The only mention of a death, is when Linda is seen in Chapter 14, in the hospital. But, if people in the society don't catch diseases, and old age isn't seen, then what possibly could they be dying from? Linda dies from too much soma intake. But, she is taking much more than the average person. So, if not from soma, old age, or illness, what else could it be? The only plausible answer I can come up with is that death is part of their framework all along, and that when they were being created, a specific amount of chemicals was put in to their bloodstream to determine when their time would come.
I really would like to hear your opinions and feedback.
The first thing that came to my mind when I read your post is qi. It’s pronounced Ch-ee. Qi is an ancient Chinese idea that is very similar to what you just explained. Everyone is born with a certain amount of Qi and when you run out death follows. Going through a traumatic event or coming close to death takes more qi then taking a stroll in the park. There are also methods of saving and not losing qi. I agree with your hypothesis. I’m sure the society doesn’t believe in qi but something along those lines probably determines the citizens life span.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with your hypothesis on how the people die in Brave New World. I think that since people take soma over the years, they will eventually die because soma take a few years off your lifespan. From this, people would not have to determine when for people to die because the soma would eventually make them die before they turn old.
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