If there is one thing that I have learned from taking this AP English course, it is that each person has their own view on the significance of certain details within literature. Brave New World is rich with a more abstract viewpoint on society and the course it heading to. From religious cults to 'conditioning', Brave New World presents a world meant to be 'perfect', and yet is anything but. Why is this so? Why is it that the thought of acting out is coming from those whom have been conditioned the most, and not from those whom have been treated the worst?
This concept of acting out is a result of the conditioning being taken to a fine line that represents the divider between 'freethinking' and 'conditioned'. All of those in which act out have 'defects'. Characters such as Helmboltz and Bernard are unhappy with the society presented to them, and begin to act out from it. (Yet as the story goes on the reader can see Bernard giving in. Such is reflected through his increased usage of soma.)
What type of things have you guys/gals found?
To answer your first question (Brave New World presents a world meant to be 'perfect', and yet is anything but. Why is this so?), it seems that this world that they created is so extreme and so unjust that we can't help but view it as a horrible place. The government manipulates the people's DNA and controls their thought process through constant sleep teaching. This is extreme AND unjust, because they have taken away what rightfully belongs to the people: control over themselves and their bodies. So, even though these people seem happy and content, it is only because the government has blinded them through manipulation, which we see as imperfect.
ReplyDeleteAs for your second question (Why is it that the thought of acting out is coming from those whom have been conditioned the most, and not from those whom have been treated the worst?), I don't think that the statements that you made are completely accurate. The idea of acting out is coming from those who are LEAST conditioned. Helmholtz and Bernard became somewhat immune to the conditioning of their society because of their differences at birth. This is what made them take action. And John (or "the Savage", which I think is a degrading name for him) is obviously not conditioned in the way that people like Lenina and Fanny are since he was not raised in that society. So it seems that the people who have avoided extreme conditioning are the ones to act out and make a difference. Also, you contrasted those who are conditioned the most and those who are treated the worst, but, actually, these are the same people. The majority of people in BNW, the people who are going from day to day simply taking soma and sleeping around, act this way because they are the most conditioned. AND they are treated the worst, because everything that makes them human, aside from their physical bodies and their sin, has been stripped away by the World State. So, in all, it doesn't really work to compare the two, from my perspective.
But your post is definitely insightful. It made me think. =)
Glad to be of assistance Jessica. But I did have a question for you. You stated," you contrasted those who are conditioned the most and those who are treated the worst, but, actually, these are the same people." I believe that this statement is flawed, and proven so within the first few chapters with the evaluation of the sleep teachings. These teachings teach the individual that they are different from one another.
ReplyDelete"Alpha children wear grey. They work much harder than we do, because they are so frightfully cleaver....And then we are much better than the Gammas and Deltas. Gammas are stupid."
Thus these people are never truly equal. This is also shown again with the disgust of Gammas displayed by Bernard also early on in the book.
Just trying to keep the discussion going. :)
ok i dont know if i'm understanfing correctly, but what im geting from john is that first- you think that the people that are the most conditioned are the ones that are acting out- and secondly that jess thinks that its the other way around that the people that are the less conditioned are the ones that are acting out.
ReplyDeleteso if im correct so far then both of you do end up concluding that the conditioned and unconditioned are both "Bernard" and " Helmholtz".
so in the end you are both right. because as jess said- because sence both bernard and helmholtz are diffrent and thus imune to the conditioning, they are the lessed conditioned so they rebail; and yet because they are both alphas the are the most conditioned to succed.
were i dissagre with both of you is that for one its not that they are less conditioned or more conditioned but, its that they have become aware of what is being done to them.
- bernared for one, multiple times over the chapters states how many times a frace is said to them while they are asleep "two thousand repetitions at sixteen and seventeen"
there awareness is what differantiates them and makes them imune to the conditioning.
also bernard is the one that conforms, even though hes an out cast and the society he lives in does not accept him, but for a simple tast of fame he forgets all this. -also Helmholtz, the one that is accepted by society and loved by every one is the one in the end to rebail and accepts being sent to the island. while bernard is the one that ends up conforming and giving in to the society that does not accept him.
ok know this is whats wired how is it that the out cast conformes and the assepted one rebels when he is given everything.
oh i forgot the lower members of the social structer are unable to rebel, because simply they have been conditioned so well that they are just not able to think of anything better for themselfs. while it is the alphas that struggle whith there identity because they have been given a bit more free will.
ReplyDeleteI am kind of confused on some of what you said sara. Early on in your response you agree that the Alphas are the most conditioned, yet in the new comment you state that the lower 'ranks' of society cannot act out because they are so well trained. Can you please elaborate?
ReplyDeleteEveryone reaches their breaking point, even those who had been conditioned that most. I noticed the name "Bernard Marx" from the very beginning. That name is also associated with a musician named Bernard Marx as well. It is by reputation that musicians are not very exclusive in their works but they present their work after it is done. Bernard in Brave New World is just like that. He holds himself back, knows the area around him but goes out with Hemholtz and John the Savage to the hospital in chapter 15. Yes, I know Bernard did not do a great job at breaking out to the community as John did, but Bernard did attend the group and told the authorities that he was friends woth Hemholtz and John.
ReplyDeleteok, what i ment is that yes the alphas are the most conditiond, but they are aware because they have more freedom then the lower classes, and they are set up to wont more, while the lower classes dont know anything can be better. they are told from the start that working harder then what they are requierd is bad. while the alphas are told to work harder and are allowed to keep more of there ceriosity.
ReplyDeletedoes that make sence or no?
Oh ok. That makes much more sense. Thank you
ReplyDeleteyour walcome.=)
ReplyDelete