Sex In Aldous Huxley's Brave New World
In a world that was created to control people and establish a perfect “utopian society” where an open relationship with sex is necessary to maintain the social order, the treatment of women within the scope of sexuality calls into question the equality of the sexes in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. Throughout the course of the text, women are often subjected to the rules and expectation of the men, who also control the society. If they attempt to break free of the norm of society, they are subject to scrutiny. In particular, Lenina and Linda question the limits put on sex, whether it is promiscuity or monogamy, and both are reprimanded for it. The text shows the limitations of women in Huxley’s society and the difference in standards, in regards to sex, between men and women. The blame, and responsibility
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of sex and any negative results (results that would be considered wrong by their cultures standards) are blamed on the woman, not the man.
By examining the lives of these two different women, one who lives in the modern society and the other who lives on a reservation, we can see that regardless of where they live, a women is expected to act and behave in a manner that is approved by society. There is a danger to stepping out of line.
Lenina, unlike Linda, lives in the midst of civilization where sex is supposed to be shared and practiced regularly: “everyone belongs to everyone else” (43). For Lenina, she is particularly attracted to Henry Foster, with whom she has been sleeping with for the past few months, without sleeping with someone else. However Lenina’s friend, Fanny, immediately responds to Lenina with an “incongruous expression of pained and disproving astonishment” (40). Fanny
goes on to tell Lenina, “I really do think you ought to be careful. It’s such horribly bad form to go on and on like this with on man…And you know how strongly the D.H.C. objects to anything intense or long-drawn” (41). Lenina doesn’t even seem to get any sort of validation for her feelings, as if they don’t matter and aren’t relevant to the conversation. All Fanny knows is that it’s not a part of polite society to sleep with only one man, and there is no question. Fanny’s reaction can be assumed as part of the conditioning, but the tense matter of the D.H.C. finding out sounds nearly threatening. Lenina and Fanny don’t have a voice in this society; they don’t even have a choice with the conditioning they are subjected to. Those in charge, who we can assume are all men as none of the leaders we meet in the book are female, are the ones deciding that a woman should be expected to sleep with as many men as she can. They – men – are making decisions about women’s bodies for them, without consulting them. It is “bad form” to form a connection with another person, which can lead to a deeper connection that merely sex – we see the consequence of these actions in Linda, who is left to fend for her pregnant self in a culture she was raised to reject.
Yet, Lenina is on the verge of an attempt to break from the mold, “I hadn’t been feeling very keen on promiscuity lately. There are times when one doesn’t,” even when Henry has been maintaining an active sex life (43). The books seems to make out that women are more likely to form bonds with their partner, which can lead to a dangerous path that could lead to a tragic life. While we are shown that Bernard has trouble with promiscuity, the treatment of “Pregnancy Substitute” for women, which seems to be for correcting women’s feelings or hormones that may trigger the sort of connection that this society forbids (38). It picks out woman to have feelings that are abnormal, not men, that they are the ones who are likely to cause such an incident because there is no mention of this kind of treatment for men. Women are to blame for their emotions, and taught – by men – they are wrong.
We also see the responsibility of men in this society pushed to women when the subject of birth control arises. Women in this society are either expected to undergo surgery to render them infertile, or are conditioned to take birth control and keep it in a “Malthusian belt” (51). Since “Lenina was not a freemartin” or had not had a surgery, she was expected to take care of her own contraceptive needs (50). She was conditioned, not given a choice, as to whether or not she wanted to be responsible for the prevention of pregnancy: “…Lenina did not forget to take all the contraceptive precautions prescribed by the regulations. Years of intensive hypnoaedia and, from twelve to seventeen, Malthusian drills three times a week had made the taking of these precautions almost as automatic and inevitable as blinking” (77). By forcing the responsibility of pregnancy prevention onto the woman, men are holding them responsible for a choice made by both parties. When a woman gets pregnant, man can walk away and deny he was ever a part of the situation.
Instead of forcing the men to share that responsibility and uphold themselves to the same standards, they are given a pass on the possibility of being cast out for becoming a father. There are no mentions of a vasectomy procedure that men can go through, nor does there seem to be something like a condom. While Huxley wrote this in a time before serious preventative measures existed, he still makes a point to create birth control for women, but doesn’t do the equal for men. The only time there is a mention of a man in connection to the birth control, is when Henry buys Lenina her belt, and in that form he is reinforcing that it is her job to prevent pregnancy. Having a child through natural childbirth is a disgrace, and as the book shows the consequence for the woman and child, is what would be considered disastrous. In Linda’s situation, she has been outcast because for whatever reason, she has gotten pregnant. However, it is her fault, not the father’s, who is able to cast them aside and force them into the Reservation. While Linda does mention an “Abortion Centre”, the question of whether or not there really is a choice to be made because of the conditioning and direction the women are under (120). In Linda’s case, she had already been placed at the Reservation and forfeited a right to choose to terminate (again, the ethical question of whether or not it was actually her choice and not societies is tricky). In actuality, with the conditioning nothing they choose is really up to them, Huxley has created a world without true free will. Ultimately, Linda’s abandonment comes back to haunt Thomas, or the D.H.C, but for much of his life he is able to ignore the situation. It is the woman’s fault, not his. It is because Thomas is in a position of authority above Linda that he is able to get away with it for so many years.
Linda’s situation is different from Lenina’s. It’s harsher, and she understands what she is missing out on and what her life could – and should – have been like. As Linda strives to create the culture she is used to amongst a civilization that is so foreign to her, she is ostracized because of her beliefs about sex. On the Reservation, she has the opposite problem as Lenina: Linda wants to be promiscuous. Linda wants to be able to follow the rule of “everyone belongs to everyone else” (43). However, the natives on the reservation follow the old ways, and believe in marriage and monogamy, and reject Linda’s beliefs: “’Well, here,’ the other went on, ‘nobody’s supposed to belong to more than one person. And if you have people in the ordinary way, the others think you’re wicked and anti-social. They hate and despise you. Once a lot of women came and made a scene because their men came to see me. Well, why not? An then they rushed at me…’” (122). Once again, women in the novel are subjected to the culture of the society and are not allowed to follow in their own belief systems. While Linda makes more of an attempt to reject the reservation way of life, her choices have an effect on not only her treatment in the reservation, but her son’s life as well. Though the society in the Reservation is more of a community rather than a caste system, Linda is still subject to their scrutiny. Even with her conditioning, to refuse to let her do as she wishes and blame her for the actions their husbands take. Linda doesn’t claim to have seduced the husbands of the women in town; she says that they came to her. Once again, a woman is wholly blamed for the choices of a man. Yes, she played a part, but she isn’t the only one that should take the fall for it. The men must step up and accept their own consequences.
Throughout Brave New World the double standard of men and women in regards to sex and preventative measures takes a place amongst the dystopian society. Huxley wrote about birth control before it existed, and in that sense provided the warning of what it could mean for women’s role in sex. While it may be a great invention, the creation forces the women to be held responsible for an unwanted pregnancy and leaves the men to walk away unscathed. In Brave New World, sex is stigmatized in both cultures: one promotes promiscuity the other monogamy. However, through both of these settings Huxley shows that there is no right answer, and that any decision can be criticized and put down. Women in particular have no voice in this society and are forced to compel with the decisions that the men in charge have made. As a dystopian society, the concept of women being ruled by men still resonates with the conversations that are happening in the United States and across the world.
of sex and any negative results (results that would be considered wrong by their cultures standards) are blamed on the woman, not the man.
By examining the lives of these two different women, one who lives in the modern society and the other who lives on a reservation, we can see that regardless of where they live, a women is expected to act and behave in a manner that is approved by society. There is a danger to stepping out of line.
Lenina, unlike Linda, lives in the midst of civilization where sex is supposed to be shared and practiced regularly: “everyone belongs to everyone else” (43). For Lenina, she is particularly attracted to Henry Foster, with whom she has been sleeping with for the past few months, without sleeping with someone else. However Lenina’s friend, Fanny, immediately responds to Lenina with an “incongruous expression of pained and disproving astonishment” (40). Fanny
goes on to tell Lenina, “I really do think you ought to be careful. It’s such horribly bad form to go on and on like this with on man…And you know how strongly the D.H.C. objects to anything intense or long-drawn” (41). Lenina doesn’t even seem to get any sort of validation for her feelings, as if they don’t matter and aren’t relevant to the conversation. All Fanny knows is that it’s not a part of polite society to sleep with only one man, and there is no question. Fanny’s reaction can be assumed as part of the conditioning, but the tense matter of the D.H.C. finding out sounds nearly threatening. Lenina and Fanny don’t have a voice in this society; they don’t even have a choice with the conditioning they are subjected to. Those in charge, who we can assume are all men as none of the leaders we meet in the book are female, are the ones deciding that a woman should be expected to sleep with as many men as she can. They – men – are making decisions about women’s bodies for them, without consulting them. It is “bad form” to form a connection with another person, which can lead to a deeper connection that merely sex – we see the consequence of these actions in Linda, who is left to fend for her pregnant self in a culture she was raised to reject.
Yet, Lenina is on the verge of an attempt to break from the mold, “I hadn’t been feeling very keen on promiscuity lately. There are times when one doesn’t,” even when Henry has been maintaining an active sex life (43). The books seems to make out that women are more likely to form bonds with their partner, which can lead to a dangerous path that could lead to a tragic life. While we are shown that Bernard has trouble with promiscuity, the treatment of “Pregnancy Substitute” for women, which seems to be for correcting women’s feelings or hormones that may trigger the sort of connection that this society forbids (38). It picks out woman to have feelings that are abnormal, not men, that they are the ones who are likely to cause such an incident because there is no mention of this kind of treatment for men. Women are to blame for their emotions, and taught – by men – they are wrong.
We also see the responsibility of men in this society pushed to women when the subject of birth control arises. Women in this society are either expected to undergo surgery to render them infertile, or are conditioned to take birth control and keep it in a “Malthusian belt” (51). Since “Lenina was not a freemartin” or had not had a surgery, she was expected to take care of her own contraceptive needs (50). She was conditioned, not given a choice, as to whether or not she wanted to be responsible for the prevention of pregnancy: “…Lenina did not forget to take all the contraceptive precautions prescribed by the regulations. Years of intensive hypnoaedia and, from twelve to seventeen, Malthusian drills three times a week had made the taking of these precautions almost as automatic and inevitable as blinking” (77). By forcing the responsibility of pregnancy prevention onto the woman, men are holding them responsible for a choice made by both parties. When a woman gets pregnant, man can walk away and deny he was ever a part of the situation.
Instead of forcing the men to share that responsibility and uphold themselves to the same standards, they are given a pass on the possibility of being cast out for becoming a father. There are no mentions of a vasectomy procedure that men can go through, nor does there seem to be something like a condom. While Huxley wrote this in a time before serious preventative measures existed, he still makes a point to create birth control for women, but doesn’t do the equal for men. The only time there is a mention of a man in connection to the birth control, is when Henry buys Lenina her belt, and in that form he is reinforcing that it is her job to prevent pregnancy. Having a child through natural childbirth is a disgrace, and as the book shows the consequence for the woman and child, is what would be considered disastrous. In Linda’s situation, she has been outcast because for whatever reason, she has gotten pregnant. However, it is her fault, not the father’s, who is able to cast them aside and force them into the Reservation. While Linda does mention an “Abortion Centre”, the question of whether or not there really is a choice to be made because of the conditioning and direction the women are under (120). In Linda’s case, she had already been placed at the Reservation and forfeited a right to choose to terminate (again, the ethical question of whether or not it was actually her choice and not societies is tricky). In actuality, with the conditioning nothing they choose is really up to them, Huxley has created a world without true free will. Ultimately, Linda’s abandonment comes back to haunt Thomas, or the D.H.C, but for much of his life he is able to ignore the situation. It is the woman’s fault, not his. It is because Thomas is in a position of authority above Linda that he is able to get away with it for so many years.
Linda’s situation is different from Lenina’s. It’s harsher, and she understands what she is missing out on and what her life could – and should – have been like. As Linda strives to create the culture she is used to amongst a civilization that is so foreign to her, she is ostracized because of her beliefs about sex. On the Reservation, she has the opposite problem as Lenina: Linda wants to be promiscuous. Linda wants to be able to follow the rule of “everyone belongs to everyone else” (43). However, the natives on the reservation follow the old ways, and believe in marriage and monogamy, and reject Linda’s beliefs: “’Well, here,’ the other went on, ‘nobody’s supposed to belong to more than one person. And if you have people in the ordinary way, the others think you’re wicked and anti-social. They hate and despise you. Once a lot of women came and made a scene because their men came to see me. Well, why not? An then they rushed at me…’” (122). Once again, women in the novel are subjected to the culture of the society and are not allowed to follow in their own belief systems. While Linda makes more of an attempt to reject the reservation way of life, her choices have an effect on not only her treatment in the reservation, but her son’s life as well. Though the society in the Reservation is more of a community rather than a caste system, Linda is still subject to their scrutiny. Even with her conditioning, to refuse to let her do as she wishes and blame her for the actions their husbands take. Linda doesn’t claim to have seduced the husbands of the women in town; she says that they came to her. Once again, a woman is wholly blamed for the choices of a man. Yes, she played a part, but she isn’t the only one that should take the fall for it. The men must step up and accept their own consequences.
Throughout Brave New World the double standard of men and women in regards to sex and preventative measures takes a place amongst the dystopian society. Huxley wrote about birth control before it existed, and in that sense provided the warning of what it could mean for women’s role in sex. While it may be a great invention, the creation forces the women to be held responsible for an unwanted pregnancy and leaves the men to walk away unscathed. In Brave New World, sex is stigmatized in both cultures: one promotes promiscuity the other monogamy. However, through both of these settings Huxley shows that there is no right answer, and that any decision can be criticized and put down. Women in particular have no voice in this society and are forced to compel with the decisions that the men in charge have made. As a dystopian society, the concept of women being ruled by men still resonates with the conversations that are happening in the United States and across the world.