Brave New World #2: Differences and The Tempest

            In this section of the book, Lenina and Bernard travel to the Savage Reservation. It’s fascinating that the people in the reservation are very similar to the Indians that inhabited the Americas before the Spanish and the British came. Funny that even after how long it’s been in the book, and how different the world is, there is still a need to preserve the culture and the people of the past.

            This trip also really emphasizes how different the “savages” are from the modern people of that time. Almost everything that the savages do disgusts Lenina, who is a typical new world citizen. Even Bernard, who views himself different than the other people in the new world, is entirely grossed out by a small scar that John, a savage, has on his head. In the reservation, they seem to be proud of scars and injuries. Also, there is no such thing as marriage in the new world, whereas marriage on the reservation is a huge deal and they don't even have a word for divorce.

            The reference of the title brings me to my second topic. The title is finally mentioned in Chapter 8, when John the savage is told he and his mother will likely be brought back to the new world with Bernard and Lenina. John quotes the line “O Brave New World, that has such people in it” from Shakespeare’s The Tempest. The parallel between these two works is uncanny. John is very similar to Miranda, for they both lived their entire lives away from contact with the outside, and get their knowledge about them from their parent’s stories.

            The similarity to The Tempest also goes into the idea of colonialism. Prospero from The Tempest basically colonizes the island he crash lands on and attempts to civilize it’s only inhabitant. In Brave New World, the new world has basically colonized the entire planet, civilizing everyone to their way of thinking and erasing all other cultures and languages. Aside from the reservation, of course.

Brave New World #1: Hypnopedia and Other Pros

From what I’ve seen in the first four chapters of Brave New World, it’s going to be a very interesting book. The whole society is intensely planned out, with artificial birth, social class determined before birth by physical and mental capabilities, and a weird thing called hypnopedia, which influences one’s thoughts by talking to them while they are asleep.

            I think hypnopedia is a genius idea, and one of the best factors in keeping a safe and nicely controlled society. It reminds me a lot of 1984, where everyone in the society is brainwashed, but somehow it seems a little less sinister. They might be teaching unquestioned acceptance, but the people don’t all live in poverty, information isn’t kept hidden, and there isn’t one ‘ruler’ who everyone must ‘love’. Everything taught to children through hypnopedia is for their own benefit, and in turn, the benefit of the whole society.

            Another thing that seems pretty sweet about this world is that everyone is born into their place, but they’ve been biologically altered so everyone is happy with their lives. No one born into the Gamma or Eschelon classes feels like they should be an Alpha because they know they aren’t smart or strong enough. It would be nice to never feel out of place.

            I guess the one problem with this is that you don’t really get to choose your fate. For instance, if you were born to work in the fertilization sector and you don’t want to do that for the rest of your life, there’s not much you can do. But this isn’t a very big issue in the society because people are taught to like their job through hypnopedia.