Brave New World

Each of these blogs should be a minimum of 300 words apiece. They are due at the beginning of class on Wednesday, January 28. Each question should receive its own post, meaning that you will have posted four blogs by the 28th.

1) Obviously, none of Huxley’s predictions have come true exactly. For that matter, none of The Jetson’s or Back to the Future’s predictions have come true exactly. Predicting the future is a tricky business, whether done seriously or in jest. However, there are elements of truth in Huxley’s vision of the world. Discuss some of these. Which aspects of Brave New World’s society seemed most relevant in 2009? Which most far-fetched? Why?

2) Comment on the purpose of sex, games, and sayings like “ending is better than mending” in the book. How are all of these things used as a method of control?

3) In chapter 17, Mustapha Mond and John Savage discuss civilization. John says two startling things: “What you need is something with tears for a change. Nothing costs enough here” and “But I don’t want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin.” Read this interchange carefully and then put Mond and Savage’s arguments into your own words.

4) One of the most difficult questions to answer about this book is why all of this is so very bad. Many people have described Huxley’s vision of the future as “horrifying.” However, the fact remains that everyone in the society is really happy, really content, really without war, or pain, or suffering. So what’s so bad about it, “really”? It’s often an easy answer to feel but a difficult one to verbalize. Respond to this issue. If you want to say it’s not so bad, and you really mean it, that is all right, too. Just be specific and thoughtful.