Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)

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your interpetation? Short Summary refering to the task? NARRATIVE PERSPECTIVES • Third-person omniscient narrator * character is not visible in the story * knows everything to tells story from the outside * sometimes comments on the characters behaviour * mainly neutral, distanced 2. Third-person limited narrator * tells the story from the outside. up only describes feelings / thoughts from one particular character *not identical with this character 3. First-person narrator * A character narrates the story from his/her own perspective LD we only know what this character thinks, knows, nears, sees * often, but not always the protagonist CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SHORT STORY Function Focus Structure Language BRAVE NEW WORLD G published in 1932 . point of view: gives a short glimpse of a life-changing event or revelation. captures an important moment or an important feeling 0 O • Written by Aldous Huxley 0 single event, single setting, short time span. only one or two characters. direct beginning, little or no introduction. central turning point or suprising 'twist in the tale' near the end. often elliptical (details or sentence parts left out) one distinctive language or style choice) describes a futuristic utopian world in which freedom, stability and peace appear to be ensured by progressed techniques omniscient narrator (objective), instead of Bemards view About the World Stare • Principles: Community, Stability, Identity = allusion to french revolution Community: - total conformity and compliance achieved Identity: - absolute likeness . no identity! by caste system, group activities and promiscuity - unchangeable, retains throughout - achieved by: caste system, Bokanovsky's process - identical way of thinking individual has only relevance as a member of the community. no real and free individuals, conditioned to behave according to their caste Stability: - aim of the World Stake achieved by many factors: • mass production and conditioning (enjoy work, never sick, no fear of pain or death) click of life always the same. happiness, artifical satisfaction, pleasure through Soma and Conditioning distraction, consume and entertainment achieved by feelies, group activities • mindless amusement, triviality, ignorance through manipulative media and no literature Stagnation of knowledge: no learning from the past prohibition of history and culture, caste system, conditioning manipulated language. • banned factors that cause unstability: emotions, love, religion, art, culture, history, nature, fear of death O → eliminated Soma: — O drug to which everyone is addicted and which keeps people happy occassions to take Soma: emotional Stress, amusement, want to be happy. • function, escape from reality (Soma holiday) O effect: happiness (control: stability) people lose self- determination, it keeps them from thinking rationally and coping with Aleir problems on their own O people don't decide by themself if they want to take soma: government (police) → assures Stability and Control because if people are happy they don't question the System Leisure time activities • going out holidays, sort activities = → mindless and superfical activities which don't challenge their brain and distract them thinking and questioning the System Stabilizes community. and Stability - Economic aspect: consuming goods and transport. group activities (never alone) 1 Technology helicopter are used for short distances because they fly quickly and easily 1 rocket planes are used for long distances - Televisions: feeling a picture (synthetic. voice and music) 'feelies' - radio: composed feely scenarios slogans, hypnopaedic rhymes function: entertainment, manipulation, suppress criticism, distraction, designed to meet the needs of different groups/castes according to their social conditioning, providing people with casle-specific entertainment and sensational news to social stability - Controls /stabilizes the system Religion - Ford replaces God and Christianity celebrations: Fords Day, Solidarity Service Soma 40 Sative on religion to criticize the current society! 0 knowledge Mastery of knowledge has given human beings great control over their world -O Sex will lead to instability - Promiscuity people are needed satisfies needs (→ control, stability) - emotions are not allowed they control life, death, ageing, pleasure and pain • the most people don't know anything about the true workings of society (apart from e.g. Mustafa Mond), because knowledge - natural, fun - Children must be sexually active Demistify Sex in our society sex also deals with morality and Love Image of Humanity: - not born free but conditioned (no choice of education and career) - State creates people for their own porpouse, they are like machines and can be replaced but all not ageing process. - no real relationships (only phisical contact, no real communication, no family, spouse). they are called happy but in fact they are deprived of all human feelings or passion de individualized Lo People are conditioned to please distraction, they never experienced true happiness, they do not have any fundamental human rights what they don't mind because they have Lost self-dertermination and are entirely controlled by the government 0 O ruling class is treated different. • features technology. Lo controlled by ruling class. • ten leaders (controllers) • no acceptance of difference o no free choice / will 。 no emotional ties distopian authotarian o birth is abandoned 0 co no individuality. Inequality as part of the system. (castes) Relevance today: 0 O • Superfical entertainment → • ignorance O utopian absense of diseases. to changes in the human nature everyone has a job. scientific, technological progress. they are allowed to have freetime 。 no suffering, anger, jealously, sadness, pressure they all look the same in their cast = no problem with confidence. O 0 O → BNW example of dystopian literature O progress in medicine and genetic engineering. • naive belief in progress (we don't see dangers and risks) loss of moral values (religion, culture) manipulation by media. • lack of real communication and social contacts. • internet reduces privacy. 。 we are free and self-determined people (ex. we can vole)