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| Source: Medium, Brave New World |
Promiscuity, soma, no family restrictions, prevailed technology and ever lasting pleasures.
The story is set in London, in the year 632 A.F (After Ford). The world has changed drastically. After a global destruction, survivors were rescued and gathered in one place, some oaths were taken and new society, with distinct values and priorities, was hailed. Technology has become a dominant force used to control the mass, unlike 1984.
In such mechanic and emotionless society, the story starts with a brief introduction of the Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre, where children are born in test tubes with no concept of mother, personal relations and predestined into caste system. Each level holding specific value in a society in order; Alphas, Betas, Gammas, Deltas and Epsilons. With Alphas being the highest and conditioned for information and high authority tasks, Epsilons are considered the lowest with conditioned stunted growth and least worth.
Along with this highly designed society, some of the survivors managed to either escape or actually save themselves from a being of this society and lead their lives naturally, with common diseases, filth, aging body and weaknesses. These people were called as 'savage'
Meanwhile, we evidence a significant episode in the lives of two contrasting characters: Bernard, an Alpha, and John, a savage.
Why You Should Read Brave New World?
1. Perspicacity
Brave New World is not like usual any other dystopian world. It is unique, thoroughly designed and most importantly, relevant to our real world. The setting, hauntingly, match our surroundings. Hauxley has meticulously decided every little detail in his book, from the God being called as Ford; in reference to Lord in Christian faith, and the transformation of the cross into a T, to the names of his characters, literature references, technological advancements and social hierarchy. Everything is relevant and concise. Resultantly, with curiosity and horror, we explore Huxley’s world with as much interest as if it would possibly be our own at some point in the future.
2. Future Prediction
Brave New World is neither usual sci-fi book nor merely fiction. Instead it is a very reasonable and believable prediction of what awaits human civilization in the upcoming centuries. Huxley has cautiously analyzed the society with his unique perspective and afterwards, depicted the future accordingly. Where we can clearly see certain aspects of our current society mirrored in his futuristic world (as it was written ages ago actually, 1931), such as the hierarchy of class, ultra surveillance, and heavy consumerism, while some things are yet in their evolutionary process but still contain their stance. Nothing in this book is without some background evidence and purpose.
3. Horror insights
Whenever future is predicted, we either feel excited to live that reality, which is rare occasion, or we get horrified with dreadful visions of what awaits us ahead. And it may urge us to stop time and not move forward but time stops for none and nothing can change its pace either.
'Everyone belongs to everyone'
In this book, Huxley has shown how the world will be with technology and promiscuity integrated deep in our society. People are controlled with pleasures and love, but it's not like how you might have expected it. No sense of family, personal relations or monogamy, which is achieved by killing their raw natural emotional traits and conditioning for their destined tasks. No one can choose to do anything. Instead all lead robotic life with false pleasures and mechanic surroundings. If analyzing our present scenario, most of it actually looks familiar. We have already headed towards it and the clamor by the end was just the result of one author's imagination and what extremes such settings can elicit in multiple minds is still not imaginable.
4. Smoothness
Despite the grabbing information and scarce visions, the writing style is quite good. It keeps you engaged throughout the book. Huxley writing style is sardonic which ensures that you not only read it as story but also comparative scale for evaluation of your own society. Moreover Huxley excels at building tension through his idiosyncratic dialogues: on some occasions, there can be multiple scenes taking place and reaching their respective climaxes at the same moment.
5. Timeless
Brave New World is simply timeless. It could as well be written in the 1800s as in the 1900s or 2000s, as there is nothing which betrays its age.
Why you may find it difficult to read initially?
1. Demanding
As it is a Sci-Fi and that too, such gloomy one, so it requires you to dedicate some extra energy and imagine the setup properly and if you misplace any information while imagining everything, you may lose the interest completely. Additionally terms employed such as ‘Epsilon’, 'Ford', 'Freemartins’ or ‘Soma’ are not plainly defined for you, instead you will have to decode their meanings through the dialogues between characters. Therefore, it is important to understand the details first to put them into right places. I would suggest you to read some non-spoiler reviews before you indulge into it yourself because those reviews can prove as guidelines for imagining the whole scenario.
2. Story
Where everything is else is perfect, the storyline seems to lose the spark with time. However, overall the book and it's visions and predictions are worth your time!
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| Brave New World |
Verdict: I did not find the overall storyline of the Brave New World very great, but the book stunned me by its serious tone, details and information it holds. And it is definitely worth of all the hype it has been receiving for decades. In fact, everything resembles so much to our own world that I have no doubt that our future might not look too far from what Huxley foretold in his book.
Meanwhile, Brave New World is one of the most important pieces in modern literature and deserves to be read by bookworms and non-bookworms alike. Just keep in mind that it will not be an easy read.
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