"During the first days, the Savage lived alone and undisturbed." (pg. 246)
This chapter was just weird. I honestly could have done without it, although I'm sure it's very important. I wasn't really all that surprised when John killed himself. He never would have been able to handle living like this, so this was kind of his only out-not that I'm promoting suicide. I just couldn't see him being okay with people gawking at him all the time.
I enjoyed reading Brave New World much more than Never Let Me Go because I felt it was much more engaging. And I liked in the end that there were islands and people like Helmholtz weren't just killed off. I do have to say that the ending of BNW did not have the shock factor of NLMG.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Brave New World-19
"'Art, science-you seem to have paid a fairly high price for your happiness.'" (pg. 232)
I think these last few chapters were Huxley's call to action. Don't sacrifice things like religion, art, and science for a stable "happy" world. Without these types of things, people lose their humanity.
I like how science was noted as one of the things people lost. The whole book is very scientific, but this is a very limited form of science. Scientists can only study and do what their told; there's not room for them to think and ask their own questions. I see this world as very gray. There's no beauty or inspiration or passion because that would be a threat to the stability. There's no room to create, or even think for yourself.
I think these last few chapters were Huxley's call to action. Don't sacrifice things like religion, art, and science for a stable "happy" world. Without these types of things, people lose their humanity.
I like how science was noted as one of the things people lost. The whole book is very scientific, but this is a very limited form of science. Scientists can only study and do what their told; there's not room for them to think and ask their own questions. I see this world as very gray. There's no beauty or inspiration or passion because that would be a threat to the stability. There's no room to create, or even think for yourself.
Brave New World-18-Implied Metaphor
"'You cannot pour upper-caste champagne-surrogate into lower-caste bottles.'" (pg. 223)
This metaphor means that a high-class person can't live the life of a low-class one. In this society, I have to agree. People are so well conditioned that anything out of their ordinary isn't okay. Their taught that this is there station in life, and that's all there is. For our culture though, I do think it's possible. For someone who's lost their job, they may not have a choice to take a job that isn't quite up to par with their previous level of work. It's necessary to make sacrifices like that to make a living. The people of this book, though, don't have to worry about losing their job because their economy is stable, and the word sacrifice isn't even in their vocabulary.
This metaphor means that a high-class person can't live the life of a low-class one. In this society, I have to agree. People are so well conditioned that anything out of their ordinary isn't okay. Their taught that this is there station in life, and that's all there is. For our culture though, I do think it's possible. For someone who's lost their job, they may not have a choice to take a job that isn't quite up to par with their previous level of work. It's necessary to make sacrifices like that to make a living. The people of this book, though, don't have to worry about losing their job because their economy is stable, and the word sacrifice isn't even in their vocabulary.
Brave New World-17
"Grief and remorse, compassion and duty-all were forgotten now and, as it were, absorbed into an intense over-powering hatred of these less than human monsters." (pg. 212)
John has pretty much lost his mind. I completely agree that these people need to be freed, but randomly running around causing havoc is not the way to go about that. I'm surprised the Deltas didn't kill him for taking their soma. This doesn't seem like the kind of society that tolerates this type of thing, so I don't think these guys are going to be alive for much longer.
Bernard's reaction to the whole thing was, I thought, understandable for the kind of person he is. I have to say, I'm really surprised he didn't just run away. He's shown himself to be very fickle when it comes to friends, so I thought he would deny it when the guards asked if he were friends with them. It may not end well for him, but at least he wasn't a coward.
John has pretty much lost his mind. I completely agree that these people need to be freed, but randomly running around causing havoc is not the way to go about that. I'm surprised the Deltas didn't kill him for taking their soma. This doesn't seem like the kind of society that tolerates this type of thing, so I don't think these guys are going to be alive for much longer.
Bernard's reaction to the whole thing was, I thought, understandable for the kind of person he is. I have to say, I'm really surprised he didn't just run away. He's shown himself to be very fickle when it comes to friends, so I thought he would deny it when the guards asked if he were friends with them. It may not end well for him, but at least he wasn't a coward.
Brave New World-16
"...as though any one mattered as much as all that!" (pg. 206)
I'm not really sure how I feel about how the people of this society treat death. They look at it just as a fact of life, and this eliminates all the sadness from it. At the same time, these people are all alone. They're conditioned to be okay with that, but still. I obviously can not understand how they feel, but I don't want to die in a hospital room all alone. At least Linda had John.
John's about to go do something crazy, and I don't think it's going to end well. First the thing with Lenina, then his mom dies. Especially in a society focused on stability, John is very unstable right now.
I'm not really sure how I feel about how the people of this society treat death. They look at it just as a fact of life, and this eliminates all the sadness from it. At the same time, these people are all alone. They're conditioned to be okay with that, but still. I obviously can not understand how they feel, but I don't want to die in a hospital room all alone. At least Linda had John.
John's about to go do something crazy, and I don't think it's going to end well. First the thing with Lenina, then his mom dies. Especially in a society focused on stability, John is very unstable right now.
Brave New World-15
"Twenty-two years, eight, months, and four days from that moment, a promising young Alpha-Minus administrator at Mwanza-Mwanza was to die of trypanosomiasis..." (pg. 187)
Obviously, none of my predictions were right. Society doesn't change if they're still using the caste-system twenty-two years from now. I have to say a revolution wasn't really looking that promising anyway, but I still hoped.
My predictions about Lenina and John could not have been farther off. I thought that she might come to love him, but I think she's so well conditioned that love may not even be possible for her. I was not at all expecting that reaction from John. I think civilization is making him lose his mind. I'm not saying he should have been with her, but I was shocked by his violent reaction. Lenina, on the other hand, should have used some common sense to see that he wasn't going for it.
Obviously, none of my predictions were right. Society doesn't change if they're still using the caste-system twenty-two years from now. I have to say a revolution wasn't really looking that promising anyway, but I still hoped.
My predictions about Lenina and John could not have been farther off. I thought that she might come to love him, but I think she's so well conditioned that love may not even be possible for her. I was not at all expecting that reaction from John. I think civilization is making him lose his mind. I'm not saying he should have been with her, but I was shocked by his violent reaction. Lenina, on the other hand, should have used some common sense to see that he wasn't going for it.
Brave New World-14-Couplet
"'Oh! she doth teach the torches to burn bright.
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night...'" (pg. 178)
This couplet, obviously taken from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, is very important to John. He sees himself as Romeo and Lenina as Juliet, but the problem is that she just sees him as another man she wants to be with. Helmholtz has not only never heard Shakespeare, but he has never heard most of the themes within them. I'm not surprised when he laughs about love. In a way, it's the same thing as when I laugh about their lack of love. They're two very distinct cultures, and they don't really have much in common. I'm surprised that John was that offended about Helmholtz laughing, because at this point, he should recognize that these people don't view love and marriage as he does. Shakespeare is supposed to be banned, but they're all reading it, so if they're caught, they're going to be in a lot of trouble.
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night...'" (pg. 178)
This couplet, obviously taken from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, is very important to John. He sees himself as Romeo and Lenina as Juliet, but the problem is that she just sees him as another man she wants to be with. Helmholtz has not only never heard Shakespeare, but he has never heard most of the themes within them. I'm not surprised when he laughs about love. In a way, it's the same thing as when I laugh about their lack of love. They're two very distinct cultures, and they don't really have much in common. I'm surprised that John was that offended about Helmholtz laughing, because at this point, he should recognize that these people don't view love and marriage as he does. Shakespeare is supposed to be banned, but they're all reading it, so if they're caught, they're going to be in a lot of trouble.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Brave New World-13-Internal Conflict
"Bound by strong vows that had never been pronounced, obedient to laws that had long since ceased to run, he sat averted and in silence." (pg. 170)
John's internal conflict is Lenina vs. honor. This round, honor won, but I don't think John will be able to stay away from Lenina for long. John would be considered a gentleman in our time, but I think around the influence of the "Everyone belongs to everyone" mentality, he's going to give in. John would want to be Lenina's only; he might even think about marriage to her. To Lenina, this idea would be ridiculous-at least for now. Maybe because John won't be with her right away, she'll actually develop feelings for him. I mean, she does go home and take soma to cure her disappointment. She obviously wants him to want her. That may just be the hormones talking, but maybe it's deeper than that.
Prediction: Lenina and John will eventually get together, and she'll get pregnant, but she's come to love John, so she doesn't abort the baby. Far-fetched, but it could happen.
John's internal conflict is Lenina vs. honor. This round, honor won, but I don't think John will be able to stay away from Lenina for long. John would be considered a gentleman in our time, but I think around the influence of the "Everyone belongs to everyone" mentality, he's going to give in. John would want to be Lenina's only; he might even think about marriage to her. To Lenina, this idea would be ridiculous-at least for now. Maybe because John won't be with her right away, she'll actually develop feelings for him. I mean, she does go home and take soma to cure her disappointment. She obviously wants him to want her. That may just be the hormones talking, but maybe it's deeper than that.
Prediction: Lenina and John will eventually get together, and she'll get pregnant, but she's come to love John, so she doesn't abort the baby. Far-fetched, but it could happen.
Brave New World-12
"He put his hands over his ears and rushed out of the room." (pg. 152)
The Director is kind of a huge coward. And by kind of, I mean completely. I guess I don't really have anything to compare that to, but still. Thirty seconds ago, he was all high and mighty and about to send Bernard to Iceland. The fact that he changed so quickly from pompous leader to scolded school boy was shocking. He probably didn't really know what else to do, but I still would have expected more from him. However, I don't think we've seen the last of him. I would bet he's going to try to do something to get revenge on Bernard.
I also think the whole thing was kind of low of Bernard. He did have reason, because the Director was being a jerk, but springing Linda on him like that was low. Bernard should still have been the bigger person.
The Director is kind of a huge coward. And by kind of, I mean completely. I guess I don't really have anything to compare that to, but still. Thirty seconds ago, he was all high and mighty and about to send Bernard to Iceland. The fact that he changed so quickly from pompous leader to scolded school boy was shocking. He probably didn't really know what else to do, but I still would have expected more from him. However, I don't think we've seen the last of him. I would bet he's going to try to do something to get revenge on Bernard.
I also think the whole thing was kind of low of Bernard. He did have reason, because the Director was being a jerk, but springing Linda on him like that was low. Bernard should still have been the bigger person.
Brave New World-11-Onomatopoeia
"Zip, and then zip; zip, and then zip;..." (pg. 143)
Everyone has sat and mindlessly played with a zipper. Even just getting dressed everyday, it's a common sound. Most people have seen the wonder on a child's face as he or she plays with a zipper. When my sister Emma was a baby, she was astonished by the sound, so that made this onomatopoeia really help me imagine the scene as John plays with a zipper for the first time. He's read Shakespeare and seems so mature, but he's still so naive when it comes to technology. He's been going up in a culture that is primal even by today's standards-even by the standards of 500 years ago. Honestly, if he is this in awe of a zipper, it'll be really interesting to see the technology in London. I mean, it's one thing to hear about it from his mom; it'll be something completely different to see it. I really don't think he's going to fit in at all in London, and I don't really think he'll like it. No matter how hard his mom tried, he was not raised like those in London, and I don't think he'll be okay with the way they live.
Everyone has sat and mindlessly played with a zipper. Even just getting dressed everyday, it's a common sound. Most people have seen the wonder on a child's face as he or she plays with a zipper. When my sister Emma was a baby, she was astonished by the sound, so that made this onomatopoeia really help me imagine the scene as John plays with a zipper for the first time. He's read Shakespeare and seems so mature, but he's still so naive when it comes to technology. He's been going up in a culture that is primal even by today's standards-even by the standards of 500 years ago. Honestly, if he is this in awe of a zipper, it'll be really interesting to see the technology in London. I mean, it's one thing to hear about it from his mom; it'll be something completely different to see it. I really don't think he's going to fit in at all in London, and I don't really think he'll like it. No matter how hard his mom tried, he was not raised like those in London, and I don't think he'll be okay with the way they live.
Brave New World-10-Flashback
"'As far back as I can remember.'" (pg. 123)
This chapter is almost entirely a flashback. It tells us all the important events in John's life so that we can understand what has made him the person he is. I noted in my last blog that John is a mix of both worlds, and these flashbacks reinforce that. I would have to say that not only is he a mix , but he's a mix of the best of both worlds. He's not a savage, but he wasn't conditioned, so he's not a robot either. I'm hoping that this will come into play to create a balanced society (in case you haven't caught on, this book better not end like NLMG, or I will not be happy.)
I think these flashbacks reiterate that no society is perfect, and just because our society is different from someone else's doesn't mean their way is the wrong way. I sound like a hypocrite now because I am personally against the society of the "Other Place." I guess as long as the people are free to live as they want. Again, this futuristic almost lives up to that. I mean, people are brainwashed to think this way, but a child who is raised in a Catholic or Muslim (or any religious) home, is taught to think a certain way from the day their born (and I'm not in any way saying that's wrong). Now that I put it that way, I kind of see this society in a different light. I still have a hard time justifying everything they're doing, but that's because I was raised differently. In the end though, who gets to say what's right and what's wrong?
This chapter is almost entirely a flashback. It tells us all the important events in John's life so that we can understand what has made him the person he is. I noted in my last blog that John is a mix of both worlds, and these flashbacks reinforce that. I would have to say that not only is he a mix , but he's a mix of the best of both worlds. He's not a savage, but he wasn't conditioned, so he's not a robot either. I'm hoping that this will come into play to create a balanced society (in case you haven't caught on, this book better not end like NLMG, or I will not be happy.)
I think these flashbacks reiterate that no society is perfect, and just because our society is different from someone else's doesn't mean their way is the wrong way. I sound like a hypocrite now because I am personally against the society of the "Other Place." I guess as long as the people are free to live as they want. Again, this futuristic almost lives up to that. I mean, people are brainwashed to think this way, but a child who is raised in a Catholic or Muslim (or any religious) home, is taught to think a certain way from the day their born (and I'm not in any way saying that's wrong). Now that I put it that way, I kind of see this society in a different light. I still have a hard time justifying everything they're doing, but that's because I was raised differently. In the end though, who gets to say what's right and what's wrong?
Brave New World-9
"'I don't like it," said Lenina. 'I don't like it'" (pg. 109)
If Lenina doesn't like the savages, there's a fat chance that any other people from the "Other Place," do either. So, I'm wondering, why are they allowed to live? Is there some purpose they serve? It wouldn't be hard to squish out the people of the Reservation, and the people from the "Other Place" obviously don't have a respect for human life, so what's stopping them from just wiping them out?
Also, I have to say, I was really disappointed by these people. I was hoping they would be more like people from the 1900s, not prehistory. I wanted Lenina to realize that this was the right way to live and the culture she came from was more like slavery, and there would be a really happy ending, but that's definitely not happening anymore. John, however, is a mix of both worlds, and he's the closest to what I consider a normal human being than any other character in the book.
If Lenina doesn't like the savages, there's a fat chance that any other people from the "Other Place," do either. So, I'm wondering, why are they allowed to live? Is there some purpose they serve? It wouldn't be hard to squish out the people of the Reservation, and the people from the "Other Place" obviously don't have a respect for human life, so what's stopping them from just wiping them out?
Also, I have to say, I was really disappointed by these people. I was hoping they would be more like people from the 1900s, not prehistory. I wanted Lenina to realize that this was the right way to live and the culture she came from was more like slavery, and there would be a really happy ending, but that's definitely not happening anymore. John, however, is a mix of both worlds, and he's the closest to what I consider a normal human being than any other character in the book.
Brave New World-8-Aphorism
"'Never put off till to-morrow the fun you can have today...'" (pg. 93)
Technically, this wouldn't be an aphorism to us.What we would consider to be an aphorism is "Don't put off till tomorrow that which you can do today," which is literally the exact opposite of what Lenina is saying. However, this is an aphorism to her and her society. The author includes these as more evidence of the difference between our cultures. We value pretty much everything that they despise.
Also, Lenina is spitting out these aphorism like word vomit, and I'm starting to get annoyed. She was literally brainwashed to think this way, so I kind of understand that she subconsciously does it. At the same time, though, I want to slap her and say, "Think of yourself," although I do understand that she pretty much doesn't have that option.
Technically, this wouldn't be an aphorism to us.What we would consider to be an aphorism is "Don't put off till tomorrow that which you can do today," which is literally the exact opposite of what Lenina is saying. However, this is an aphorism to her and her society. The author includes these as more evidence of the difference between our cultures. We value pretty much everything that they despise.
Also, Lenina is spitting out these aphorism like word vomit, and I'm starting to get annoyed. She was literally brainwashed to think this way, so I kind of understand that she subconsciously does it. At the same time, though, I want to slap her and say, "Think of yourself," although I do understand that she pretty much doesn't have that option.
Brave New World-7
"'Fine to think we can go on being socially useful even after we're dead.'" (pg. 73)
Between Never Let Me Go and Brave New World, I'd have to say I'm enjoying reading BNW much more, although the ending of NLMG was mind blowing, so I won't make my final decision until then.
The biggest similarity between the two books (and what my quote relates to) is that the characters are seen not as people, but as objects to be used for the "greater good." In NLMG, it was for organs, and this is for production. There whole life is about being beneficial to someone else, and they don't have any real freedom. Then, of course, is the acceptance. Despite the way they're treated and controlled by outside forces, that's just the way life is.
The biggest difference between the two is that in NLMG, people are still produced naturally, while in BNW, the word mother is taboo-it could even be considered a cuss word.
However, in NLMG, the characters got to grow up and live their own (limited) lives. They weren't conditioned to think one way or have some kind of personality. BNW is much more scientific and detailed, and there isn't one absolute main character, like NLMG. I think it't interesting to see the way two others took the idea of cloning in such different directions.
Between Never Let Me Go and Brave New World, I'd have to say I'm enjoying reading BNW much more, although the ending of NLMG was mind blowing, so I won't make my final decision until then.
The biggest similarity between the two books (and what my quote relates to) is that the characters are seen not as people, but as objects to be used for the "greater good." In NLMG, it was for organs, and this is for production. There whole life is about being beneficial to someone else, and they don't have any real freedom. Then, of course, is the acceptance. Despite the way they're treated and controlled by outside forces, that's just the way life is.
The biggest difference between the two is that in NLMG, people are still produced naturally, while in BNW, the word mother is taboo-it could even be considered a cuss word.
However, in NLMG, the characters got to grow up and live their own (limited) lives. They weren't conditioned to think one way or have some kind of personality. BNW is much more scientific and detailed, and there isn't one absolute main character, like NLMG. I think it't interesting to see the way two others took the idea of cloning in such different directions.
Brave New World-6
"What the two men shared was the knowledge that they were individuals." (pg. 67)
Mostly up until this point, it seemed that this creation of human beings and their conditioning worked well to create a uniform society. Lenina was a bit different (she was with only Henry for four months-who does that?), and so was Bernard, but I just assumed they were main characters, no big deal. However, with the introduction of Helmholtz Watson (what kind of name is that?), I'm starting to think it's more than just coincidence that Lenina and Bernard aren't stereotypical. Maybe this society isn't as uniform as it seems. Maybe its possible that individuals around the world weren't quite created or conditioned perfectly. Bernard, Helmholtz, and Lenina are individuals, who are, well, individual. None of them want their "peculiarities" to show, so I think it's more than possible that there are others who are like this. My prediction is for a rebellion. Or at least, after Never Let Me Go ended with nothing of the sort, that's my hope.
Mostly up until this point, it seemed that this creation of human beings and their conditioning worked well to create a uniform society. Lenina was a bit different (she was with only Henry for four months-who does that?), and so was Bernard, but I just assumed they were main characters, no big deal. However, with the introduction of Helmholtz Watson (what kind of name is that?), I'm starting to think it's more than just coincidence that Lenina and Bernard aren't stereotypical. Maybe this society isn't as uniform as it seems. Maybe its possible that individuals around the world weren't quite created or conditioned perfectly. Bernard, Helmholtz, and Lenina are individuals, who are, well, individual. None of them want their "peculiarities" to show, so I think it's more than possible that there are others who are like this. My prediction is for a rebellion. Or at least, after Never Let Me Go ended with nothing of the sort, that's my hope.
Brave New World-5-Characterization
"'And then he spends most of his time by himself-alone.'" (pg. 45)
A lot of this section is focused on Bernard Marx. Everyone except for Lenina thinks he's strange, and if I were them, so would I. For whatever reason, he isn't like the rest of his caste physically, and that has messed with his mind a lot. He gets mad that the other men are talking about Lenina like "meat," and he doesn't use soma. I would say that he's more like people of our time than of his. I think that so far, he's the most relatable character in the book, but I'm unsure of what Lenina sees in him.
Huxley uses both direct and indirect characterization to describe Bernard. Huxley tells the reader that Bernard is short and unlike his peers. On the other hand, Marx's personality is depicted by how Henry Foster treats him and how Fanny and Lenina talk about him. In this case, the indirect characterization is much more helpful in creating an image of what kind of person Bernard Marx is.
A lot of this section is focused on Bernard Marx. Everyone except for Lenina thinks he's strange, and if I were them, so would I. For whatever reason, he isn't like the rest of his caste physically, and that has messed with his mind a lot. He gets mad that the other men are talking about Lenina like "meat," and he doesn't use soma. I would say that he's more like people of our time than of his. I think that so far, he's the most relatable character in the book, but I'm unsure of what Lenina sees in him.
Huxley uses both direct and indirect characterization to describe Bernard. Huxley tells the reader that Bernard is short and unlike his peers. On the other hand, Marx's personality is depicted by how Henry Foster treats him and how Fanny and Lenina talk about him. In this case, the indirect characterization is much more helpful in creating an image of what kind of person Bernard Marx is.
Brave New World-4-Imagery
"Home, home-a few small rooms, stiflingly over-inhabited by a man, by a periodically teeming woman, by a rabble of boys and girls of all ages. No air, no space; an understerilized prison; darkness, disease, and smells." (pg. 37)
Everyone has had those moments where we wish we could just get away from our family. We just want to pull our hair out sometimes when we're around them. This imagery makes us feel what the students are feeling, which is pretty much disgust that people live this way. Honestly, if I had no previous experience with what a family really is, and this is all I'd ever been told, then yes, I would definitely think the way they do. However, this description is mostly inaccurate. Sure, there are times when we feel this way about our families, but the way the Controller explains the family relationship is that experience times infinity. It doesn't include any of the positive aspects. This makes me wonder what details of the past our society has shut away. This is about 500 years in the future, so looking back 500 years to the Middle Ages and the arranged marriages and everything from that time, we consider all of that crazy. We probably consider their way of living and thinking as illogical as the people of Brave New World consider ours.
Everyone has had those moments where we wish we could just get away from our family. We just want to pull our hair out sometimes when we're around them. This imagery makes us feel what the students are feeling, which is pretty much disgust that people live this way. Honestly, if I had no previous experience with what a family really is, and this is all I'd ever been told, then yes, I would definitely think the way they do. However, this description is mostly inaccurate. Sure, there are times when we feel this way about our families, but the way the Controller explains the family relationship is that experience times infinity. It doesn't include any of the positive aspects. This makes me wonder what details of the past our society has shut away. This is about 500 years in the future, so looking back 500 years to the Middle Ages and the arranged marriages and everything from that time, we consider all of that crazy. We probably consider their way of living and thinking as illogical as the people of Brave New World consider ours.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Brave New World-3-Allusion
"'...Our Ford's first T-Model was put on the market.' (Here the Director made a sign of the T on his stomach and all the students reverently followed suit.)" (pg. 25)
The Director has mentioned Our Ford several times now, and I finally think I may have figured it out. The model T was the the first automobile produced by Henry Ford. So, I'm assuming that every time a character mentions Ford, he or she is alluding to this guy. I mean, yeah, he's obviously extremely important, but these people seem to consider him to be a god (or maybe THE God?). Maybe it was the technology from the automobile, or maybe it's something else entirely. When the Director mentioned the T-Model, everyone made a T on their chest, which I bet is more than coincidentally similar to how Christians make the sign of the cross. Following that line of thinking, I'm gonna guess that A.F. stands for After Ford. If it is Henry Ford (and I really do think it is), then he was born in 1863 and died in 1947, but they could be using any number of dates from between those two years (like the T-Model was produced in 1908), so I'm going to say this is probably set between 2495 and 2579. I obviously still think they're crazy, but if someone from five or six hundred years ago, read about our society, they would think we're crazy too.
(Sidenote: This may very well be the weirdest book I've ever read. Seriously? "...gross viviparous reproduction..." (pg. 24)? French, German, and Polish (and probably most other languages) are dead? My only response is: what the heck happened between now and then?)
The Director has mentioned Our Ford several times now, and I finally think I may have figured it out. The model T was the the first automobile produced by Henry Ford. So, I'm assuming that every time a character mentions Ford, he or she is alluding to this guy. I mean, yeah, he's obviously extremely important, but these people seem to consider him to be a god (or maybe THE God?). Maybe it was the technology from the automobile, or maybe it's something else entirely. When the Director mentioned the T-Model, everyone made a T on their chest, which I bet is more than coincidentally similar to how Christians make the sign of the cross. Following that line of thinking, I'm gonna guess that A.F. stands for After Ford. If it is Henry Ford (and I really do think it is), then he was born in 1863 and died in 1947, but they could be using any number of dates from between those two years (like the T-Model was produced in 1908), so I'm going to say this is probably set between 2495 and 2579. I obviously still think they're crazy, but if someone from five or six hundred years ago, read about our society, they would think we're crazy too.
(Sidenote: This may very well be the weirdest book I've ever read. Seriously? "...gross viviparous reproduction..." (pg. 24)? French, German, and Polish (and probably most other languages) are dead? My only response is: what the heck happened between now and then?)
Brave New World-2-Diction
"Explained why it had to be stimulated with placentin and thyroxin. Told them of the corpus luteum extract. Showed them the jets through which at every twelfth metre from zero to 2040 it was automatically injected. Spoke of those gragually increasing doses of pituitary administered during the final ninety-six metres of their course..." (pg. 12)
The diction has been very scientific and impersonal up until this point. There's no emotion or feeling. While that may change as the main characters are introduced and the plot takes shape, I think this word choice sets a tone for the rest of the book, and for the society the author has created. People say first impressions are what stick in the mind, and the first thing we read about is a cold, scientific room with "frozen, dead" light (pg. 1). Then all the characters talk about humans very coldly, like they're machines. If they think like this, then there's a good chance the rest of society does too. However, I think the scientific diction is the most important to the story. I obviously know absolutely nothing about cloning, and so I have no clue whether or not Huxley's description of this process is accurate, but the point is that he makes it feel real. He acts like he knows exactly what he's talking about, like he's actually there, and that makes the book almost believable. My feeling about this book isn't "wow, this author is really creative." My reaction is "wow, this society is crazy," and I think that distinction does a lot to get the reader involved in the book.
The diction has been very scientific and impersonal up until this point. There's no emotion or feeling. While that may change as the main characters are introduced and the plot takes shape, I think this word choice sets a tone for the rest of the book, and for the society the author has created. People say first impressions are what stick in the mind, and the first thing we read about is a cold, scientific room with "frozen, dead" light (pg. 1). Then all the characters talk about humans very coldly, like they're machines. If they think like this, then there's a good chance the rest of society does too. However, I think the scientific diction is the most important to the story. I obviously know absolutely nothing about cloning, and so I have no clue whether or not Huxley's description of this process is accurate, but the point is that he makes it feel real. He acts like he knows exactly what he's talking about, like he's actually there, and that makes the book almost believable. My feeling about this book isn't "wow, this author is really creative." My reaction is "wow, this society is crazy," and I think that distinction does a lot to get the reader involved in the book.
Brave New World-1
"The principle of mass production at last applied to biology." (pg. 7)
What??? My reaction to this first chapter was disbelief and shock. Obviously there's some (a lot of) confusion mixed in there, but mostly I'm just dumbfounded that people would think this way. Yes, I know they're characters in a book, but still. They're talking about making the entire population made to order. We live in a society where there is quite a bit of emphasis on being oneself and not being afraid to be different, and this is the exact reversal of that. My mind is literally blown by how nonchalantly the Director and Mr. Foster talk about scientifically creating thousands of people. They're talking about this pretty much in the same way I talk about the weather. Mass production of people? Seriously? We're not talking about toasters or lawn chairs. These are living, breathing, thinking humans that may have thousands of identical clones. I'm assuming that this is supposed to be sometime in the future, but the series of events that led to this had to have been extreme. It could have been over a long period of time, but it could have been relatively short; I don't know, and I don't know that it really matters, but I cannot imagine what would have made people change their thinking so radically.
What??? My reaction to this first chapter was disbelief and shock. Obviously there's some (a lot of) confusion mixed in there, but mostly I'm just dumbfounded that people would think this way. Yes, I know they're characters in a book, but still. They're talking about making the entire population made to order. We live in a society where there is quite a bit of emphasis on being oneself and not being afraid to be different, and this is the exact reversal of that. My mind is literally blown by how nonchalantly the Director and Mr. Foster talk about scientifically creating thousands of people. They're talking about this pretty much in the same way I talk about the weather. Mass production of people? Seriously? We're not talking about toasters or lawn chairs. These are living, breathing, thinking humans that may have thousands of identical clones. I'm assuming that this is supposed to be sometime in the future, but the series of events that led to this had to have been extreme. It could have been over a long period of time, but it could have been relatively short; I don't know, and I don't know that it really matters, but I cannot imagine what would have made people change their thinking so radically.
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