Social Classes In Brave New World

Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World examines numerous issues thriving in his world in an effort to discourage readers from mirroring aspects of the dystopian society similar to the one presented in the novel. Despite Huxley’s cautions based on his relatively accurate predictions of the future, key issues from the past still reside today. Since the early twentieth century, social classes have separated people based on their role in society, women have taken and continue to take strides towards equality, and the acceptance of individuality has grown. Three classes separating individuals based upon wealth and labor emerged in the early twentieth century. “A social class is a group of people within a society who possess the same socioeconomic status”
(Social Class, Encyclopedia Britannica). Those placed within the upper-class had obtained respect though high education, well-respected jobs, and large incomes, while the lower-class contained those working low-paying jobs. The middle-class merged the lower end of the upper-class and the higher end of the lower-class together. The formation of these three social class ultimately “divided people according to socioeconomic status” (Tucker, 1). The creation of this three-class social system defined how communities were perceived and such definition has withstood the test of time. The same three social classes remain today: the upper, middle, and lower classes, as the ones formed in the early twentieth century.
Social classes based upon a person’s “social position in culture” remain relevant (Social Class, New World Encyclopedia). The upper-class continues to encompass those with an “accumulation of wealth, high income, and education,” while the lower-class remains “at the bottom of the societal status ladder” containing those who have little income and education. The middle class still includes those with “average income and moderate levels of education” (Farooq, 1). Despite about one hundred years, accumulation of wealth still is the chief principle that determines social status. The role of women in society has always been questionable due to years of unfair, unequal treatment in comparison to men. A revolution in which women began to break societal boundaries was inspired by the females who were called upon to replace male factory workers during World War I (Feminism, Enotes). Marking the start of a large feminist movement, the early 20th century allowed women to thrive in the workplace, particularly within the arts where female aesthetic became idealistic (Gale, 1). This revolution had the ability to shape the opinions of people even
today. Although women kickstarted the journey towards equality in the early twentieth century, gender barriers still remain today. Integration of the sexes within the workplace has advanced due to availability of education for women. Women now have comparable access to standard and higher-level education as do men. However, inequalities women face include: wage gaps, poverty rates, lack of political representation, and factors regarding women's health (Chu and Posner, 1). Because women are deprived of these societal necessities, “progress in terms of gender equality is uneven” (Van der Gaag, 1). Women have obtained rights throughout the twentieth and early twenty-first century; nonetheless, challenges and limitations must be overcome to obtain equality. In the early twentieth century, the idea of individualism became more popular and more widely accepted due to an outburst of artistic creativity. “Individualism endorses the principle that ends or purposes of the human individual possess dignity and worth” (Individualism, Encyclopedia). Many artists like “Cézanne, Monet, Renoir, Matisse, Picasso, Braque, Bonnard, Beckmann, Brancusi, Kandinsky, Mondrian, Malevich, Chagall, and Miró” greatly influenced the recognition of individualism because of their success, fame, and wealth (Perl, 1). With newly introduced obsession with the arts, individuality became a favorable trait amongst the population. Since the twentieth century, individualism has grown with the advances in modern technology.
It is more common for people to express themselves and their ideas, but one thing that has halted individualism is the fear of judgement. “The evolution of individuality remains incomplete” because younger generations have been conformed to a social mold (Jacobs, 1). “Becoming an individual is difficult” as it is easier to be the same than to be different (Importance of Individualism). Individualism continues to be shackled by society even though it is highly promoted in the developed world. Throughout time, society have adapted to problematic societal conformities like social classes, feminism, and individualism. Social classes are still the same over one hundred years later. The role of women has evolved, but society still lacks gender equality. The acceptance of individualism remains at a stand still. Despite Huxley’s cautionary novel, society remains contained within the boundaries that, ironically, humans have caused
themselves.