Download Brave New World, Aldous Huxley

Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
Name:__________________________
Dystopian Literature
Consumption / Conditioning
Caste System
Government’s Control of Science
Use of Medication(s)
Decline of Family Structure
Loss of Individuality
Historical Background
I.
Political, economic and social changes in Europe and America by 1932 that contributed to Huxley’s
disillusionment:
A.
B.
C.
II.
Political Changes
1.
_______________________________________________
2.
_______________________________________________
Economic Changes
1.
________________________________________________
2.
________________________________________________
Social Changes
1.
_________________________________________________
2.
_________________________________________________
Huxley’s theme
A.
__________________________________________________________
B.
__________________________________________________________
C.
___________________________________________________________
Huxley’s problems
D.
Population Growth:____________________________________________
E.
Irresponsibility of Science: ______________________________________
Character Connections:
Bernard Marx:
Lenina:
Helmholtz Watson:
Deity/God:
Benito Hoover:
Mustapha Mond:
Malthusian Belt:
Karl Marx -- chief theorist of modern socialism and communism
Vladimir Lenin – leader of Russian Revolution
John B. Watson – leading behavioral psychologist
Henry Ford – developed assembly line (autos); Freud – father of modern psychology
1) Herbert Hoover – US president 1929-1933
2) Benito Mussolini – Italian fascist dictator
Mustapha – line of Ottoman sultans; Alfred Mond – Baron of British chemical industry
Thomas Malthus – English economist concerned with overpopulation
Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
Historical Background
I.
Political, economic and social changes in Europe and American by 1932 that contributed
to Huxley’s disillusionment:
A. Political Changes
1.
Revolution in Russia
2.
Mussolini dictatorship in Italy
3.
Nazi movement in Germany
F.
Economic Changes
1.
More and bigger factories
2.
More manufactured goods and mass produced cars (Huxley says man’s
chief goal is to produce and consume – socialism and capitalism)
G.
Social Changes
1.
People moving to cities (crowded, loss of individuality)
2.
Depression (man’s identity connected to his job/ ability to produce)
III.
IV.
Huxley’s theme
A.
“the advancement of science as it affects human individuals”
B.
All technology has its ups and downs (i.e. nuclear power – unlimited, but
pollution, waste, war)
C.
Brave New World is a warning to make man realize science and technology
should be servants to man. Man should not be enslaved to them.
Huxley’s problems
A.
Population Growth: If we don’t control it, the state will.
B.
Irresponsibility of Science: Science should be legally controlled. It has become
the weapon by which we are controlled.