The aspiration of any government is to control the people they govern in an effort to make their territory run smoothly. This notion is nothing new. The problem arises, however, when the methods of said control question morality. In Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, hypnopædia, sex, and soma are all government instituted methods that keep the World State a well orchestrated, highly regulated, functioning machine.
Instead of pleasant lullabies or sweet-nothings from mom and dad, children in the world state are whispered caste confirmations, forcing them to believe that they are truly content with the life they live. This almost sounds ideal; would not everyone be happier if they were forced to believe so? However, their method of forced happiness …show more content…
Many major religions state that sex is an important experience that one should save until marriage, and that polygamy is immoral. This frustration has been “fixed” in the World State. The solution: sex. The “everyone belongs to everyone” virtue encourages citizens to not recognize an individual’s outstanding quality or qualities, but to blur the lines between woman and woman or man and man, insinuating that pleasure comes from the concept of pleasure; not from the affection felt from one specific partner. This builds a strain between sexual partners. The prominence of sex, and the encouragement of promiscuity leads to the commonality of sex in the World State. This can be seen through the use of contraceptives. About 2/3 of women are forced to become sterile, and their ovaries are removed when another hundred people are needed. When citizens are sexually active, they’re forced to use contraceptives. Lenina even brags about the contraceptive belt that Henry Foster gave her. A great example of this is Lenina’s friend Fanny shunning her for going out with Henry Foster for a few months exclusively. Not only are the most promiscuous the most prominent, but also sexually charged activities like the Feelies and Orgy-Porgy ceremonies are encouraged for stimulation. One of the reasons Bernard was questioned was because he often spent more time in isolation than in these forced sexual
Instead of pleasant lullabies or sweet-nothings from mom and dad, children in the world state are whispered caste confirmations, forcing them to believe that they are truly content with the life they live. This almost sounds ideal; would not everyone be happier if they were forced to believe so? However, their method of forced happiness …show more content…
Many major religions state that sex is an important experience that one should save until marriage, and that polygamy is immoral. This frustration has been “fixed” in the World State. The solution: sex. The “everyone belongs to everyone” virtue encourages citizens to not recognize an individual’s outstanding quality or qualities, but to blur the lines between woman and woman or man and man, insinuating that pleasure comes from the concept of pleasure; not from the affection felt from one specific partner. This builds a strain between sexual partners. The prominence of sex, and the encouragement of promiscuity leads to the commonality of sex in the World State. This can be seen through the use of contraceptives. About 2/3 of women are forced to become sterile, and their ovaries are removed when another hundred people are needed. When citizens are sexually active, they’re forced to use contraceptives. Lenina even brags about the contraceptive belt that Henry Foster gave her. A great example of this is Lenina’s friend Fanny shunning her for going out with Henry Foster for a few months exclusively. Not only are the most promiscuous the most prominent, but also sexually charged activities like the Feelies and Orgy-Porgy ceremonies are encouraged for stimulation. One of the reasons Bernard was questioned was because he often spent more time in isolation than in these forced sexual