Guest Blogger: Hannah F.

Now that we are finally completely finished with both Brave New World and the Tempest, I thought it would be an appropriate time to bring them back to our attention again…… We know that the Tempest was mostly written to demonstrate many types of power that people have, or can acquire. It provided a good compare/contrast with the Prince, also. And we know that Brave New World was written for the same reason that many dystopian novels are- to warn us about the future with the way society is headed. It seems as if the subject matters are mostly unrelated. But then, what led Huxley to take the title of his book from Miranda? Miranda’s line was in response to first seeing Ferdinand, the first boy she’s ever seen, as well as all the other men who have been shipwrecked on the island. She’s being introduced into a ‘brave new world’ that’s full of such new, beautiful, (and sexually tempting) things. However, when John said it, it was more of a mockery- The Savage stood looking on. "O brave new world, O brave new world ..." In his mind the singing words seemed to change their tone. They had mocked him through his misery and remorse, mocked him with how hideous a note of cynical derision! Fiendishly laughing, they had insisted on the low squalor, the nauseous ugliness of the nightmare. Now, suddenly, they trumpeted a call to arms. "O brave new world!" Miranda was proclaiming the possibility of loveliness, the possibility of transforming even the nightmare into something fine and noble. "O brave new world!" It was a challenge, a command.- Ch 15 of Brave New World He has seen that this novelty, similar to what Miranda experienced, is no longer a good thing in his eyes. The words are teasing him and showing him how horrible it was and even compelling him to do something about it. John obviously has deep ties to Shakespeare. But it is here that they take on a new meaning for him. Brave New World was meant to be a good thing, and now it has turned bad. =John and Miranda have even more in common than just that. They are both seen as the pure, virgin characters amidst a society of evil. They are both chased by a character that represents the epitome of the ‘bad’ society they live in. I guess John is even more connected to Shakespeare than I thought.