Brave New World chapter 1-2 - 'Brave New World' was...

'Brave New World' was published by Aldous Huxley in 1932. It is the story of a society that
believes that happiness can be found through drugs and promiscuity. This lesson will look at the
main characters as well as the theme of government control. It will also explain dystopian
fiction.
Background and Summary
If you've ever watched the news, you know that a lot of the world is in turmoil. Have you ever
wished people could just get along with each other? Have you ever thought that the government
should do something to help people be happier with each other? On the surface, this might seem
like a great idea but in his novel 'Brave New World' Aldous Huxley shows how dangerous it can
be to let the government regulate happiness.
Aldous Huxley
The novel is an example of dystopian fiction , a story in which a society's attempt to create a
perfect world goes wrong. The society in question is set in a futuristic version of London where
the government has tried to create a completely stable civilization, one where the people are
always happy. Unfortunately, the government has done this by conditioning people to focus
solely on physical pleasure.
The novel opens inside the Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre where babies are
mass produced in test tubes then grown and conditioned according to their social class. One of
the workers, Lenina Crowne, is criticized for exclusively dating one man. The society believes
that everyone belongs to everyone else so people are encouraged to have sex with many different
people. Soon, Lenina decides to go out with a different man, Bernard Marx. The two of them
take a trip to New Mexico to a Savage Reservation so they can see how people act when they're
free from the rules of civilized society.

Lenina reacts to the Savage Reservation the way you would probably react to a village of
cavemen. She thinks the people are dirty, she finds their religious rituals confusing, and she is
horrified by the signs of sickness and aging. It's everything she has been taught to hate. Even
more shocking to both Bernard and Lenina is their interaction with Linda, a member of
civilization who had been living on the reservation for years. She had gotten trapped there years
earlier and was never able to get back to London. She is overweight, unkempt and desperate to
get back to civilization.
Bernard gets permission to bring Linda and her son, John, back to London. Unfortunately,
neither Linda nor John are able to fully conform with society's ideals. Civilized babies are all
created in a lab; the idea of actual parenthood is considered obscene. Therefore the people are
horrified at the thought that Linda has given birth like an animal. They staunchly avoid her. For
her own part, Linda is content to be avoided. All she wants to do is lie in bed and take drugs.