I was looking around on the web and I found this quote. I think it relates perfectly with the novel and the theme. In society, they have rather successfully gotten rid of suffering, and if there is a slight bit of suffering, you take soma. I think I've learned from the novel that suffering is human nature, and we shouldn't try to exterminate an important part of our nature. Our suffering builds our character, and makes us who we are. It builds our precious individualism, which is taboo in the novel. Individualism is key in life, it gives us our value. I remember a point in the novel when the director was talking about banishing Bernard, saying nonchalantly that society as a whole will move forward without him. This to me is degrading to life. Society has forgot about the value of each person. They seem to be concerned with this collective entity of society, and not the individual people who comprise it.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Brave New World blog entry #20
"To hurt is as human as to breathe."-J. K. ROWLING
I was looking around on the web and I found this quote. I think it relates perfectly with the novel and the theme. In society, they have rather successfully gotten rid of suffering, and if there is a slight bit of suffering, you take soma. I think I've learned from the novel that suffering is human nature, and we shouldn't try to exterminate an important part of our nature. Our suffering builds our character, and makes us who we are. It builds our precious individualism, which is taboo in the novel. Individualism is key in life, it gives us our value. I remember a point in the novel when the director was talking about banishing Bernard, saying nonchalantly that society as a whole will move forward without him. This to me is degrading to life. Society has forgot about the value of each person. They seem to be concerned with this collective entity of society, and not the individual people who comprise it.
I was looking around on the web and I found this quote. I think it relates perfectly with the novel and the theme. In society, they have rather successfully gotten rid of suffering, and if there is a slight bit of suffering, you take soma. I think I've learned from the novel that suffering is human nature, and we shouldn't try to exterminate an important part of our nature. Our suffering builds our character, and makes us who we are. It builds our precious individualism, which is taboo in the novel. Individualism is key in life, it gives us our value. I remember a point in the novel when the director was talking about banishing Bernard, saying nonchalantly that society as a whole will move forward without him. This to me is degrading to life. Society has forgot about the value of each person. They seem to be concerned with this collective entity of society, and not the individual people who comprise it.
Brave New World blog entry #19
"And then the solitude! Whole days passed during which he never saw a human being." page 245
John seems to be enjoying himself in his new home, a home in which he is experiencing peaceful isolation. This is new for him. At the reservation, he was an outcast due to his race. He was constantly teased and tormented, as well as being battered by his mother by stories of a perfect, happy civilization. Then, when John makes it to society, he feels disgusted. He couldn't handle the universal happiness, which was void of all his religious virtues he had back at the reservation. Now, at the lighthouse, he is free to worship various gods and live a disciplined life with out the annoyance of other people. I think Huxley uses John to show that stability and universal happiness is an equal trade for passionate individualism. Social stability, while it appears to be happy, isn't truly happy because it sacrifices important parts of human nature.
John seems to be enjoying himself in his new home, a home in which he is experiencing peaceful isolation. This is new for him. At the reservation, he was an outcast due to his race. He was constantly teased and tormented, as well as being battered by his mother by stories of a perfect, happy civilization. Then, when John makes it to society, he feels disgusted. He couldn't handle the universal happiness, which was void of all his religious virtues he had back at the reservation. Now, at the lighthouse, he is free to worship various gods and live a disciplined life with out the annoyance of other people. I think Huxley uses John to show that stability and universal happiness is an equal trade for passionate individualism. Social stability, while it appears to be happy, isn't truly happy because it sacrifices important parts of human nature.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Brave New World blog entry # 18
"You can't have a lasting civilization without plenty of pleasant vices." page 237
Obviously, "pleasant vices" is the oxymoron I am referring to. The pleasant vices, I think, are the banishment of passion, high art, God, religion, and truth. In addition, I think the cowardly way people run from affliction, using soma, could be considered a "pleasant vice." John, contrastingly, does not see these vices as pleasant. Despite the sometimes truth being unpleasant, John values it above all. He is such a brave character to me. Taking things how they are and living with a harsh reality rather than living in a cheerful facade. I think Huxley wants us to learn from John. Like the novel Never Let Me Go, we must embrace our suffering, not run from it. Suffering is large part of humanity. It is especially important when this suffering is done in the name of truth and passion.
Obviously, "pleasant vices" is the oxymoron I am referring to. The pleasant vices, I think, are the banishment of passion, high art, God, religion, and truth. In addition, I think the cowardly way people run from affliction, using soma, could be considered a "pleasant vice." John, contrastingly, does not see these vices as pleasant. Despite the sometimes truth being unpleasant, John values it above all. He is such a brave character to me. Taking things how they are and living with a harsh reality rather than living in a cheerful facade. I think Huxley wants us to learn from John. Like the novel Never Let Me Go, we must embrace our suffering, not run from it. Suffering is large part of humanity. It is especially important when this suffering is done in the name of truth and passion.
Brave New World blog entry #17
"It hasn't been very good for truth, of course. But it's been very good for happiness." page 228
I would like to take from this quote two words, "truth" and "happiness." "Truth" represents the time before the nine years war, in which things like science, religion, passion, beauty, and art were prevalent and unrestricted. Obviously, then, "happiness" represents the new world order. Social stability and happiness for all is achieved by sacrificing humanness, a pursuit of truth and higher purpose. To me, Huxley in the novel is pushing for the pursuit of truth. We see the facade of happiness crumble and become just a false, reassuring shield from human nature and truth. It is a bit of good news to me that the three individuals, Bernard, John, and Helmholtz, wont be killed. They will be sent somewhere to be individuals with other people who have fallen out of rhythm with society. I am hoping some sort of revolution takes place, run by the individuals. I think, though, the ones in society to actually get behind the movement will be the alphas. They are really the only ones able to break their conditioning by way of free thought and inquiry. I think a revolution would jump start their desire for truth.
I would like to take from this quote two words, "truth" and "happiness." "Truth" represents the time before the nine years war, in which things like science, religion, passion, beauty, and art were prevalent and unrestricted. Obviously, then, "happiness" represents the new world order. Social stability and happiness for all is achieved by sacrificing humanness, a pursuit of truth and higher purpose. To me, Huxley in the novel is pushing for the pursuit of truth. We see the facade of happiness crumble and become just a false, reassuring shield from human nature and truth. It is a bit of good news to me that the three individuals, Bernard, John, and Helmholtz, wont be killed. They will be sent somewhere to be individuals with other people who have fallen out of rhythm with society. I am hoping some sort of revolution takes place, run by the individuals. I think, though, the ones in society to actually get behind the movement will be the alphas. They are really the only ones able to break their conditioning by way of free thought and inquiry. I think a revolution would jump start their desire for truth.
Brave New World blog entry #16
"'O brave new world, O brave new world...' In his mind the singing words seemed to change their tone. They had mocked him through his misery and remorse, mocked him with how hideous a note cynical derision! Fiendishly laughing, they had insisted on the low squalor, the nauseous ugliness of the night mare. Now, suddenly, they trumpeted a call to arms. 'O brave new world!' Miranda was proclaiming the possibility of loveliness, the possibility of transforming even the nightmare into something fine and noble. 'O brave new world!' It was a challenge, a command." page 210
I think this quote emphasizes the theme of words being piercing weapons. The words are so powerful that they take on a life of their own, and despite how they are contradictory to this situation (for example,"How beauteous mankind is!"), they still fuel Johns courage when bravely challenging the system.
John the savage shows his initiative in this chapter by trying to push his movement of freedom, but without success, seeing it was him against an entire world order. Though he doesn't succeed, I am glad to seem someone challenging the way of things. I have to say, early on, when Bernard reveals his miserable loneliness and disdain for society, I thought he was going to be the one to pose a challenge society. As we come to see, he does no such thing. In fact, he acts cowardly in this chapter. I am disappointed in him I must say. Perhaps John is the only one with enough courage to challenge this slavery masked with the illusion of fulfilling happiness because he is the only character in the novel to experience freedom. To see such a horrifying slaughter of freedom in the name of cheap, communal happiness is truly criminal to him.
I think this quote emphasizes the theme of words being piercing weapons. The words are so powerful that they take on a life of their own, and despite how they are contradictory to this situation (for example,"How beauteous mankind is!"), they still fuel Johns courage when bravely challenging the system.
John the savage shows his initiative in this chapter by trying to push his movement of freedom, but without success, seeing it was him against an entire world order. Though he doesn't succeed, I am glad to seem someone challenging the way of things. I have to say, early on, when Bernard reveals his miserable loneliness and disdain for society, I thought he was going to be the one to pose a challenge society. As we come to see, he does no such thing. In fact, he acts cowardly in this chapter. I am disappointed in him I must say. Perhaps John is the only one with enough courage to challenge this slavery masked with the illusion of fulfilling happiness because he is the only character in the novel to experience freedom. To see such a horrifying slaughter of freedom in the name of cheap, communal happiness is truly criminal to him.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)