Aldous Huxley foreshadows the dangers of communal identity and conformist behavior in his dystopian novel Brave New World. Huxley creates an experiment within the World State, controlling factors such as birth in a test tube, predestined factions, color of clothes, sanitation and the rationing of soma. He casts his characters as the variables in the experiment, utilizing the outsider John, the neglected Bernard, and the indoctrinated Lenina to examine their responses to the World State. As every one belongs to every one else, Lenina seeks to maintain her reputation of promiscuity by becoming partners with Bernard. They leave to go on vacation to New Mexico, a reservation untouched by the futuristic civilization, and meet John there. John was
…show more content…
John questions Mustapha Mond why early religious texts are banned from the World State, and especially the Christian God. Religious inquiry is an natural inclination, which John explains to Mustapha: “It is natural to believe in God when you’re all alone-- quite alone, in the night, thinking about death…” (235). Humans are inclined to believe in some form of greater being, and while the World State issued the Ford’s Day celebrations, these celebrations don’t take place daily. Mustapha argues how they avoided this natural inclination: “But people are never alone now… We make them hate solitude; and we arrange their lives so that it’s almost impossible for them to ever have it” (235). By arranging for these citizens to participate in a communal identity, they do not seek time alone . Since they are not searching for solitude, the World State citizens fail to inquire about a greater being. Mustapha also views religion as a part of propaganda, responding to John: “The gods are just. No doubt. But their code of law is dictated, in the last resort, by the people who organize society; Providence takes its cue from men” (236). The World State followed this statement when they created the Ford, which is relevant to the productivity of the assembly line, to promote productivity. The futuristic authoritarian government additionally allows no Bibles in civilization, not that the citizens would know what a Bible is, however. North Korea is similar in that religious books are banned, but citizens will face large consequences if found with one. This present-day regime, headed by Kim Jong Un, allows for only for worship of this leader and harshly opposes
John questions Mustapha Mond why early religious texts are banned from the World State, and especially the Christian God. Religious inquiry is an natural inclination, which John explains to Mustapha: “It is natural to believe in God when you’re all alone-- quite alone, in the night, thinking about death…” (235). Humans are inclined to believe in some form of greater being, and while the World State issued the Ford’s Day celebrations, these celebrations don’t take place daily. Mustapha argues how they avoided this natural inclination: “But people are never alone now… We make them hate solitude; and we arrange their lives so that it’s almost impossible for them to ever have it” (235). By arranging for these citizens to participate in a communal identity, they do not seek time alone . Since they are not searching for solitude, the World State citizens fail to inquire about a greater being. Mustapha also views religion as a part of propaganda, responding to John: “The gods are just. No doubt. But their code of law is dictated, in the last resort, by the people who organize society; Providence takes its cue from men” (236). The World State followed this statement when they created the Ford, which is relevant to the productivity of the assembly line, to promote productivity. The futuristic authoritarian government additionally allows no Bibles in civilization, not that the citizens would know what a Bible is, however. North Korea is similar in that religious books are banned, but citizens will face large consequences if found with one. This present-day regime, headed by Kim Jong Un, allows for only for worship of this leader and harshly opposes