Monday, August 8, 2011

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.

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