Huxley Predicted Our Future?
Aldous Huxley published Brave New World in 1932. At the time, he was already established as a drama critic and novelist of such books as Crome Yellow (1921), Point Counter Point (1928), and Do What You Will (1929). He also was well-known to many of the other great writers of his day, including the members of the Bloomsbury Group (Virginia Woolf, E.M. Forster, etc.) and D.H. Lawrence. Huxley is not a well known writer in this day, but his works have projected a world eerily similar to the world we have become more accustomed to.
Even though Brave New World is now considered a classic, the book was criticized for a weak plot when it was first published. One review even said, "Nothing can bring it alive." Along with the poor, mediocre review, Huxley's book has also become one of the most frequently banned books in literary history. Book banners have cited "negative activities" (undoubtedly referring to the sex and drugs) in the book as reason enough to prevent students from reading the book.
Brave New World is about a post-apocalyptic world in which the sole purpose of life is to enjoy and feel pleasure. Children are mass-produced into a caste-level system, taught to play erotically, and grow up just exactly how they are supposed to. If there is an outlying problem child, they can be tossed into a country of their choice, basically exiled.
There is a conflict in the story when a young girl and boy take a vacation to an outer reservation for ‘savages.’ These people are seen as dirty, ugly, and revolting. However, two of the savages make it back to the real world. Right away, chaos ensues. The twosome, a mother and son, do not fit into the society, and they know it. The story bases itself upon this line, and the fact that society is a blissfully ignorant bystander.
Brave New World is written at a very high level. This could come as a limitation for some readers, because there is a deeper level of understanding than what people may think. However, once the story is able to be comprehended, many aspects come alive. The plot line is completely formed from Huxley’s idea of the human race. What he wrote into Brave New World is what he believed could happen in the future. With all the talk about the world ending, Huxley should get more credit for what he predicted over 70 years ago. When you think about what our world consists of, and what we could possibly be heading toward, Huxley is a harbinger for the future.
In his story, Huxley shows how there are different aspects to different worlds, and the one we live in could be radically different. It also talks about the way truth and happiness work against one another. With all of the truths about society, the vivid depictions of childhood sex, and the sad, depressing ending, Brave New World is a perfect book to read to depress yourself completely.