"Brave New World"-Journal Entry

" 'Murder kills only the individual-and, after all, what is an individual?' With a sweeping gesture he indicated the rows of microscopes, the test-tubes, the incubators. 'We can make a new one with the greatest ease-as many as we like' " (Chapter 10 pg. 148-Harper Edition)

"Undoing all their wholesome death-conditioning with this disgusting outcry-as though death were something terrible, as though any one mattered as much as all that! (Chapter 14 pg. 206-Harper Edition)

In the first quote, the director is explaining to Henry Foster that unorthodox behaviour is a much more severe offense than murder, because murder only affects one individual while unorthodox behaviour could potentially corrupt many and perhaps destroy society itself. In the second quote, John "The Savage" has interrupted a session of "death conditioning" (where children are exposed to dying individuals and conditioned not to fear death).

Both of the chosen quotes focus on how any sense of individuality has been intentionally removed from the identities of the members of the society in "Brave New World". My personal reaction to the entire system was skeptical. How could there be so few Bernard and Helmholtz types? I can understand that the individuals of the lower castes (who were genetically limited by lower intelligence) might not question the system, but are drugs and sleep-teaching/hypnosis so powerful, that even the alphas would reject the fundamental human desire to be valued as more than simply a part of the greater whole?

In "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" Thomas Gray wrote:

"On some fond breast the parting soul relies,
Some pious drops the closing eye requires;
Even from the tomb the voice of Nature cries,
Even in our ashes live their wonted fires."

Gray understood that it is a fundamental condition of human existence to want to be remembered (and grieved for) when we pass on. In my opinion, no amount of "conditioning" could erase one of the most basic of human needs. Every human being wants to have their life acknowledged and valued by another human being. The nurse in "Brave New World" is shocked when John is grieving for his mother, "..as though any ONE mattered as much as all that" (as if any individual was worth such a display of emotion. )

Partnered with the loss of individuality is the lack of emotional attachment to any other human being. Again... I think this is such a fundamental part of the human experience that no amount of brainwashing could erase it completely. I found the world of 1984 to be more believable (not that elements of both worlds couldn't exist). People could betray their deepest morals when threatened with torture. Maybe I'm an idealist, but I like to think that only pain would be enough to make most people betray their deepest values-not pleasure.

Complete digression: Mr. Orwell and Mr. Huxley....is it too much to ask to create a strong, intelligent female character? Lenina, Linda, and Julia are shallow and annoying (ok, there's a HINT of character in Lenina). What's the big deal? Do you think a girl can't handle the whole distopian world view? I suggest you check out Sarah Connor from "The Terminator" or Ellen Ripley in the "Alien" series, or Trinity in "The Matrix" trilogy. Or go read "The Handmaid's Tale" or "Oryx and Crake" by Atwood.

Yeah...I know you're dead. Overall I enjoyed your books. They made me think.