Event/Connection:
“Absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely.” -Anonymous
While the power itself did not self-destruct, it is corrupting the people of the World State and making their lives a controlled, demonic nightmare. John went to get away from the world in a lighthouse only to find himself getting drunk and committing suicide. “Just under the crown of the arch [ of the lighthouse staircase] dangled a pair of feet.” (259) When this novel was originally written in 1932, Huxley must have felt threatened that a toleration state would be able to brainwash and manipulate an entire population. While there were a few people that seemed to “rebel” in Brave New World, no one was able to amount to much of a threat to the nation. Aldous Huxley may have underestimated a human’s ability to revolt into successful revolutions. History has shown us that since 1932, all totalitarian states have failed or are in the process of failing (North Korea mainly).
Thursday, March 24, 2011
IRP Blog Post 4b
Theme:
After finishing the book, the most pressing theme was the ineffectiveness of totalitarianism. John continued to press the need for arts and science for mankind to grow and have a meaningful, purpose-driven life. The World State argued that it was unnecessary. Mond tells John of the unimportance of science by saying, “Every change is a menace to stability. That’s another reason why we’re so chary of applying new inventions. Every discovery in pure science is potentially subversive; even science must sometimes be treated as a possible enemy. Yes, even science.” (224-225) John thought freedom should reign and wasn’t going to change positions; he would agree with Max Lerner’s famous quote, “To reject the word is to reject the human search.”
After finishing the book, the most pressing theme was the ineffectiveness of totalitarianism. John continued to press the need for arts and science for mankind to grow and have a meaningful, purpose-driven life. The World State argued that it was unnecessary. Mond tells John of the unimportance of science by saying, “Every change is a menace to stability. That’s another reason why we’re so chary of applying new inventions. Every discovery in pure science is potentially subversive; even science must sometimes be treated as a possible enemy. Yes, even science.” (224-225) John thought freedom should reign and wasn’t going to change positions; he would agree with Max Lerner’s famous quote, “To reject the word is to reject the human search.”
IRP Blog Post 4a
Connection:
While in a soma distributer place, John gets sick of the current day order and loses his calm composure. “Listen I beg you, lend me your ears. Don’t take that horrible stuff. It’s poison, it’s poison. Poison to soul as well as body.” (211) John is trying to tell people that the soma is controlling everyone so in order to feel free and independent, people need to stop consuming it. It reminds me of the Matrix when if you wanted to take the blue pill, you would wake up and the story ends while if you take the red pill, you stay in wonderland. So the question is, will John end up taking the red pill or will find a way to keep taking the blue pill?
Friday, March 11, 2011
IRP Blog Post 3c
People (Character Development):
“Bernard's other victim-friend was Helmholtz. When, discomfited, he came and asked once more for the friendship which, in his prosperity, he had not thought it worth his while to preserve. Helmholtz gave it; and gave it without a reproach, without a comment, as though he had forgotten that there had ever been a quarrel. Touched, Bernard felt himself at the same time humiliated by this magnanimity – a magnanimity the more extraordinary and therefore the more humiliating in that it owed nothing tosoma and everything to Helmholtz's character. It was the Helmholtz of daily life who forgot and forgave, not the Helmholtz of a half-gramme holiday. Bernard was duly grateful (it was an enormous comfort to have his friend again) and also duly resentful (it would be pleasure to take some revenge on Helmholtz for his generosity).” (179)
Bernard is a much different man from when he met John. His character has developed and he has seemed to lose personality since then. A possible reason could be the Soma, which I mentioned in another blog post, that takes control of him like a drug. It’s almost as if the World State is indirectly controlling him. Maybe John will help Bernard and develop him back into a some-what independent man again.
“Bernard's other victim-friend was Helmholtz. When, discomfited, he came and asked once more for the friendship which, in his prosperity, he had not thought it worth his while to preserve. Helmholtz gave it; and gave it without a reproach, without a comment, as though he had forgotten that there had ever been a quarrel. Touched, Bernard felt himself at the same time humiliated by this magnanimity – a magnanimity the more extraordinary and therefore the more humiliating in that it owed nothing tosoma and everything to Helmholtz's character. It was the Helmholtz of daily life who forgot and forgave, not the Helmholtz of a half-gramme holiday. Bernard was duly grateful (it was an enormous comfort to have his friend again) and also duly resentful (it would be pleasure to take some revenge on Helmholtz for his generosity).” (179)
Bernard is a much different man from when he met John. His character has developed and he has seemed to lose personality since then. A possible reason could be the Soma, which I mentioned in another blog post, that takes control of him like a drug. It’s almost as if the World State is indirectly controlling him. Maybe John will help Bernard and develop him back into a some-what independent man again.
IRP Blog Post 3b
Symbol/Idea:
“‘Reducing the number of revolutions per minute," Mr. Foster explained. "The surrogate goes round slower; therefore passes through the lung at longer intervals; therefore gives the embryo less oxygen. Nothing like oxygen-shortage for keeping an embryo below par." Again he rubbed his hands.” (24)
Mr. Foster seems unusually excited about altering the normal life cycle. This is a symbol of from earlier in the book that is now starting to shed light for more actions of the World State.
“The two low work-tables faced one another; between them crawled the conveyor with its load of separate parts; forty-seven blonde heads were confronted with forty seven brown ones. ...” (160)
John is disgusted by the machine like production of humans and this reassures that the hatred for the World State is only growing.
“‘Reducing the number of revolutions per minute," Mr. Foster explained. "The surrogate goes round slower; therefore passes through the lung at longer intervals; therefore gives the embryo less oxygen. Nothing like oxygen-shortage for keeping an embryo below par." Again he rubbed his hands.” (24)
Mr. Foster seems unusually excited about altering the normal life cycle. This is a symbol of from earlier in the book that is now starting to shed light for more actions of the World State.
“The two low work-tables faced one another; between them crawled the conveyor with its load of separate parts; forty-seven blonde heads were confronted with forty seven brown ones. ...” (160)
John is disgusted by the machine like production of humans and this reassures that the hatred for the World State is only growing.
IRP Blog Post 3a
Theme:
The director wants to humiliate Bernard in front of everyone. “A public example. In this room, because it contains more high caste workers than any other in the centre.” (147) A reoccurring theme is power, and the ability to flex that power to prove a point. I feel as if public examples can only scare people up to a point before it starts to get people rebellious.
Here is a link of an article about someone who thought a court case shouldn’t have been made a public example out of. http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/05/defense-government-made-lori-drew-symbol-of-cyberbullying/ It just shows how we flex our power too, and need to make sure we don’t overstep boundaries.
The director wants to humiliate Bernard in front of everyone. “A public example. In this room, because it contains more high caste workers than any other in the centre.” (147) A reoccurring theme is power, and the ability to flex that power to prove a point. I feel as if public examples can only scare people up to a point before it starts to get people rebellious.
Here is a link of an article about someone who thought a court case shouldn’t have been made a public example out of. http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/05/defense-government-made-lori-drew-symbol-of-cyberbullying/ It just shows how we flex our power too, and need to make sure we don’t overstep boundaries.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)