Brave New World Essay

Throughout the dystopian novel Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, the author reveals his true feelings about the application of science and technology in the future. He uses ironic dialogue and descriptions to convey the feeling that if we rely and rest our weight as a people in technology and science that we will soon lose ourselves. The Brave New World is set as a perfect society. It points toward what society is capable of, including controlling society through technology. It produces a futuristic vision in what could be real one day. Throughout the novel the author uses John (The Savage), and Bernard, as well as Hemholtz as a vehicle to express his true point of view, and uses other characters’ ironic dialect throughout the novel to enhance it.
As the novel begins Aldous uses irony first to reveal his contrasting feelings towards this “perfect society”. In the hatchery and conditioning center a student, serving as a vehicle for the reader as well as for the author to express confusion in the act of creating below-par embryos, asks “But why do you want to keep the embryo below par?” (14) Later, with the view point to contrast the author and reader it is said “But in Epsilons,”…”We don’t need human intelligence.” (15) Using technology to make humans into man-machines is seen immoral and serves as the first noticed flaw in this utopian society.
Slowly gaining insight into the depth of the dystopia, the use of technology to control is apparent. Through hypnopaedia, or sleep-teaching, children were taught unconsciously which was soon as set stone in their minds. As Lenina remarks “‘I’m glad I’m not an Epsilon,’” (74) The author, expressing through Henry, replys “‘And if you were an Epsilon,’…’your conditioning would have made you no less thankful that you weren’t a Beta or an Alpha.’” (74) He is challenging what is being taught and understood as matter-of-fact. The author believes that such sleep-teachings, although seemingly successful through the course of the novel, are unorthodox.
Soma is referenced to throughout the novel. Within a conversation with John Mustapha explains: ‘”And if ever, by some unlucky chance, anything unpleasant should somehow happen, why, there’s always soma to give you a holiday from the facts…And there’s always soma to calm your anger, to reconcile you to your enemies, to make you patiend and long-suffering…Christianity without tears --- that’s what soma is.’” He tries to show that soma solves unpleasant emotions that lead to conflict, that it allows for everyone to have inner peace, and makes the connection of soma to religion. John, expressing the author states, “’…the tears are necessary’” (238) and that ‘”Its too easy.’” (238) He believe that the soma , and artificial religion, makes like superficial, and spiritually meaningless. The author reveals that in the future the application of science towards drug use could become reality. He believes that using mind altering drugs such as soma to escape reality would be a world without hardships that may be overcome to produce success in the face of sacrifice.
Aldous Huxley wrote Brave New World as a warning to all its readers.“…---you seem to have paid a fairly high price for your happiness” (230) He understood the advances in technology and science that could persist to create a happier world, but a superficial world in return. Brave New World helps to reflect what technology and scientific breakthroughs are capable of, and helps to understand the destruction that follows in pursuit of creating a utopia.