Brave New World

I just finished Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. It is an amazing work, especially in a literary sense. His knowledge of literature, particularly Shakespeare is excellent.

I do not like the ending, but I suppose that it avoids a preachy Randian ending like the one in Anthem. (Though I believe Brave New World was published before Anthem.) The Savage knows what is good, true, and beautiful, but he is still flawed. In his revolt against the "perfection" of civilization, he moves in a completely opposite direction. He argues with the Controller for the existence and necessity of God, but he in turn has an incomplete and flawed view of Him. Christianity is mixed with animism and Native American rituals, and he does not grasp the redemptive power of Jesus' sacrifice and God's love. Instead, his acknowledgment of his own failings, feelings, and flaws overwhelms him and he turns to penance and asceticism. And, when he ultimately gives in to his desires, he subjects himself to the ultimate penance.

I could not help but compare this book to 1984 by George Orwell, as well as think back to other futuristic books such as the aforementioned Anthem by Ayn Rand, The Giver by Lois Lowry, and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. While reading A Brave New World, I expected it to include eugenics, euthanasia, and a totalitarian society as intolerant of nonconformists as the society in 1984. It is, however, a much tamer and nicer society. The people are entertained and kept docile like the people in Fahrenheit 451, though they are allowed to read books, but new books, not old ones. Everything hinges on comfort, instant gratification, and happiness at the expense of the good the true and the beautiful. Dissidents are exiled to islands, not tortured and ultimately killed as in 1984. In reading A Brave New World and thinking back to 1984, I believe that 1984 is the scariest book I have ever read. A Brave New World is not half as frightening as 1984 because I do not see it as being plausible. With my knowledge of human nature, 1984 is a more realistic possibility than A Brave New World as the society depicted in Huxley's book would not be able to be accomplished without killing people. It is rather tolerant, mainly because they keep the people drugged up and "happy." But to achieve this, there would have to be the experimenting with the embryos and older humans, the killing of dissidents, the suppressing of people, things that Huxley downplays, which in turn makes his book more palatable.

I finished this book in practically one sitting (all 300 pages) and enjoyed it. It makes one think and question when one reads it. The society is opposite ours in many respects. Why is this bad? What is wrong with their society? What is wrong with our society? How do we look at relationships? What do we value? In some respects, our society has come closer to the society in A Brave New World, and that is not good.