Brave Brave New New WorldWorldAn An IntroductionIntroduction

What is utopia? What is dystopia?

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Utopian and Dystopian LiteratureUtopian and Dystopian Literature

• Utopia Utopia (definition): refers to fictional writings that (definition): refers to fictional writings that present an present an idealideal but nonexistent but nonexistent political and political and social way of lifesocial way of life

• First Utopian work: First Utopian work: Plato’s Plato’s RepublicRepublic, in , in which Plato (c. 427-347 which Plato (c. 427-347 B.C.E), through the B.C.E), through the persona of Socrates, persona of Socrates, describes the describes the ideal ideal statestate

The Utopian AssumptionThe Utopian Assumption

The world as it is, is not what it ought to be, The world as it is, is not what it ought to be, but at the same time, it’s not what it has to be, but at the same time, it’s not what it has to be,

and it can and should be changed.and it can and should be changed.

Origin of termOrigin of termFrom Renaissance humanist From Renaissance humanist Sir Sir Thomas MoreThomas More, whose book , whose book UtopiaUtopia describes a perfect commonwealth. describes a perfect commonwealth.

More formed his title by conflating More formed his title by conflating the Greek words “the Greek words “eutopiaeutopia” (good ” (good place) and “place) and “outopiaoutopia” (no place).” (no place).

Dystopian LiteratureDystopian Literature• DystopiaDystopia (definition): literally, “ (definition): literally, “bad placebad place.” .”

Dystopian literature may best be defined as anti-Dystopian literature may best be defined as anti-utopian; the imaginary societies it portrays are the utopian; the imaginary societies it portrays are the very opposite of ideal.very opposite of ideal.

• Much newer genre than utopian literature, referring Much newer genre than utopian literature, referring to works of fiction that represent a to works of fiction that represent a very unpleasant very unpleasant imaginary worldimaginary world in in which ominous tendencies of which ominous tendencies of our present social, political, and technological our present social, political, and technological order are projected into a disastrous future order are projected into a disastrous future culmination.culmination.

• Brave New WorldBrave New World is is an example of a an example of a dystopiadystopia – a possible – a possible horrible world of the horrible world of the future.future.

• Often compared to Often compared to 19841984 (written 1948),(written 1948), another famous another famous dystopian work. dystopian work.

• 19841984’s author ’s author George OrwellGeorge Orwell (real (real name Eric Blair) was name Eric Blair) was a student of Huxley’s a student of Huxley’s at Eton.at Eton.

Life of Huxley (1894-Life of Huxley (1894-1963)1963)

• Came from a background of privilege and Came from a background of privilege and intellectual opportunity.intellectual opportunity.

• On his father’s side - grandson On his father’s side - grandson of of Thomas Henry HuxleyThomas Henry Huxley, the , the famous biologist who helped famous biologist who helped develop the Theory of Evolution.develop the Theory of Evolution.

• On his mother’s side – great On his mother’s side – great nephew of famous poet and critic nephew of famous poet and critic Matthew ArnoldMatthew Arnold

According to According to Gerald HeardGerald Heard (a friend), Huxley’s (a friend), Huxley’s ancestry “brought down on him a ancestry “brought down on him a weight of weight of intellectual authorityintellectual authority and a and a momentum of moral momentum of moral obligationsobligations.”.”

Brave New Brave New WorldWorld evidences evidences Huxley’s Huxley’s ambivalence ambivalence toward the toward the authority of a authority of a ruling classruling class..

Travels, 1925-1926Travels, 1925-1926

• Huxley first visits the United States.Huxley first visits the United States.

• He liked the confidence, vitality, and “generous He liked the confidence, vitality, and “generous extravagance” of American life, but not this vitality was extravagance” of American life, but not this vitality was channeled into amusement and distraction.channeled into amusement and distraction.

• Huxley: “It was all movement and noise, like the water Huxley: “It was all movement and noise, like the water gurgling out of a bath – gurgling out of a bath – down the waste.down the waste. Yes, down the Yes, down the wastewaste.”.”

• This impression would contribute to the vision of This impression would contribute to the vision of a a society dedicated to perpetual happinesssociety dedicated to perpetual happiness contained in contained in Brave New WorldBrave New World..

Brave New Brave New WorldWorldWritten in 4 months Written in 4 months in 1931 – BEFOREin 1931 – BEFORE Adolph HitlerAdolph Hitler came to came to power in Germanypower in Germany

. . . and BEFORE. . . and BEFORE Joseph Joseph StalinStalin started the started the aggression that started aggression that started the killing of millions of the killing of millions of people in the Soviet people in the Soviet Union.Union.

Influences on Influences on Huxley and Huxley and Brave New Brave New WorldWorld1930 - Anglican Church 1930 - Anglican Church becomes first Christian becomes first Christian denomination to denomination to “legalize” “legalize” contraception.contraception.

Huxley, an agnostic, Huxley, an agnostic, thought this decision thought this decision would prove tragic for would prove tragic for the world. the world.

Darwin and Darwin and EugenicsEugenics

• In the 19In the 19thth century, century, Darwin’sDarwin’s theory of natural theory of natural selectionselection (survival of the (survival of the fittest) produced the idea fittest) produced the idea that that some humans were some humans were less fit, less worthy to less fit, less worthy to procreate.procreate.

• In 1908, In 1908, The Eugenics The Eugenics SocietySociety began studying began studying ways to breed a “better ways to breed a “better human animalhuman animal.”.”

• Margaret SangerMargaret Sanger and her and her followers pushed contraception followers pushed contraception as a way to limit as a way to limit the breeding the breeding of the “human weeds,”of the “human weeds,” as she as she called them.called them.

• In fascist Italy, In fascist Italy, Benito Benito MussoliniMussolini led an authoritarian led an authoritarian govt. that fought birth control govt. that fought birth control in order to in order to produce enough produce enough manpower for the next warmanpower for the next war..

Impact of these eventsImpact of these events

• Huxley felt that Huxley felt that heredityheredity made each made each individual individual uniqueunique, and , and the uniqueness of the uniqueness of the individual was essential to freedom.the individual was essential to freedom.

• Huxley thus saw such Huxley thus saw such efforts to control efforts to control humanhuman reproductionreproduction—by people like —by people like Sanger and Mussolini—as a Sanger and Mussolini—as a potential potential threat to freedom.threat to freedom.

• He was also influenced by reading of He was also influenced by reading of books critical of the Soviet Union.books critical of the Soviet Union.

Later YearsLater Years • In the 1950’s participated in In the 1950’s participated in an experiment in which he an experiment in which he took mescaline, a derivative took mescaline, a derivative of peyoteof peyote

• Wrote about his experience Wrote about his experience in in The Doors of Perception.The Doors of Perception.

• Explores the value of such Explores the value of such drugs for expanding drugs for expanding consciousnessconsciousness

• This is ironic given the This is ironic given the strong feelings he expresses strong feelings he expresses in in Brave New WorldBrave New World against against taking such drugs.taking such drugs.

• The title taken from 18The title taken from 18thth century century poet William Blake: poet William Blake: “If “If the doors the doors of perceptionof perception were cleansed, were cleansed, everything would appear to man everything would appear to man as it is, infinite”as it is, infinite” ( (The Marriage of The Marriage of Heaven and HellHeaven and Hell).).

• The ’60s band The ’60s band The The DoorsDoors took their took their name from the title name from the title of Huxley’s book.of Huxley’s book.

““I wanted to I wanted to change the change the world. But I world. But I have found that have found that the only thing the only thing one can be sure one can be sure of changing is of changing is oneself.” – oneself.” – Aldous HuxleyAldous Huxley

Satirical Commentary

• Although the novel is set in the future it deals with contemporary issues of the early 20th century.

• The Industrial Revolution had transformed the world. Mass production had made cars, telephones, and radios relatively cheap and widely available throughout the developed world.

• The political, cultural, economic and sociological upheavals of the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the First World War (1914–1918) were resonating throughout the world as a whole and the individual lives of most people.

Characters• Polly Trotsky (Leon Trotsky)• Benito Hoover (Benito Mussolini; Herbert Hoover)• Lenina Crowne (Vladimir Lenin; John Crowne)• Fanny Crowne (Fanny Brawne; John Crowne)• Mustapha Mond (Mustafa Kemal Atatürk; Alfred Mond and Ludwig Mond, at whose

factory Huxley worked for a time, which helped to inspire the novel)• Helmholtz Watson (Hermann von Helmholtz; John B. Watson)• Henry Foster (Henry Ford)• Bernard Marx (George Bernard Shaw; Karl Marx)• Morgana Rothschild (The Rothschild banking family)• Joanna Diesel (Rudolf Diesel)• Fifi Bradlaugh (Charles Bradlaugh)• Sarojini Engels (Sarojini Naidu; Friedrich Engels)• Clara Deterding (Henri Deterding)• Tom Kawaguchi (Ekai Kawaguchi)• Herbert Bakunin (Herbert George Wells; Mikhail Bakunin).

Major Themes in Major Themes in BNWBNW

• The The Use ofUse of TechnologyTechnology to to Control SocietyControl Society

• ConsumerismConsumerism

• The The IncompatibilityIncompatibility of of HappinessHappiness and and TruthTruth

• The The DangersDangers of an of an All-Powerful StateAll-Powerful State

• The Pursuit of Pleasure (The Pursuit of Pleasure (HedonismHedonism))

• The The Individual vs. SocietyIndividual vs. Society