Ignorant New World
Why do people laugh? Is it an effect from a witty joke, a nervous tic, or perhaps a humorous accident? Whatever the reason is, laughter is a contagious and social occurrence. In the book, Brave New World, there are many circumstances where laughter takes place. However, the people in the book are not necessarily aware of what they are laughing about. It is not that they are replacing thinking with laughter, instead, they do not have the ability to comprehend what they are laughing at. They allow laughter to cover up the absence of understanding something. A lack of individuality paired with society’s teachings creates people who do not know what they are laughing at, nor why they had stopped thinking.
Life in Brave New World is built upon a series of rules, one being “when the individual feels, the community reels” (Aldous Huxley, 94). Human Beings in this society are genetically engineered into certain castes: Alpha, Betas, Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons. Alphas are the most privileged in the society, and Epsilons are the low-status group. Each caste is taught to think and act in a certain way. This is done through sleep-teaching called hypnopedia. For instance, one lesson for Betas is “Alpha children wear grey. They work much harder than we do because they’re so frightfully clever. I’m really awfully glad I’m a Beta, because I don't work so hard. And then we are much better than the Gammas and Deltas. Gammas are stupid.” (Aldous Huxley, 27). Another lesson is “everyone works for everyone else. We can't do without …show more content…
It is regulated and systematic. But the controlling society has a consequence. In order for the society to work, and for the citizens to be happy, there is a clear loss of uniqueness, freedom, and knowledge. With the lack of these factors, it creates people not able to comprehend certain situations and to laugh at the
Why do people laugh? Is it an effect from a witty joke, a nervous tic, or perhaps a humorous accident? Whatever the reason is, laughter is a contagious and social occurrence. In the book, Brave New World, there are many circumstances where laughter takes place. However, the people in the book are not necessarily aware of what they are laughing about. It is not that they are replacing thinking with laughter, instead, they do not have the ability to comprehend what they are laughing at. They allow laughter to cover up the absence of understanding something. A lack of individuality paired with society’s teachings creates people who do not know what they are laughing at, nor why they had stopped thinking.
Life in Brave New World is built upon a series of rules, one being “when the individual feels, the community reels” (Aldous Huxley, 94). Human Beings in this society are genetically engineered into certain castes: Alpha, Betas, Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons. Alphas are the most privileged in the society, and Epsilons are the low-status group. Each caste is taught to think and act in a certain way. This is done through sleep-teaching called hypnopedia. For instance, one lesson for Betas is “Alpha children wear grey. They work much harder than we do because they’re so frightfully clever. I’m really awfully glad I’m a Beta, because I don't work so hard. And then we are much better than the Gammas and Deltas. Gammas are stupid.” (Aldous Huxley, 27). Another lesson is “everyone works for everyone else. We can't do without …show more content…
It is regulated and systematic. But the controlling society has a consequence. In order for the society to work, and for the citizens to be happy, there is a clear loss of uniqueness, freedom, and knowledge. With the lack of these factors, it creates people not able to comprehend certain situations and to laugh at the