"Once upon a time, while our Ford was still on the Earth, there was a little boy named Reuben..." -pg.23
The last literary term that I found that Huxley uses is Anecdotes. Anytime one person is talking about the past, there is an anecdote involved. They tell these little stories and accounts of what life was like in the past. This helps the reader relate to the story because we recognize the things in the past that they are talking about. This also helps us to recognize what is actually going on in this society because we don't understand the concept of not having a mother, family, and being able to express ourselves sexually freely like they are in this novel. The anecdotes also serve as comparisons to our world and the futuristic world described by Huxley.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Number Nineteen- Foreshadowing
Once again, this literary term was not directly stated in the text. I found this whole book to be a foreshadowing, however. Alduous Huxley describes the future in a Utopian kind of way. He describes the "perfect", working together, and ideal society. Nothing goes wrong, people get what they want, and people aren't afraid of death. ("They're well off; they're safe; they're never ill; they're not afraid of death; they're blissfully ignorant..." pg.220) This is a foreshadowing of what might come in the future. Many people today pose the thought of the future being a working together, perfect society. This book shows the flaws in that. If we take heed of this warning of what might become, maybe the future won't turn out like this.
Number Eighteen- Metaphor
"The world's stable now. People are happy; they get what they want, and they never want what they can't get." pg. 220
The biggest metaphor in this book that I found, although never directly quoted, was the metaphor involving society. The society is always compared to a single person, one body. Everything needs to run smoothly and work together for the body to survive. If there are parts that don't work, the body shuts down. This shows the need for the Utopian society in the novel. People need to do what they are predestined to for the society to keep working and the utopia to stay functional.
The biggest metaphor in this book that I found, although never directly quoted, was the metaphor involving society. The society is always compared to a single person, one body. Everything needs to run smoothly and work together for the body to survive. If there are parts that don't work, the body shuts down. This shows the need for the Utopian society in the novel. People need to do what they are predestined to for the society to keep working and the utopia to stay functional.
Number Seventeen- Simile
"Like chickens drinking, the students lifted their eyes towards the distant ceiling." -pg. 11
Huxley also implements the use of similes in his writing. Similes are used to compare things. He compares the students writing in their notebooks to chickens drinking. Without knowing what they are doing, they do anything the director tells them to. This contributes to the idea that the government has complete control over the population. With complete control, you can make people do anything, and therefore make them do what you want to do.
Huxley also implements the use of similes in his writing. Similes are used to compare things. He compares the students writing in their notebooks to chickens drinking. Without knowing what they are doing, they do anything the director tells them to. This contributes to the idea that the government has complete control over the population. With complete control, you can make people do anything, and therefore make them do what you want to do.
Number Sixteen- Irony
"And if anything goes wrong, then there's soma!" -pg.220
Huxley uses irony in the novel in the form of soma. I found this way the most ironic. People use soma to get away from their troubles, to achieve a feeling of ecstasy. They create a barrier from the real world troubles and their mind with it. It is perhaps the "wonder drug". However in reality, soma is used to control people. If anything goes wrong, they are doused with it and subdued. People are given the illusion of happiness so they won't ever complain about something being wrong and try to fix it.
Huxley uses irony in the novel in the form of soma. I found this way the most ironic. People use soma to get away from their troubles, to achieve a feeling of ecstasy. They create a barrier from the real world troubles and their mind with it. It is perhaps the "wonder drug". However in reality, soma is used to control people. If anything goes wrong, they are doused with it and subdued. People are given the illusion of happiness so they won't ever complain about something being wrong and try to fix it.
Number Fifteen- Imagery
"Three days later, like turkey buzzards settling on a corpse, the reporters came." -pg.248
"Like locusts they came.." -pg.255
"And from out of the bellies of these giant grasshoppers..." -pg. 255
Huxley employs the use of imagery throughout his novel. One example of imagery, is using animals. He describes these people and machines as locusts, turkey buzzards, and giant grasshoppers. Driving further into this, they treat the savage like he is an animal. He is doing things to himself that normal people don't usually do. They have never seen this and thus flock to him like he is an exhibit on show for all to see.
"Like locusts they came.." -pg.255
"And from out of the bellies of these giant grasshoppers..." -pg. 255
Huxley employs the use of imagery throughout his novel. One example of imagery, is using animals. He describes these people and machines as locusts, turkey buzzards, and giant grasshoppers. Driving further into this, they treat the savage like he is an animal. He is doing things to himself that normal people don't usually do. They have never seen this and thus flock to him like he is an exhibit on show for all to see.
Number Fourteen- Utopian literature
This literary term describes the style of writing that Huxley used for the entire book. In Brave New World, Huxley describes a futuristic society that supposedly runs perfectly. It is ideal and people there are secure. Utopian Literature means prose fiction which aims at a richly detailed and generally realistic depiction of an ideal society or alternative world. The society is ran by higher-ups. People are told what to do and when, and even are bred for certain tasks. In most Utopian books, things tend to go wrong. Just like in George Orwell's novel: 1984.
Number Thirteen- Allusion
How many goodly creatures are there here! How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world.”
-pg. 210
This passage is one of the passages in the story that I found most helpful. The Title of this book, Brave New World, is an allusion itself to this line. This line comes from Shakespeare's The Tempest. Yet another mentioning of Shakespeare. In this story, John says this when he leaves for the new place, the place of society. He adores Shakespeare and his writings. Alduous Huxley reveres Shakespeare too and refers to him many times in this novel.
-pg. 210
This passage is one of the passages in the story that I found most helpful. The Title of this book, Brave New World, is an allusion itself to this line. This line comes from Shakespeare's The Tempest. Yet another mentioning of Shakespeare. In this story, John says this when he leaves for the new place, the place of society. He adores Shakespeare and his writings. Alduous Huxley reveres Shakespeare too and refers to him many times in this novel.
Number Twelve- Climax
“How many goodly creatures are there here! How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world.”
-pg. 210
These words were the words muttered by John when he first arrived. Now, they are the words when he sees people at the hospital just mindlessly taking their soma rations. He has come to hate this place and its ideals. Fueled by the rage of his mother's death, he attacks the people because he wants them to realize what he realizes about this place. This is the climax of the novel. Finally John does something about his feelings and finally stands up for what he believes is right. Even though it is against the rules, he is enraged that the people don't see what he sees. He is like Bernard Marx in a way, he also has different ideas and that is why people view him as different.
-pg. 210
These words were the words muttered by John when he first arrived. Now, they are the words when he sees people at the hospital just mindlessly taking their soma rations. He has come to hate this place and its ideals. Fueled by the rage of his mother's death, he attacks the people because he wants them to realize what he realizes about this place. This is the climax of the novel. Finally John does something about his feelings and finally stands up for what he believes is right. Even though it is against the rules, he is enraged that the people don't see what he sees. He is like Bernard Marx in a way, he also has different ideas and that is why people view him as different.
Number Eleven- Alduous Shakespeare?
Numerous times in this book Alduous Huxley refers to William Shakespeare. Shakespeare had the same ideas as Alduous, writing about things that couldn't be, or ideas that were viewed as futuristic such as the perfect society, or the "Romeo and Juliet relationship". A device that Alduous uses is he makes his writing like Shakespeare. He doesn't straight copy him either. He presents the relationship of John and Lenina and allows the reader to make the connection of Romeo and Shakespeare. Shakespeare also included stanzas in his writings. Alduous actually has direct quotations in this story from Shakespeare when John is reciting them.
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Number Ten- Romeo and Juliet?
"The savage was reading Romeo and Juliet outloud- reading (for all the time he was seeing himself as Romeo and Lenina as Juliet) with an intense and quivering passion." -pg. 184
Romeo and Juliet came from different families, different scenes. The savage came from a completely different scene and way of life than Lenina. He realizes he loves Lenina but at the same time he realizes that they wouldn't work out. In my opinion, the reason they would never work out is because of how much their views on subjects contrast each other. When Lenina throws herself at him, he blatantly calls her a whore. Lenina was just doing what in her culture was acceptable, and he was doing what he was used to from his culture. This view of Romeo and Juliet contributes to the fact that if you don't live in this main society, you get left behind. When they visit the reservation, they are amazed at how "savagely" the people live. The ironic thing about the whole situation is that John views Lenina and the others as savage for how they act sexually, but they view him as the savage.
Romeo and Juliet came from different families, different scenes. The savage came from a completely different scene and way of life than Lenina. He realizes he loves Lenina but at the same time he realizes that they wouldn't work out. In my opinion, the reason they would never work out is because of how much their views on subjects contrast each other. When Lenina throws herself at him, he blatantly calls her a whore. Lenina was just doing what in her culture was acceptable, and he was doing what he was used to from his culture. This view of Romeo and Juliet contributes to the fact that if you don't live in this main society, you get left behind. When they visit the reservation, they are amazed at how "savagely" the people live. The ironic thing about the whole situation is that John views Lenina and the others as savage for how they act sexually, but they view him as the savage.
Number Nine- Parallels
"Almost nobody, I'm one of the very few. It's prohibited, you see. But as I make the laws here, I can also break them." -pg. 219
A very big parallel in this novel is the use of the stanzas. The citizens use the stanzas to explain things, release emotion, and also calm down. The savage, however, recites stanzas from Shakespeare's writings. These writings are banned though in the society. There are so many memorized lines and phrases that people just recite them instead of explaining themselves. This parallel is used by Huxley to show that even though these people don't live on plantations, they have more in common with the savage than they think. The main one, even though they forget it, is that they are all human. Even though they are bred to be different, everyone is the same and that is being human.
A very big parallel in this novel is the use of the stanzas. The citizens use the stanzas to explain things, release emotion, and also calm down. The savage, however, recites stanzas from Shakespeare's writings. These writings are banned though in the society. There are so many memorized lines and phrases that people just recite them instead of explaining themselves. This parallel is used by Huxley to show that even though these people don't live on plantations, they have more in common with the savage than they think. The main one, even though they forget it, is that they are all human. Even though they are bred to be different, everyone is the same and that is being human.
Number Eight- Ford
"Oh Ford, I've gone and woken the children!" -pg. 29
Throughout the book, there are many references to Ford. My thoughts on this is that they use this word interchangeably with how we use the word "Lord". Many times it is out of frustration, as seen in the quote. There are also uses of reverence though. In their society, everyone reveres technology. A great technological mind of our time was Henry Ford. This shows their love for technology. Also, how with their lack of religion, they revere technology like we do religion.
Throughout the book, there are many references to Ford. My thoughts on this is that they use this word interchangeably with how we use the word "Lord". Many times it is out of frustration, as seen in the quote. There are also uses of reverence though. In their society, everyone reveres technology. A great technological mind of our time was Henry Ford. This shows their love for technology. Also, how with their lack of religion, they revere technology like we do religion.
Number Seven- Stanzas
"Ford, we are twelve; oh, make us one,
Like drops within the social river;
Oh make us now together run
as swiftly as thy shining Flivver." -pg. 81
Huxley implements many literary strategies in this book. One of them, is the use of stanzas. To me, these are used everytime a character wants to calm down or release their emotions. It makes the reader aware of when the characters are going to release emotion or calm down from stress. One example of stress being let go is when the savage recites Shakespeare to calm his nerves after his experience with Lenina. Also, when everyone is about to release emotion after all the soma they took, there is another stanza in the reading. Also, the solidarity hymns mentioned in the book are all presented in stanzas. An example is the third solidarity hymn on page 82.
Like drops within the social river;
Oh make us now together run
as swiftly as thy shining Flivver." -pg. 81
Huxley implements many literary strategies in this book. One of them, is the use of stanzas. To me, these are used everytime a character wants to calm down or release their emotions. It makes the reader aware of when the characters are going to release emotion or calm down from stress. One example of stress being let go is when the savage recites Shakespeare to calm his nerves after his experience with Lenina. Also, when everyone is about to release emotion after all the soma they took, there is another stanza in the reading. Also, the solidarity hymns mentioned in the book are all presented in stanzas. An example is the third solidarity hymn on page 82.
Number Six- All for One
"I suppose Epsilons don't really mind being Epsilons." "Of course they don't. How can they? They don;t know what it's like being anything else. We'd mind, of course. But then we've been differently conditioned. Besides, we start with a different heredity." -pg. 74
In this world, people are bred for certain tasks. Some are bred solely for the tasks that people don't want to do. But, they don't know this, they are bred solely for this task alone and not for desiring a better task. In their pre-life processes they are put through series of experiments and processes to make them enjoy what they do. This strikes me as just adding on to the already built illusion of the perfect society. If they are taught to like this, and not realize that there are better experiences to be had, why should they want to do anything else? They have the lowest jobs in their society but don't treat it as that.
In this world, people are bred for certain tasks. Some are bred solely for the tasks that people don't want to do. But, they don't know this, they are bred solely for this task alone and not for desiring a better task. In their pre-life processes they are put through series of experiments and processes to make them enjoy what they do. This strikes me as just adding on to the already built illusion of the perfect society. If they are taught to like this, and not realize that there are better experiences to be had, why should they want to do anything else? They have the lowest jobs in their society but don't treat it as that.
Number Five- More Differences
"Orgy-porgy, Ford and fun, kiss the girls and make them One. Boys at one with girls at peace;
Orgy-porgy gives release." -pg.84
Once again, the taboos around sexuality in our culture no longer exist in this culture. In a soma-filled reality for these people, they experiment and push the limits of their society. For them this is normal and what we do in our culture is the strange and out of place ideas. My reaction to this is that people need to release their feelings and emotions in this world too, not just work for the government or their jobs and that right there is the feeling of being human. Bernard Marx has human feelings and thoughts and maybe he isn't the only one after all. It also seems that these people spend more time intoxicated on soma, the wonder drug of their time, than they do actually in reality. This helps add to the illusion of the perfect society, and helps the reader to realize it is just that, an illusion of a "perfect" society.
Orgy-porgy gives release." -pg.84
Once again, the taboos around sexuality in our culture no longer exist in this culture. In a soma-filled reality for these people, they experiment and push the limits of their society. For them this is normal and what we do in our culture is the strange and out of place ideas. My reaction to this is that people need to release their feelings and emotions in this world too, not just work for the government or their jobs and that right there is the feeling of being human. Bernard Marx has human feelings and thoughts and maybe he isn't the only one after all. It also seems that these people spend more time intoxicated on soma, the wonder drug of their time, than they do actually in reality. This helps add to the illusion of the perfect society, and helps the reader to realize it is just that, an illusion of a "perfect" society.
Number Four- Bernard Marx
"They say somebody made a mistake when he was still in the bottle- thought he was a Gamma and put alcohol into his blood-surrogate. That's why he's so stunted."
-pg. 46
In my own opinion this is the most "human" person in the beginning of the novel. He wants things he can't have, and has his own opinions regarding soma and sexuality. He doesn't take part in drugs that everyone else takes and he also acts more traditionally to our society in regards to sex and things of that matter. The author included this character, in my opinion, to hint at the first thing wrong with the society: not everyone being the same. People are bred to have certain tasks, feelings, and thoughts. However, not everyone ends up the same just like Bernard. Because he is even the tiniest bit different, people refer to him as being different, not normal, and something went wrong when he was born. You can't fully achieve a perfect society with people like Bernard. Everyone would have to be the same and the truth is, not everyone is.
-pg. 46
In my own opinion this is the most "human" person in the beginning of the novel. He wants things he can't have, and has his own opinions regarding soma and sexuality. He doesn't take part in drugs that everyone else takes and he also acts more traditionally to our society in regards to sex and things of that matter. The author included this character, in my opinion, to hint at the first thing wrong with the society: not everyone being the same. People are bred to have certain tasks, feelings, and thoughts. However, not everyone ends up the same just like Bernard. Because he is even the tiniest bit different, people refer to him as being different, not normal, and something went wrong when he was born. You can't fully achieve a perfect society with people like Bernard. Everyone would have to be the same and the truth is, not everyone is.
Number Three- Ideals Reconsidered
"He let out the amazing truth. For a very long period before the time of Our Ford, and even for some generations afterwards, erotic play between children had been regarded as abnormal; and not only abnormal, actually immoral: and had therefore been rigorously suppressed."
-pg. 32
In this futuristic society, taboos about sexuality have dramatically changed compared to the ones set in our own world. Children are actually encouraged to explore and take part in sexual games in the novel's society. This just goes to show that over time and across cultures, sexuality is represented and carried out in various ways. Over time more and more is accepted. In this culture, having sexual relations with numerous and different people seems to be the normal thing to do, but in ours is looked down upon by many. On a lesser note, clothing that people wear changes over time to show more skin. In previous years in the past, people bundled up and showed absolutely no skin. However, in our society, skin being shown is the norm. A connection I can make in this clothing issue is drawn from a show called Lost. Many people that were on the island had shoulders exposed and swam in swimsuits and bikinis. However, one Japanese couple was different because the husband wouldn't allow the wife to expose her shoulders or swim in a revealing swimsuit. This goes to show that people, although living in the same time period, that come from different civilizations have different views on clothing and sexuality.
The couple in the TV show, Lost.
-pg. 32
In this futuristic society, taboos about sexuality have dramatically changed compared to the ones set in our own world. Children are actually encouraged to explore and take part in sexual games in the novel's society. This just goes to show that over time and across cultures, sexuality is represented and carried out in various ways. Over time more and more is accepted. In this culture, having sexual relations with numerous and different people seems to be the normal thing to do, but in ours is looked down upon by many. On a lesser note, clothing that people wear changes over time to show more skin. In previous years in the past, people bundled up and showed absolutely no skin. However, in our society, skin being shown is the norm. A connection I can make in this clothing issue is drawn from a show called Lost. Many people that were on the island had shoulders exposed and swam in swimsuits and bikinis. However, one Japanese couple was different because the husband wouldn't allow the wife to expose her shoulders or swim in a revealing swimsuit. This goes to show that people, although living in the same time period, that come from different civilizations have different views on clothing and sexuality.
The couple in the TV show, Lost.
AP Lit Blog Number Two- Psychological Factors
"The experiments were abandoned. No further attempt was made to teach the children the length of the Nile inn their sleep. Quite rightly. You can't learn a science unless you know what it's all about."
-pg. 26
We have all heard that listening to an audio tape while we are sleeping will help us memorize the facts and things needed for us to pass the test the next day with flying colors. In this chapter, the child that learned about the length of the nile could only recite it when started off with the first half of the fact. This furthers my idea of not being able to have a perfect society because only memorizing the sentences over and over isn't enough to actually learn, understand, or analyze a topic. If children are told the same thing over and over they are going to do something without thinking. This takes away the analyzing aspect of situations and thoughts become like robots.
-pg. 26
We have all heard that listening to an audio tape while we are sleeping will help us memorize the facts and things needed for us to pass the test the next day with flying colors. In this chapter, the child that learned about the length of the nile could only recite it when started off with the first half of the fact. This furthers my idea of not being able to have a perfect society because only memorizing the sentences over and over isn't enough to actually learn, understand, or analyze a topic. If children are told the same thing over and over they are going to do something without thinking. This takes away the analyzing aspect of situations and thoughts become like robots.
AP Lit Blog Number One
"We also predestine and condition. We decant our babies as socialized human beings, as Alphas or Epsilons, as future sewage workers or future..."
Mr. Foster, pg. 13
This quote in the first chapter of the book really outlines the whole idea of the society. Instead of natural birth and natural development of the child, children are predestined to perform a certain line of work before they are even born. This is setting up the idea of the "perfect society", the one that has been mentioned and hinted at so many times before in our world. In my own opinion, a perfect society could never exist. There is always problems and unpredictable occurrences and humans. In this world, people can't be unhappy with their line of work because they are "programmed" to enjoy it. This reminds me of a movie called "iRobot". In it, robots are made and programmed to do specific tasks, and behave certain ways. Of course, the robots eventually turn on the humans and something goes wrong in the "Fool-proof" plan. It is my belief that something will go wrong in every fool-proof plan.
Mr. Foster, pg. 13
This quote in the first chapter of the book really outlines the whole idea of the society. Instead of natural birth and natural development of the child, children are predestined to perform a certain line of work before they are even born. This is setting up the idea of the "perfect society", the one that has been mentioned and hinted at so many times before in our world. In my own opinion, a perfect society could never exist. There is always problems and unpredictable occurrences and humans. In this world, people can't be unhappy with their line of work because they are "programmed" to enjoy it. This reminds me of a movie called "iRobot". In it, robots are made and programmed to do specific tasks, and behave certain ways. Of course, the robots eventually turn on the humans and something goes wrong in the "Fool-proof" plan. It is my belief that something will go wrong in every fool-proof plan.
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