|
|
|
|
Student 2 Mrs. Verenkoff English 2H, Period 4 29 September 2010 A Faded World: A Portrait of Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley At the side of his dying mother, John begins to realize that his “brave new world” exists only in his imagination. “That beautiful, beautiful Other Place, whose memory, as of a heaven, a paradise of goodness and loveliness, he still kept whole and intact, undefiled by contact with the reality of this real London, these actual civilized people” (136). Aldous Huxley uses Brave New World to portray how imperfect and agonizing even the most stable society can be. Everything comes at a cost, and in exchange for a well-ordered world, the leaders of this regulated community choose to “[sacrifice] the high art,” believing it to be incompatible with happiness (150). In order to keep world untainted by misfortune and instability, past literary masterpieces are strictly prohibited. Any world without use for beautiful, old, or troubling things can have little meaning, yet this world amazes John. Without even seeing it, John feels that any new society, even one which encourages only superficial human interaction, must be superior to his lonely existence. Unlike the Reservation, which shuns outsiders, this Other Place encourages people to spend time together and take pleasure in each other. Life in this “brave new world,” however, is void of emotion and passion, and it proves to be as disappointing as his dream is vivid. A “savage” who has not been conditioned to this lifestyle, John can see the flaws in “civilization” and the need for unhappiness, pain, and struggle. It seems strange that happiness can directly result from unhappiness, but feelings like joy and relief are often greatest when the past has been crowded with sorrow and despair. Despite this actuality, the human psyche tends to gravitate only toward the easy and problem free paths. Similarly, people have convinced themselves that the terms “latest technology” and “the best” are synonymous. Humans have taken so many steps to make life more convenient, that many personal connections have been lost. In the age of cell phones and email, deeper sentiments disappear over the air waves. While developing iPads and creating better worlds for themselves, people have to be careful not to erase all color from the world. |
|
