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Written by Huxley Aldous, Brave New World revolves around the making of a human controlled world to ensure correlation among the same. For instance, the world state works at producing humans who fit at different levels. With the Alphas leading and the Epsilon falling in the latter position, the world has an order that everyone follows. The text talks of two worlds, the World State where the elite live and the Reservation where outcasts are controlled. It is important to note that, those living in the World State appear younger and better looking than the people living in the reservation. This in turn can mean in the reservation nature is allowed to take its course unlike in the World State where there is ideological imperialism that governs what happens and how it will take place.
In the novel, the characters depend on specific methods of controlling the growth and development of children to ensure control. This is evidenced by the presence of scientific technology that alters the environment in which fertilized eggs grow into fetuses. Without the presence of the technological advances, there will be no chances of environment alterations. In addition, the growing fetus will be subjected to natural conditions that are uncontrollable and equal to all the children. Without the presence of said knowledge, all would be equal and societal norms will depend on the people involved and not just the elite who in this case are the alphas. On the other hand, normal societies depend on technology as well and it is possible without it life would be unbearable and harder. Therefore, the commodification of human beings through available technology and knowledge plays an important role in ensuring the happiness and freedom of the novel’s characters.
Without science and technology, the inhabitants of the novel’s settings will be unhappy and will fail to achieve desired freedom. The major role of science and technology lies in the control of elements that affect embryos fit the castes. The Central London Hatching and Conditioning Centre controls the basic needs of the developing embryo and in turn, gives it desired strengths or weaknesses. Huxley attests to this when he writes that, “The lower the caste," said Mr. Foster, "the shorter the oxygen." The first organ affected was the brain. After that the skeleton. At seventy per cent of normal oxygen, you got dwarfs. At less than seventy eyeless monsters” (8) These factors find basis in the fact that not all people can be leaders and not all can be servants. By hindering the development of the embryos, the manufacturers ensure that the strongest will lead the weakest without questions from the same. The hegemony in this case comes in the sense that those in supremacy dominate the weaklings and subject them to simple lives simply because they planned it to be that way.
In the ideal world, everybody wants to be served and the ideal work holds certain leadership responsibilities. By creating a world in which people have different physical and intellectual capabilities, everyone will assume their position in society and be happy. In other words, through the castes and leveling, the people will readily accept their positions and be free to exploit said positions within their given limits. In the end, with everyone observing the set boundaries, people from all levels maintain their happiness. Through the science and technology, the modifications ensure an alteration that overrides possibilities of a double consciousness. This is so in the sense that regardless of the source of the gametes, the conditions in which the embryos develop tend to overlap any hindrances to the same.
The characters tend to achieve happiness through and some are free to pursue said happiness especially in the World State. From the beginning of the novel, readers get a hint of this notion as the major characters flirt and pursue each other for sexual favors. In fact, sex is encouraged among children to ensure they grow up with it and take advantage of the same. Huxley writes, “After all, every one belongs to everyone else” (24) This encourages promiscuity and emphasizes the notion that one is allowed to be with everyone else.
The sense of freedom in sex comes from the conception that people are free to be with whomever they wish. In fact, through said freedom one can find happiness as they are liberated to seek gratification from everyone. Since it is encouraged from childhood, it is expected that once they reach adulthood the children will seek more of said gratification from their counterparts. Therefore, it can be argued that the idea of happiness and freedom in sex are considered immoral in normal society but are instead encouraged in that of the World State. A good example is John’s mother who in the reservation is considered an outsider as she sleeps with whomever she pleases (36). The reservation is not controlled and is instead prone to nature’s own logic and system.
Finally yet importantly, emotions and desires in the novel reign control over the pleasure and independence the characters exhibit. Most notable desires are of the sexual nature but there are those for more power. In addition, the emotions depicted by the characters are a direct inclination of the feelings the proprietors have. Huxley gives evidence to this when he writes, “as though you had something inside you that was only waiting for you to give it a chance to come out? Some sort of extra power that you aren't using – you know, like all the water that goes down the falls instead of through the turbines” (51) The character in this part of the text feels undermined and is unhappy with the work cut out for him in the society. it is possible that the other side of the person’s character begins to emerge. Moreover, despite the genetic alterations the original personality can still be present, one that is naturally unsatisfied and dominating.
With this in mind, it is possible that the idea of freedom in this case requires the people’s ability to choose what they wish to do and not have their work prearranged by those in power. In other words, this is the one fault in the hegemony exercised by the leaders. While they thought their ideas are fool proof, the unhappiness exhibited by its people proves otherwise. After all an alpha feels that, his ideas and strength go to waste in the work cut out for his kind.
Freedom and happiness cannot be guaranteed in an uncontrolled world as everyone has their own ideas on the two concepts. In fact, without one, the other cannot exist and the dystopia world recognizes these as it forces the inhabitants to accept their societal positions and roles. Through the societal makeup and the controlled genetic strength, the people fail to realize their maximum strengths and capabilities and in turn fall for the positions they are forced to assume. The role of ideological imperialism in the novel give more power to one set of people and leave the others deprived of any normalcy in their lives. Therefore, the commodification of human beings plays an important role in ensuring the happiness and freedom of the novel’s characters.
Work Cited
Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York: Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2006. Print.
