Essay: Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World – ideas about technology and harm

From the creation of the wheel to the development of portable electronic devices, great minds have joined together to invent technologies for the sake of alleviating inconveniences in life. Undoubtedly, these advancements have aided millions of people in their daily lives; however, no societal change comes without both positive and negative consequences. A 19th century Englishman named Aldous Huxley, prompted by new economical and societal reforms, used his literary skills to evaluate these consequences. Aldous Huxley’s novel Brave New World is a tangible extension of his opinion about the effect technology has on humanity, as seen by his use of theme and characterization throughout the novel.
Numerous critics acknowledge that Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World contains a plethora of themes that connect back to a singular, overarching theme pertaining to the negative consequences of technological advancement. According to one critic, Firchow, Brave New World is a commentary on an obsession with progress that Huxley believed was slowly overtaking the world around him. He was convinced that constant technological advancements would eventually bring about humanity’s doom (305). Another critic expands on this idea and delves into how Huxley illustrates the degradation of human morals and culture. Huxley creates a technologically advanced utopia, devoid of unhappiness and strife. However, the people are “creatures of human shape but…stunted” who have lost the true beauty of humanity. Traditional intellectual, emotional, and moral values are forfeited in exchange for a perfect society. They selfishly live purely in the moment, throwing aside the enriching components that were previously present in the old world (Kass 106). Kass also mentions that “despotism” and blatantly tyrannical rulers are not needed to control the people because they’re already satisfied with what they have. Because they are given the resources to live a life of pure pleasure, they have no complaints with the current state of affairs and are easily managed and controlled (107). Similarly, Rindisbacher addresses Huxley’s interest in what is lost in favor of a ‘better’ society, but puts a unique twist on the theme by addressing the state of politics in the novel. He comments that the World Leaders, otherwise known as the World Controllers, “manipulate technology…by means of political indoctrination” and propaganda in order to control their societal inferiors and shelter them from the evils of the outside world. This comes at a cost which is exhibited through the mental fragility and closed-mindedness of the characters shown living in the contained civilization (47). Like Rindisbacher, the critic Attarian approaches his thematic analyzation with a moderately different mindset as he studies how technology undermines religion in Brave New World. As life becomes more convenient and oriented around pleasure, people gradually find that they neither crave nor have time for traditional religious practices. This loss of faith is a direct result of advancements in science, which promotes an economy that thrives off of thoughtless consumption (12). With a belief so strongly ingrained into the plot of Brave New World, it would be nearly impossible for critics to ignore how Huxley blames the progressive fanaticism of his time for the shift in moral values that he observed.
All of the critics are right in their own respect in regards to their thematic analysis of Brave New World. However, Attarian, Kass, and Firchow are critics who focus on the most prevalent theme in the novel: the dangers that accompany technological progress. Huxley focuses heavily on said theme, and strongly believes that constant scientific progress will bring about humanity’s untimely demise. This is most commonly seen by the entirety of the modern civilization in Brave New World, as it’s used to express the negative consequences of evolution. Though the general populace’s standard of living has risen to nearly perfect conditions, they lack what made the old society rich and fulfilling, which is seen through the daily life of average men in the city. A World Leader himself acknowledged that “‘…the old men work, the old men copulate, the old men have no time, no leisure from pleasure, not a moment to sit down and think…safe on the solid ground of daily labour and distraction…’” (Huxley 62). Because the inhabitants of this fictional society have been sheltered and conditioned to live a life of shallow pleasures, they willingly and thoughtlessly abandon artistic, romantic, and intellectual conquests. The loss of these components results in the people becoming hollow and without a strong moral compass. Along with this, it is apparent that most civilians are unable to cope with stress and any issues aside from minor inconveniences. This is best seen through the dependence that nearly every citizen has developed to the drug soma. Mustapha Mond, a World Controller, expresses the thought process behind distributing and normalizing soma in a speech he gives to the free-thinking characters in Brave New World. He explains that “‘…there’s always soma to give you a holiday from the facts. And there’s always soma to calm your anger, to reconcile you to your enemies, to make you patient and long-suffering’” (213). Mond’s speech shows how the general public is taught from infancy to avoid painful or stressful situations, not for their own good, but in order to keep their minds in an almost infantile state. This way, the general public is kept from disengaging from regularly promoted activities and coming up with dissenting thoughts and ideas. Although these methods prevent conflicts, war, and general unhappiness, it’s done through unsavory methods. They’re essentially stripping away people’s free will and basic human rights from conception. Huxley’s utilization of theme, as analyzed by Attarian, Kass, and Firchow, brings to light a bleak future in store for humanity if they continue to relentlessly pursue progress.
Another aspect of Brave New World that critics have dissected are the complexities of the character John, who is often referred to as the ‘Savage’. Most critics agree that John is an essential character to the novel because he acts as a fragmented bridge connecting the traditional and modern civilizations crafted by Huxley. One critic, Varricchio, points out that John views the world in a traditional light that is based off of the environment he grew up in on the Reserve. He recognizes how unnatural things are in the modern world and how insincerely they live. Due to this, he’s unable to connect to the modern civilization he finds himself trapped in (57). Varricchio also briefly delves into John’s relationship with cinema. Throughout Brave New World, John has several intimately detailed experiences with cinema and the media in the big city. These experiences are notable because they tend to become significant moments for him. He’s first introduced to the modern society with a movie, which quickly became an undesirable welcome to him (55). Another critic agrees with and adds on to this point, noting that John “believes that the price to be paid for harmony in this society is too great”. He realizes that the inhabitants of the utopia are subject to the whims of the World Controllers, and are unable to truly think or act freely. The peace attained in this society is reached by ethically dubious means, and slowly takes away vital aspects of human culture and individuality. In the end, what was sacrificed is not worth what was achieved (DB 59). This critic also goes on to compare John’s characterization to the theories of the philosopher, Rousseau. John is used as a representation of Rousseau’s concept of the noble savage, which he emphasized in his novels. By writing John as a noble savage, Huxley makes John the bridge between the traditional, so-called uncivilized society in the Reserve and the rapidly evolving society born in Brave New World (DB 57-8). A third critic, Jones, specifies John’s connection to the two words he finds himself trapped between, as he states that John is an outsider no matter where he goes. In his birthplace, the Reserve, he is scorned for being unlike the other villagers who are different both intellectually and physically. He experiences separation in the modern civilization as well because of his moral values and unique way of thinking. In both cases, John is shunned for his inclination towards reading and learning, most notably seen when he quotes Shakespeare (300). These critics acknowledge that Huxley established his ideology in Brave New World through John’s interactions with other characters and his own separate experiences.
Without a doubt, John is used as a tool to display the impurities of the modern civilization in Brave New World. Critics like Varricchio and Jones recognize and expand upon this concept, adding on to what makes John an essential character in the novel. His experiences in the city can be contrasted with his memories of living on the Reserve, which was relatively primitive yet far more authentic than the utopian civilization. Initially, he is awe-struck by the new world he is spirited away to. But rather quickly, he begins to recognize fatal flaws in the structure and nature of the city and its inhabitants. One aspect of the city that highly disturbed him was the presence of clones, which he compared to “rows of identical midgets…queued-up twin-herds…human maggots swarming round Linda’s bed of death, the endlessly repeated face of his assailants” (200). These were beings entirely alien to him, as he had no interactions with synthetically created humans in the Reserve. He was unsettled by them from the start, but grew to despise and fear them later in the novel because of the unpleasant situations he’d been involved in due to them. The clones aren’t even human to him, seen by how he refers to them as maggots in a detached manner. He has no tolerance for them and recognizes how unnatural they are, both in origin and manner. Another set of interactions John has with an element of Brave New World, the character Lenina, is used to show how uniquely intelligent he is and what the new world has forgone is order to maintain the status quo. John found himself conflicted after meeting Lenina, as he oscillated between his desire to pursue her romantically and his stern moral beliefs. When thinking of Lenina, John quotes Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet “[u]pstairs in his room…[w]ith closed eyes, his face shining with rapture…” (163). By giving him an affinity for Shakespeare’s writings, Huxley asserts John as an intellectually and emotionally profound character. His well-developed character is a result of the combined influence he received from the traditional environment of the Reserve and the more progressive civilization present in the city. From the Reserve, he learned how to handle hardships, think critically, and embrace rich cultural practices. On the other hand, the city gave him the opportunity to read books and study literature as his mother introduced him to literature and prompted him to learn how to read. Aldous Huxley soundly uses the characterization of John the ‘Savage’ to encourage a marriage between traditional values and progressive fervor to create a gradually advancing society that still honors the ideas of the past.
No matter what stance you have taken in the technological debate, it is irrefutable that scientific evolution has a profound effect on society and how the world functions. In recent years, an array of people have questioned the moral and societal consequences of advancements in science and technology. Countless novels, movies, TV shows, and articles have been created by cynical and inquisitive minds speculating about the consequences that accompany technology. But contrary to how it may seem, these hypothetical scenarios regarding humanity’s doom via technology have not only been explored in our modern age. Aldous Huxley provides a prime example of this with his dystopian sci-fi novel, Brave New World, which he wrote and published in the early 1930s. He shows that, regardless of the era, people formulate and discuss ideas about how technology can potentially harm mankind. Though this is undoubtedly a pessimistic way of thinking, it adds another layer to our society and allows for more people to debate and contribute their differing opinions to the global community.