Brave New World: "Oh, my God, my God!" In 1932, Aldous Huxley first published the novel, Brave New World. During this time, the ideas that Huxley explored in his novel were not a reality, but merely science-fiction entertainment. Brave New World confronts ideas of totalitarianism, artificial reproduction, anti-individualism, and forever youth- ideas which were not threatening in the 30's. In the 1930's, the high ethical standards people maintained and the limited amount of scientific knowledge did not allow for the acceptance of the types of ideas found in Brave New World. These values include abstinance, family structure, and life-long marriages- issues that had little to no importance ...view middle of the document...
Although genetical engineering is currently under ethical scepticism, and the cloning of humans is illegal, it is still possible to eventually end all diversity (except possibly between ethnic groups as in Brave New World). Huxley says: Ninety-six identical twins working ninety-six identical machines!… You really know where you are… Community, Identity, Stability… If we could bokanovskify [a method whereby a human egg has its normal development arrested and whereupon it proceeds to bud, producing many identical eggs] indefinetly the whole problem would be solved.Both Brave New World and genetical engineering address anti-individualism. In Brave New World, everyone is conditioned to believe the same ideas and values: that being a part of the community is the most important aspect of life, which are impressed on the minds of the people by two mottos, "Community, Identity, Stability," and "Everyone belongs to everyone else." The threatening similarity between Genetical engineering/cloning and the Brave New World, is that it idealizes a certain way for people to look, as well as disregard biological individual identity through the possibilty of obtaining identical genetic make-up.Another similarity between Brave New World and our current society deals with scientific ethical issues and the general moral declension in today's world. In Brave New World, sex is viewed as instant physical gratification, promoting promiscuity, and looking at love condescendingly. No character questions these standards, and the lack of individual thought creates a cycle of declension. When Lenina and Bernard sleep together, Bernard later comments that he wished he had waited, saying: 'I didn't want it to end with our going to bed,' he specified.Lenina was astonished.'Not at once, not on the first day.' 'But then what…?' (p.93) Lenina, being a victim of society, did not understand Bernard's reasoning, which by 1930's standards, would reflect a lack of morals. Although in the 1930's, sex before marriage and love was taboo, today it is completely accepted. Evidence of this can be seen in the high rate of teenage pregnancy out of wedlock, which is currently at 65 percent (according to The World Almanac 1998). Also, in Brave New World, the word "family" is looked down upon, and there is a lack of understanding as to why family is important." 'In brief,' the director summed up, 'the parents were the father and the mother… These,' he said gravely, 'are the unpleasant facts; I know it. But then most historical facts are unpleasant.'" This quote indicates how family structure is looked down upon in Brave New World,...
