While reading brave new world I am shocked at the division between the social classes. Even after such a war as the Nine year war I am astonished that citizens would allow other human beings to be treated with such discrimination. I understand that as infants this social formality is drowned into their heads during sleep but one would still think that some part of them in their deep subconscious would make them at least consider these social structures to be morally wrong. But when pondering on this idea it becomes apparent that social ideas such as these are present in existing societies. Which does give some reason as why it would be easy for these ideas to pass as a norm without a second thought from the mass.
Marlon Mc Laurin
I disagree, though they have went through such a war social classes provide the stability they covet for so much. The society that they have made is a complete controlled environment. In the since that there highest form of power and most respected people are called “Controllers.” As the controller expresses, “stability. The primal and the ultimate need. Stability.” This is what keeps their society productive, everyone having a place in society. This can also be relevant in our society were people are set in social classes through their wealth.
ReplyDeleteMalik Mclaurin
I understand what you mean, but it doesn't come by as a "Shock" to me. Things like this happen to people all over the world. We, in fact, are brainwashed if you take it into consideration. How are we "brain washed?" By the school systems and any other higher authority. They teach us several facts and historical events and so on and so forth, but how do we know all this stuff is true? It could be made up baloney but we take it in because I guess it's what we are told to do. BUT if you think about it, instead of teachers teaching us History and Math they could have taught us to love Big Brother and we, being sponge brains, would have grown up believing their manipulative lessons because that's all we were taught. But when you say "but one would still think that some part of them in their deep subconscious would make them at least consider these social structures to be morally wrong" I agree whole heatedly! I mean, you would think once you hit a certain age you would be able to think for yourself and discover "right" from "wrong" but in their situation they are also taught (in creepy ways) to love their "inescapable" positions and nothing else. We are fortunate because we are somewhat educated and if this were to happen to us today we would KNOW it is morally wrong but they are ignorant. It's sad, and weird but things like this happen to abused children all over the world and I guess after a while, they don't care if it's bull or not, they are just trying to make it through another retched day.
ReplyDeleteThe people are not ignorant, it's just that that is all they know. from the moment they are born they are "taught" to like or dislike the things that the Controllers want them to like or dislike. In Chapter 2, the Director shows the students how they "teach" the people these different things. It's just that the people were not taught anything, they were not allowed to learn anything. They do not know that the way that other people treat them is "wrong." which can get a person thinking about whether there is a difference between right and wrong and what it is . . .
ReplyDeleteIn response to gsantos:
ReplyDeleteThe opening sentence of your comment was this; The people are not ignorant, it's just that that is all they know.
That quote alone means ignorant. When someone lacks knowledge or truth, that is defined as ignorance, which the people in the book experience. Ignorant means dumb of truth. Which they are. You are right, they do NOT know what is being taught to them is wrong, but I bet we have all been taught something wrong at one point in our lives, and that does not make us ignorant, just gullible. It doesn't make us ignorant because we have been taught more and to higher standards. It would make characters in the book ignorant because they haven't been taught more or to higher standards, Just because you don't know you are ignorant doesn't make you any less. They have been programmed to not even care to know. Pre-destined ignorance.
what truth though? that's the thing: truth according to us? what we consider the truth isn't what they consider the truth.
ReplyDelete