Essay On Depiction Of Freedom And Happiness In Brave New World

Written by Huxley Aldous, Brave New World revolves around the making of a controlled world to ensure a healthy correlation among human beings. Said control is achieved through producing humans who fit at different levels in the society. With the Alphas leading and the Epsilon falling in the latter position, the world achieves a systematic classification that places people in clusters. Consequently, the text talks of two worlds that encompass the World State where the elite live and the Reservation where outcasts are controlled. Huxley informs his readers that, those living in the World State appear younger and better looking than the people living in the reservation. As evidenced by natural aging, a world where people seem to maintain their youth means that the reservation does not allow nature to take its course. In turn, this paper seeks to explore Huxley’s depiction of a normal society and in turn, the means used to ensure cohesion among the different classes of its people.
In the novel, characters depend on specific methods of controlling the growth and development of children to ensure the aforementioned order is achieved. The control is attained by use of scientific technology that alters the environment to which fertilized eggs are exposed to as they grow to fetus. Huxley attests to this when he writes, “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” (Huxley 8). In addition, “The Controllers had the island of Cyprus cleared of all its existing inhabitants and re-colonized with a specially prepared batch of twenty-two thousand Alphas” (153) Both factors ensure control and the societal order at which the leaders aim in the society. Therefore, without the presented technology, all growing fetus will be subjected to natural conditions that are uncontrollable and equal for all the children. As a result, there will be no ranks to decide who among the people is more superior and there would be more equality as societal norms will depend on every person involved and not just the elite, who in this case are the alphas. 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. By interfering with the development of embryos, the manufacturers ensure that the strongest will lead the weakest without questions from either party. The hegemony in this case comes in the sense that the part of the society is governed by a selected few who were made stronger through technology. The aforementioned move is a clear indication of this as such actions are plausible because not all people can be leaders and some need to serve others. In addition, there are few chances of uprisings as people observe the set boundaries while allowing leaders to practice their power and the followers to be submissive. On this note, it can be argued that through science and technology, done modifications ensure alterations that override possibilities of a double consciousness.
The characters tend to achieve happiness through sex and practice no boundaries when engaging in the same. Huxley attests to this when he quotes a character saying, “every one belongs to everyone else” (24) This shows that in the World State, people are free to pursue sex as a form of happiness, an act that is encouraged even in infancy. Aside from this, there is a sex-hormone chewing gum to which the characters show a liking. In addition, one of the characters called Benito puts “away the soma bottle, and taking out a packet of sex-hormone chewing-gum, stuffed a plug into his cheek and walked slowly away towards the hangars, ruminating” (42) In relation to the first support, sex is encouraged among children as it apparently helps ensure said children develop healthily. In a sexual context, this and the chewing of a sex hormone encourage promiscuity and emphasize the notion that people are allowed to be with anybody they choose. The idea of freedom in sex comes from the notion that people are free to be with whomever they wish. In fact, they are expected to perfect themselves in the act as the institute provides them with hormones to gain said perfection. In turn, through the aforementioned freedom, people can find happiness as they are liberated to seek gratification through intercourse. As it is an encouraged act from childhood, it can be expected that once the exposed children reach adulthood, sexual promiscuity will be rampant as each person seeks the gratification from another. However, unlike in the World State, the idea of happiness and freedom in sex are considered immoral in normal society. As the reservation is the epitome of a natural world in the novel, it is no wonder that John’s mother is considered an outsider as she sleeps with whomever she pleases (Huxley 36). A habit she probably adopted while living in the World State.
Finally yet importantly, emotions and desires in the novel control the pleasure and independence the characters exhibit. First form of desire is in the lovers context as Helmholtz Watson was the “indefatigable lover (it was said that he had had six hundred and forty different girls in under four years)” (46) The other form of desire and emotions is in the need for more power as Huxley’s depicts in a character’s quote stating that he feels power that is wasted “like all the water that goes down the falls instead of through the turbines” (51) hence, the notable desires are of the sexual nature and some inclined to desire for more power. With regard to this, the emotions depicted by the characters are a direct inclination of the feelings harbored by the same. The character in the second merit 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 as he refuses to accept his position in society. The first form of desire and emotions lies in multiple lovers as one takes full advantage of the allowed promiscuity. Moreover, these are proof that despite the genetic alterations the original personality can still be present, one that is naturally unsatisfied and dominating. Thus, it is possible that the idea of freedom in this case requires an ability to choose what one wishes to do and a need to own something or someone for an emotional fulfillment. While they thought their ideas are fool proof, the unhappiness exhibited by its people proves otherwise. After all when an alpha, the highest in ranking, feels that his ideas and strength are wasted, there is a flaw in the original design.
In conclusion, freedom and happiness cannot be guaranteed in an uncontrolled world as people possess different ideas on the two concepts. In fact, without one, the other cannot exist and the dystopia world recognizes these since 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 through the control of capabilities and thoughts plays an important role in ensuring the happiness and freedom of the novel’s characters.