Brave New World: Conditioning, Society, and Characters
Conditioning and Sleep-Teaching in Brave New World
Examples of conditioning in Brave New World include the conditioning of children with flowers and books, and sleep-teaching. Children are conditioned to align with the Company’s morality. Sleep-teaching was discovered before Ford and was already in use in scientific fields, but it was not effective. Before Ford, it was tested by the Moral area and found to be effective, but it was prohibited.
Societal Structure: Love, Politics, Health, Feelings
In the society of the New World, long-term relationships are non-existent. Promiscuity is encouraged. Society is conditioned not to fear death or have strong feelings towards others.
Soma and Feelies: Escapism in the New World
Soma is a drug with a depressive function that transports individuals to another reality, as seen with Lenina. In this futuristic world, formal relationships and marriage do not exist. The motto “Everyone belongs to everyone” is practiced, orgies are common, and children play with erotic toys.
The Relationship Between Linda and John
Linda is John’s mother. She teaches him to read, sings songs to him from “another world,” and gives him a book by Shakespeare. However, Linda is addicted to soma and consumes it excessively. John, referred to as “the Savage,” is the son of the Director (the creator of everything) and lives in the reservation. He is the only white person in the area. John represents the purest and least corrupt individual compared to civilized man. Ultimately, Linda dies in the hospital due to the effects of soma, and John mourns her. The people do not understand his feelings.
Bernard Marx: An Outcast in a Conformist Society
Bernard Marx is an Alpha-Plus psychologist, but he is different from the rest. He is small and considered unattractive. He feels isolated and spends most of his time reading. Bernard’s close friend is another Alpha-Plus, Helmholtz, who is handsome and successful in love. They are good friends and get along well because they are different from the others. Bernard is in love with Lenina, but she is only interested in taking soma and having sex.
The Meeting with the Controller: A Clash of Ideals
Mustapha Mond and John discuss literature, passion, emotions, suffering, and God. John confesses that he desires a life that includes suffering, not just constant satisfaction. Mustapha does not want John to go with Helmholtz.
The Novel’s Central Message: A Reflection on Happiness
Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World explores themes such as love, liberty, suffering, science, technology, and progress. It presents two contrasting worlds, similar to the “myth of the cavern”: one of technology and one of the past, where poverty exists. The book prompts the question: Are we truly happy being like slaves, without liberty?