BNW Trends?
So, if "Harrison Bergeron" was Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. concerned about equality run amok, leading to mediocrity and shunned excellence, what's going on with Brave New World?
posted by erdecker @ 3:25 PM
8 comments
JM AP English Government
A resource for John Marshall's Advanced Placement English and Government class. Woo-hoo!
Monday, October 30, 2006
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- Name: erdecker
- Location: Lanesboro, Minnesota, United States
Enchanted April at Roc Rep Jan 2016 (Sound Design). Donnybrook's Dilemma Murder Mystery Jan 10 (Donnybrook actor). Valentine's Murder Mystery at Plummer House Feb 13 (actor). Ole and Lena in Love at Rochester Sons of Norway March 19 (Director).
8 Comments:
THere is one that I find ineresting to note. It isn't the main theme, but an underlying one that explored the reach that promiscious behavior has in the story. There is a theory that in our culture it is impossible to stay with only one person for the span of one's life. This, taken to the extreme, would be BNW; in the story it is deemed not only futile to have merely one partner, it is downright socially repulsive. I thought that one was interesting, seeing as divorce rates have gone up. What if society sacks the marriage ideal and simply sleeps with whomever, whenever?
To respond to Shipra, it is a social theory. And you views merely outlined the basics of BNW. There is no religion; they worship the Ford and consider past religions to be null in void. And the idea is not about our society today, but the theme that this theory could produce.
Going along with Kirsten K's idea about the cost of happiness, in BNW, the cost is, alot like in Harrison Bergeron, progress.
Everyone is happy and things seem good, but nothing is changing; nothing is going forward. People are just living, they are not really striving for anything. The people who do go out of the mold, have to been sent away to an island. It is like that Theory of Biology that Mond couldn't allow to be published. The citizen can't be allowed to read it because it would break up their structured ways of thinking.
All progress was halted so people could live happily and without conflict. Life in BNW seems to be the same day to day without changes.
Sorry, the last one was from Kristine.
Adding on to what Shipra said about consumerism, society today is leaning towards being about production. Budgets are being debated in politics and programs such as extra-curricular activities and art classes in schools could be eventually cut from schools. The society in The Brave New World centers around production; from babies to clothing. Maybe conveniance will one day reach that level and consumerism brought to the next level in the near future. How much we accomplish is often more important in our society than how we meet these goals, this was one of the major themes that The Brave New World is projecting.
To agree with Kirsten K,
I hate what they do to the little babies when they condition them. It is a horrible thing to do. I personally would not want to live in that society where everything is solved by overdosing on soma. It would be like everyone in the present on some drug induced high or drunk all the time. It is ridiculous.
I would rather live John the Savage's way. With the oppurtunity to feel emotions. Life without emotions is so meaningless.
Sure in BNW everyone thinks they are happy but that is just because of conditioning, all of the altercations before the babies are taken out of the bottle, or hypnopeadia. But they are not truly happy because they cannot know their true selves and what they would have wanted.
Another theme in BNW is government control. Look at how the 10 world controlers have all the power on the planet, and how that is starting to come into reality now. If you think about it, the major powers currently (England, US, China, Russia, etc)would fit that role because they can pull the strings of smaller nations if it suits their interests. Also, look how much control the government had over the people in BNW, and look at how much more control the gov has now compaired to 1930's when the book was written. There are so many themes that are similar to current days it is scary, and BNW reminded me a lot of 1984.
Saw this as I was wrting the BNW #2--
UNIBROW REFERENCE!
Watch the ENTIRE commercial.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3eEwcghLbI
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