As I continue to read Brave New World, I continue to believe that the author was using an extended metaphor that dealt with the fear and rise of Socialism and Communism during the 1930s. For example, Huxley portrays the dystopian society in a negative fashion by describing the lack of religious diversity and the lack of creative expression that accompanies it. Another example would be the overwhelming control of the government over the people that accompanied Socialist regimes in Russia, Italy, and Germany.
However,there are also positives mentioned such as the social stability that the lack of creative expression brought. Another societal positive would be the advancements made in technology especially in the field of transportation.
I am conflicted as to the message of the book because Huxley offers a somewhat fair representation of the pros and cons of a totalitarian society. Is Huxley condemning and warning of the dangers of Socialism and Communism or is there an altogether different message of the book?
Another question I would like to discuss is the significance of the names. If the book's message is indeed a warning against Socialism and Communism, then why would the protagonist's name be Bernard Marx?
How does the portrayal of Marx compare with the ideals of Karl Marx and how does this affect the novel?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
http://blog.penncharter.com/matthewt/a-liberal-and-a-savage/
ReplyDeleteI did a little research into your question about Karl Marx. According to this blog, it says that Karl Marx had ideas and thoughts that were quite different from the "norm" of society. I believe that Huxley did have this in mind when writing the novel because Bernard Marx is a perfect example of thinking outside of the box when it comes to their "utopian" society.
As for the beginning part of your discussion, (and excuse me for going a little out of order, I wanted to put the URL at the top), I believe that Huxley wasn't just condemning a totalitarian society. He listed the pros and cons because he believed that the coming of a similar society would be inevitable. It seemed as if it wasn't a question of whether it was right or wrong, but what will happen when it arrives.