In vitro fertilization was discovered in 1973. It's the process in which egg cells are fertilized by sperm outside the womb; in a fluid medium. The first "test tube" baby was born in 1978. Brave New World was published in 1931. I don't know what Huxley's intentions may have been when he wrote the book, but his ideas, his beliefs of what the future might be, are coming true, and that is probably not a very good thing. To some of us it may be scary, to think that this world that we know may actually become the world that Huxley has created.
In a way, the authors of books like these may have some influence in the change of the world. They use their imagination, the things that they think up, to entertain, but the child that is said to always be inside us wants to know if he or she can actually fly or blow up a whole city.
I think that some authors may have a "fault" in the bad influences.
What do you think?
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I don't understand what you are trying to say. How is it Huxley's fault that some of the things in our world have become corrupt? He was just writing a book. Sure, some of the things may have become true, but that doesn't mean it was his fault. How is it his fault that we have come up with the technology to do some of the stuff he made up?
ReplyDeleteIf a serial killer published a book about killing, it shouldn't be in our minds to wonder if we could; we should know it's wrong no matter what, and not think of trying it. There are some things that we know better than to do, so how is it the author's fault for it?
And sometimes, these "test tube" babies aren't bad. Some people have them because they can't have babies of their own. Either they physically can't or they have issues with it, but why should that stop them from being able to create a family. Sometimes it can be right.
That's my opinion; I may be wrong, but that's the way I see it and that's what I got from this post.
I agree with Brittany. I fail to see exactly what you mean. Here's some help.
ReplyDeleteIf you mean that his writing was immediatly influential, it wasn't. According to Neil Postman in his Amusing Ourselves to Death, the idea seemed outrageous, and was overtaken by George Orwell's worldview in the novel 1984. 1984 contained a plot of a dictatorship controlling everyone's thought processes and waging unending war. This was after the end of WWII. It wasn't until the real year 1984 that we realized Orwell wasn't right. Huxley's prophecies became true, as people started paying attention to his predictions of test-tube babies and an attachment to the media. In summary, Huxley could not have made an influence on anyone.
Possibly, you may also mean that Huxley puts negative ideas into his novel. Some people even ban books like these. However, without these negative ideas, we can have no fear of them. Also, if they are displayed as bad in the novel, how will people be influenced and want to adopt them?
I also find fault in the first sentence of the second paragraph. Huxley is only meant to be a predictor, not an influencer. If Huxley is right, books should not influence us in the first place.
Again, this is what I think you are trying to say. If you think the thought of a test-tube baby is negative, you are entitled to your own opinion. I just think that an author and his book should not be criticized for a negative idea that he is trying to prevent by writing about it.
Kevin, I don't think anyone could have answered the question any better.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunatly,I dont completely understand your question either.
Yes with a book like this authors do have and influence on the world, but i believe the influence is positive.
Now that we know whats happening we have a better knowledge of how to stop it.
I also think that test tube babies do give hope to a couple who cant have children of their own,
but it would also be positive if they adopted a
child.
So with the test tube baby controversy I stand in the middle, not taking either side
I believe my question was worded wrong, David. I meant to ask how we can be influenced away from a possible mistake if the mistake itself is not presented in a negative fashion.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I do applaud gsantos for being disgusted at this sort of thing. The main point of writing is to get a reaction to your work. Maybe Huxley wanted us to see a possibility and do our best to make it impossible.