Brave? New World

Brave New World focuses intensely on the idea that men can be used similarly to machines, ceasing to stop working, being endlessly productive. “And if they [people] cannot tend the wheels…The corpses of a thousand men and women would be hard to bury or burn” (Huxley 43). This exemplifies the attitude of Mustapha Mond, a powerful character in the novel, who believes that men must be put to use, or will be a nuisance, not something to be cherished just for living. In order to fulfill this twisted goal, the members of society in the novel are encouraged to act frequently upon sexual desire, yet are asked to quash all lasting feelings towards others, including their partners. The quick relationships are encouraged, a they are not as meaningful to people if they occur all the time. In fact, family, is nonexistent, as humans are instead manufactured. “…every one belongs to everyone else,” Fanny says to Lenina, after Lenina remarked that she wasn’t feeling as promiscuous as usual (Huxley 43). Society’s ideals are ingrained in the citizens from an early age, even while they sleep. “”We always throw away old clothes. Ending is better than mending…” a voice croons to sleeping children (Huxley 49). By repeating the desired morals to the children on a daily basis, the children naturally are inclined to act upon these ideals. Additionally, drugs, “soma,” are utilized to create false sense of happiness. This further creates a sense of stability. If no one is ever in a bad state of mind, why would they object to any of the practices around them, particularly if everyone else finds them satisfactory? The ways that society behaves in this novel is indeed “new,” yet I think that it would take more “bravery” to fight these accepted practices, than to swallow them.