Introduction
Brave New World is a masterpiece by Aldous Huxley. It was first published in 1932. The dystopian world Huxley has carved on the canvas of literature is a supreme example of creativity and imagination. He highlights the contemporary economic turmoil, a focus on mass production and emerging fascist rule.
Themes
- Use of technology for totalitarian rule – The prime theme of the novel is to highlight the misuse of technology to achieve totalitarian rule. The World State has established a regime on the pretext of giving perfect happiness by suppressing emotions and identity and transforming humans into machines. It symbolises the fascist governments of those times, which also used to do unwarranted experiments on humans.
- Consumerism – This World State focuses on consumerism. They banned the pleasure of books and nature and want the public to focus on materialistic objects which can drive the economy. They condition children to create fear towards books and nature. On the other hand, interest in market oriented costly, materialistic objects is developed from the onset in children.
- Focus on community and elimination of Individuality – The world State runs on a motto that ‘everyone belongs to everyone else’. This subdues individuality. Thought of individuality is a treason in the state. Lenina when continues to be in a relationship with a single person for four weeks her friend Fanny states this that you are committing a serious sin by attaching yourself to only one person and not diversifying your partners. This principle highlights total submission to the community and no space for individuality.
- Suppression of Truth- In the world State, if anyone wants to know the truth of living like a normal human being with emotions, knowledge and love for nature, he is banished from the state and sent to isolated islands. Characters like Helmholtz and Bernard Max, who sought the truth, are banished, and John commits suicide. John and the world controller, Mustafa Mond has a debate in chapters 16 and 17 in which Mond states that genuine truth requires wrestling with difficult realities, suffering, and existential questions. The World State replaces these uncomfortable truths with manufactured comfort and instant gratification. They have banned art and literature, eliminated the role of God and religion, manipulated history and, through technology, suppressed identity and individuality. They use soma to suppress emotions and give fake happiness.
Symbolism
There are various significant symbols in the novel Brave new world.
- Soma – Soma symbolise escapism, satisfying senses to generate fake happiness.
- Henry Ford – The famous industrialist symbolises industrialisation, consumerism and mechanisation of the world.
- Savage Village – It symbolise the real human world full of raw emotions and truth of life.
- Shakespeare’s works – It represents significance of art and culture to make a civilisation meaningful.
Represents Fascism
The novel is influenced by the contemporary fascist governments of Italy and Germany. Some of the significant fascist traits in the world state are total subjugation of individuality and the state’s supremacy. There is no place for history, religion and God. Fascists wanted total submission of the citizens towards the state instead of any sort of devotion towards any historical ideal, religion or god. There is a rigid social hierarchy and biologically determined categorisation of individuals. Fascists always sought to achieve desired biological traits in individuals.
Characterisation
Aldous Huxley has designed the characters ideologically rather than as realistic and normal human beings. Such as Mustapha Mond, a pragmatic philosopher-king; Bernard, a physically flawed intellectual outcast; John, a romantic outsider; and Lenina, a conditioned ideal citizen. This characterisation has served the ideological and civilisation clash in the story.
Conclusion
Brave New World presents itself as a warning against commodification of human nature. The author has explicitly stated that for the subjugation of the general public, a tyrannical will is not necessary; it’s the willing surrender of freedom, autonomy and rights by citizens in exchange for convenience, comfort, and constant entertainment.
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