Mustapha Mond Character Analysis

In the contemporary world where technology advances at exponential rates, there has always been a debate between the value of forward progress at the expense of old world values. In the Novel Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, this conflict is deeply expressed through the underlying theme of the text, which becomes apparent in the climactic debate between protagonist John, the possessor of traditional values, and antagonist Mustapha Mond, the leader of the new world with his eyes only set on the present. John, being raised in the savage reservation, has experienced art, culture and literature, and has had the chance to experience both pain and happiness. Mond on the other hand is a native to the world state, and has certain biases despite being …show more content…
In Mond’s eyes, civilization and culture should only consist of the new, and does not require the old. Since they have “chosen machinery and medicine and happiness,” There is no use in remembering the pain of the old world, especially since it doesn’t fit into the consumerism model of the World State. John, conversely, believes civilization and culture should flourish from its roots, remembering the old impactful art and literature. He believes it is important to have struggle and learn from it, quoting Shakespeare’s Hamlet “ whether 'tis better in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing end them,” and criticizing the world state for eliminating the slings and arrows entirely. Through the contrast in these beliefs, it becomes clearer that controlling the populace via technology is a dangerous game, with the elimination of old culture playing a central role. John can see the lack of challenge that comes from this ideology, which is incredibly harmful to the people as they never experience a true challenge. Without being challenged, they have no way to know both their own capabilities as to what more they could accomplish, which is perfect for the government as there is no worry of multiple people challenging the existing infrastructure. While this is beneficial to the constancy of the …show more content…
To him, “It’s natural to believe in God,” especially during the darker times in life. In the World State, this simply just is not the case. According to Mond, “God isn't compatible with machinery and scientific medicine and universal happiness. You must make your choice.” In the World State, God was clearly not the choice. By keeping “God in the safe and Ford on the shelves”, the World State does indeed have scientific medicine and modern machinery in it, but it doesn’t have true happiness. The illusion of happiness is attained by the majority, due to the lack of real experiences they possess. The lack of satisfaction with the World State felt by John is evidence of this, as he has had real experiences and hasn’t been conditioned into complacency. As one of the only free thinking people, he is down right miserable, showing despite the façade of enjoyment, the people are not truly happy because of the technology, but