Term Paper on "Brave New World 1984"

Term Paper 10 pages (2847 words) Sources: 6 Style: MLA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Freedom, Individuality, And Totalitarianism in Brave New World and 1984

The possibilities for the future are endless. When we look to the future, we like to do so with hope and promise but, if we are not careful, we can lose that hope. That loss can occur in many was and many authors enlighten us with their opinions on how to hang onto our hope, freedom, and our futures by showing us what will happen if we do not. Aldous Huxley's Brave New World and George Orwell's 1984 are novels that cast a light on the shadow of human frailty by insinuating that mankind is not strong enough to support or maintain the cost of individuality and freedom. While their ideas are possible, we must never underestimate the power of the human spirit. These novels show what may come if we become weak and forget about our individuality. While their ideas are thought provoking, they are not probable. We must remember that also buried within these novels is the notion that every human being is born with a desire to be free and this desire is strong. By showing us the extreme, Huxley and Orwell cause us to realize that society is strong enough to support the cost of individualism and freedom because, in the end, the human spirit will only break when it is finally gone.

Both novels warn against the danger of totalitarianism by illustrating the extreme case of it. Rafeeq McGiveron notes that Huxley prepares the reader for a "society that takes the worst of both worlds" (McGiveron) in which none of the characters make a "positive change in society, thus reinforcing the more overt themes" (McGiveron). The same can be said of 1984 in the sense that both authors are demonstrating the consequences by emphasizing the extreme. The stories have also lasted over the decades because they contain an element of truth, from which we cannot turn our eyes. This horrible truth is that we could lose our freedom and the hope is that we will not.

In Huxley's Brave New World, we see several instances where individuality is traded for happiness, protection, and totalitarianism. In Brave New World, we see a society that is divided into Alphas and Betas.

One man that does not seem to fit into these caste system is the Savage, an example of someone whose inner urge to be free has not been quenched. Another character that also allows us to realize our savage yearning to be free is the Bernard. In 1984, we see the struggle and eventual breakdown of Winston. These characters are placed in a setting that is obtrusive and debilitating. Their lives are examples for us to follow if we do not want to become drones. By illustrating the extreme of the utopian society, we can easily see how bad things can become. The Savage, Bernard, and Winston are men that know something must be done and they rail against the system in the only way they know how. Their tales might have tragic endings but their message is clear.

Totalitarianism begins with conditioning. In Brave New World, human beings are hatched and conditioned. Jhan Hochman contends that the reason babies are taught to hate nature is because an "appreciation of nature takes people away from their duties of production and consumption" (Hochman).

A citizens are therefore made to believe that they can live in a natural environment only if they are wearing special clothing." (Hochman). Bernard's interest in watching the sea in peace is a reflection of his human nature. Even though he has been conditioned since birth and although everyone around him says and believes otherwise, there is something innate that tells him that the beauty of nature is to be appreciated. Hochman also notes that the people in Huxley's brave new world "are distracted from possible thoughts of rebellion by participating in sports, watching entertaining shows that also serve as subtle propaganda, enjoying casual and frequent sex, and by using the drug 'soma,'" (Hochman). What is significant to this plot is how all of this is not enough for even if one individual asks questions outisde the norm, the norm is thrown off balance. We are told that babies are decanted as "socialized human beings" (Huxley 13). It is important to note, however, that even when individuals are hatched and programmed, there is still the slight chance that some will still emerge with the human desire for individualism and a taste for freedom.

Totalitarianism also hides under the appearance of utopia. Utopia hides under the guise of peace and happiness.

However, what the leaders of such governments fail to explain is what it takes to get to that place. In other words, the price of such "happiness" is far too high to even gauge. The price is freedom and individuality. Leaders of socialist movements will proclaim that all will be equal but we already know that this is not the case. There will always be individuals that are greater and lesser than others are. No two people are the same and to try to make every single individual fit into some preconceived category spells disaster. What socialist governments fail to see and refuse to address is that we are all unique. They cannot address this because they know it is impossible to categorize everybody. In Brave New World and 1984, the totalitarian government eliminates the radicals in an attempt to lessen the occurrence of disturbance and rebellion. Radicals like the Savage are not appreciated because they cannot be predicted nor can they be controlled. For example, when the Savage tells those waiting in line not to take the soma because it is a "poison to the soul as well as the body" (Huxley 210), he shocks those around him and makes the government nervous because they do not know what he will do next. Additionally, the government simply does not want to deal with people that want the world to be free and beautiful. It is too difficult.

The characters we encounter in both novels generate an interest because of how they ultimately deal with what is handed to them. In Brave New World, we have the Savage. The Savage is sigificant for many reasons. Undoubtedly, he embodies the characteristics of every free man and woman but he serves other purposes as well. For instance, because he is well-versed and has a firm rip on Shakespeare, he can articulate his thoughts and emotions. Oddly enough, even though Shakespeare is centuries old, it gives the Savage an advantage because his worldview is broader than the average individual. This fact makes him weird and intriging. Because he has read Shakespeare, for example, he has a sense of what suffering and turmoil are about. He understands what society learns when it learns to put up with the difficulties we encounter rather thansimply getting rid of them. He tells the Controller, "Whether 'tis better in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing end them... But you don't do either" (Huxley 183). The Savage understands that there is more to life than a simple even keel. Life has ups and downs ans this is not always a bad thing. He declares that the world needs "something with tears for a change" (183). In addition, he realizes, "Nothing costs enough here" (183). Macdonald contends, "Although the Savage's criticism is accurate, what he offers in place of progress is equally unacceptable: a choice 'between insanity on the one hand and lunacy on the other,' between technological civilization and past primitivism" (Macdonald). This assertion is true to a point, but what we menst remember is that our collective destiny should be something wwe decide upon and not something handed to us. In addition, the Savage's education allows him to debate rather cleverly. Hochman contends that the Savage's, reservation is a world "of disease, superstition, guilt, racial prejudice, possessiveness, death, and individuality. The clash of these two contrasting world views (reason vs. passion; progress vs. history) exposes the limits of each: empty happiness vs. painful freedom" (Hochman). The Savage is also significant in Brave New World because he illustrates what a so-called utopian society deos to mankind. Because he has been lucky enough to experience something outside, he knows more. It is important to note that he is not so much more intelligent than the others but that his knowledge includes so much more than the others. The Savage is a wonderful exampl of how mankind is born with the yearning to be free. He is loose cannon with which every generation must deal.

Another character in Brave New World that deserves mentioning is Bernard, who experiences moments of enlightenment. For example, he asks Lenina, "Don't you wish you were free?" (Huxley 91). He also tries to explain to her the different emotions he has. He tells her that he wants to look at the "sea in… READ MORE

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