conditioning process by which while sleeping, babies and children listen to repeated messages about morals and their place in society, and are completely conditioned to live and breathe these messages a belt that dispenses contraceptives loud noises, flashing lights and electric shock used on babies to condition their likes and dislikes the war that enabled the Ten World Controllers to take over power a chant and dance of a Solidarity Service; sexual in nature the process in which phosphorus is recovered from cremated bodies to be used in fertilizer "air filled" or well-endowed a process of ripening thousands of eggs at the same time so that they can be born when needed an injection that tricks the body into thinking it is pregnant, controlling hormones BRAVE NEW WORLD PAGE 7 OF 16 Savage Reservation Solidarity Service soma soma holiday viviparous a dumping ground for savages, or people who were naturally born a religious service with a strong sexual content a legal drug without side- or after-effects; makes people "happy" when needed to be drugged up with soma for a long period of time bearing live young rather than eggs The Caste System Alphas Top of the caste system; top intellects; tall; wear grey (very few Alphas; all are men) Betas Managers; above average intelligence; wear blues, reds and mulberry Gammas Workers; low intelligence; wear green Deltas Low workers; very low intelligence; wear khaki Epsilon Near brainless workers; short; wear black BRAVE NEW WORLD PAGE 10 OF 16 A Superior reflection full completeness Student commitment to log writing process is impressive Thoughtful evidence from every chapter is given, evaluated, and cited appropriately Strong technological connection to Huxley and connection to America is made. B Good reflection/adequate completeness Student commitment to log writing process is satisfactory Good evidence from every chapter is given, evaluated, and cited appropriately An acceptable technological connection to Huxley and connection to America is made. Log meets requirements but is not as strong as an A C Some reflection/some completeness Student is minimally committed to the log writing process Some evidence that the student has participated but few quotes, commentary and citations exist. Some connection to Huxley and America is made, but reflection is simple and brief. D Inferior reflection Infrequent reflection/completeness is flawed Student does not seem committed to the log or reading process Little evidence that the student has read the novel or understood the assignment. The student did not quote, cite, evaluate or discuss Huxley's worries about technology or America's potential fear. E Little reflection/Lack of completeness Student is clearly not committed to the log or the reading process. No evidence that the student read the novel or assignment. No evidence is listed, analysis is missing, citations are missing, reflection on the technological world is missing o Log is appropriately labeled o Presentation is neat o There is proof that the log has been edited. The log does not read as a rough draft. o Log is typed (no handwritten logs accepted) BRAVE NEW WORLD PAGE 11 OF 16 POWER OF LANGUAGE BRAVE NEW WORLD: CHAPTERS 1-3 STUDENT: HOUR: DATE: Comprehension Check: Chapters 1-3 Directions: Use the following questions to help guide your reading and understanding of Chapters 1-3. As you read the novel, answer the questions using complete sentences. Chapter 1 1. What is the World State's motto? 2. Where does the story begin? In what year? 3. What is Bokanovsky's Process? What is the result? 4. In what conditions are the bottles stored? Why? 5. What are freemartins? What symbol are they given? 6. What is the point of conditioning, according to the D.H.C? Chapter 2 1. What happens to the Delta babies after they were lured to the books and flowers? 2. Why were they conditioned to hate flowers? 3. In a short paragraph, describe how the idea of hypnopaedia was discovered. Why were the first experimenters on the "wrong track" according to the D.H.C? What does this society teach? 4. What word or words are "Our Ford" and "his fordship" replacing in this society? Chapter 3 (Be careful to keep track of the different scenes going on at the same time in this chapter. Huxley jumps from one conversation to another between Mustapha and the students, Henry and Bernard, and Lenina and Fanny-look for the extra line space for the shifts) 1. What unusual behavior is encouraged in the childrens' play? 2. What does Mond mean when he says "History is bunk"? 3. What are a few of the "smutty" or "vulgar" words in their language? 4. Why does Fanny chastise Lenina for going out with Hemy again? 5. Lenina wears green for her date, but of what class is she? 6. Why does Bernard dislike Henry Foster? 7. What is soma? BRAVE NEW WORLD PAGE 12 OF 16 POWER OF LANGUAGE BRAVE NEW WORLD: CHAPTERS 4-6 STUDENT: HOUR: DATE: Comprehension Questions: Chapters 4-6 Directions: Use the following questions to help guide your reading and understanding of Chapters 4-6. As you read the novel, answer the questions using complete sentences. Chapter 4 1. Of what class is the elevator operator? Describe him. 2. How is Bernard different from other Alphas? What is rumored to have caused his differences? 3. Why do Bernard and Helmholtz Watson feel out of place? 4. What thoughts have been recently plaguing Helmholtz? Chapter 5 1. What is the crematorium and for what is it used? What is the point of this process? 2. What is unusual about the "Bottle of Mine" song? 3. Why is Lenina able to remember her birth control precautions despite the fact she took too much soma? 4. From what age did she begin training for this experience? 5. In one or two paragraphs, describe the events of the Solidarity Service? 6. What does Bernard do that makes him feel even more out of place at the Solidarity Service? Chapter6 1. What does Bernard want to do on his date with LeItina that she finds odd? 2. What did Bernard regret doing after his first date with Lenina? 3. What happened to the D.H.C and his Beta-Minus date when he visited the New Mexico Reservation 25 years ago? 4. To where does the D.H.C warn Bernard he will send him if he continues his current behavior? 5. Rather than the soap, hand lotion and shampoo that we are used to, what do Bernard and Lenina find waiting for them in their hotel room? 6. What did Bernard remember that he left running back at home? BRAVE NEW WORLD PAGE 15 OF 16 POWER OF LANGUAGE BRAVE NEW WORLD: CHAPTERS 13-15 STUDENT: HOUR: DATE: Comprehension Cheek: Chapters 13-15 Directions: Use the following questions to help guide your reading and understanding of Chapters 13-15. As you read the novel, answer the questions using complete sentences. Chapter 13 1. What does Henry suggest Lenina do for her bad mood? 2. What is Lenina thinking about when she makes a mistake at work? What is the result of her mistake years later? 3. What does John try to ten Lenina? What is her reaction? 4. How does John respond to Lenina's reaction? 5. What "saves" Lenina from being trapped in the bathroom? Chapter 14 1. To where has John been summoned by the phone call? 2. While John is by his mother's bedside, who interrupts his visit? Why? What is John's reaction? 3. Who does Linda think is actually there? What is John’s reaction to this? 4. What axe the children given to reinforce their death conditioning? Chapter 15 1. What does John see in the hospital vestibule? To what does he compare the khaki mob? 2. Why do you think John keeps repeating the phrase "0 brave new world"? How is his tone different now from when he first arrived in the new world and quoted the phrase? 3. Who arrives at the hospital? What does Helmholtz do? What does Bernard do? 4. How do the police suppress the riot? BRAVE NEW WORLD PAGE 16 OF 16 POWER OF LANGUAGE BRAVE NEW WORLD: CHAPTERS 16-18 STUDENT: HOUR: DATE: Comprehension Cheek: Chapters 16-18 Directions: Use the following questions to help guide your reading and understanding of Chapters 16-18. As you read the novel, answer the questions using complete sentences. Chapter 16 1. How does Mond justify the banishment of Shakespeare and other beautiful things? 2. What does Mond say has taken the place of high art? 3. Why can't everyone be Alpha-decanted and conditioned, according to Mond? What does he assert would be the result? 4. What was the Cyprus Experiment? What was the result? Why? 5. What does Mond say is a "menace to stability'''? 6. What does Mond say is a ''possible enemy"? Do you agree or disagree? 7. What is a "cookery book" according to Mond? What nearly happened to him as a result of his "cooking"? 8. What is Bemard's reaction to the hint that they were to be sent to an island? What do you think about his reaction? 9. To where does Helmholtz prefer to be sent? Why? Chapter 17 1. What does Mond call the old books about religion, including the Bible? 2. Explain what a VPS does. What does it attempt to replace? 3. What rights does John claim? What exactly does this mean for him? Chapter 18 1. What does John say metaphorically made him ill? What literally made him ill? 2. Why does he do this? 3. To where does John go to be left alone? 4. What does John do to himself in order to purify and rid himself of his feelings of guilt and disgust? 5. What interrupts John's independence? 6. Why does John kill himself? Besides the uproar and breach of his privacy, what factors do you think: lead to this decision?