Theme Of Isolation In Brave New World
Aldous Huxley demonstrates the theme of isolation through foreign and contrasting culture in Brave New World. John, “the Savage”, is abruptly thrown into a new society that has a government dictated by science and that is far different from his own home. Throughout his turbulent journey in the World State, John must maneuver his way through a culture that revolves around science and the perfection of human conditioning, and in process he loses everything he holds dear to him that has any semblance of home. Huxley is able to describe his character’s rough transition by contrasting John’s own beliefs and morals from those of the World States’. Though they have similar ideas on this “perfected” society and are considered to be outsiders by their peers, John the Savage is ultimately the opposite of Bernard Marx, an idealist who only thinks about being rebellious since he is not quite like his fellow Alphas and he is constantly reminded of such. John, on the other hand,
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brings his critique of this “flawless” society to the forefront before his impending demise: ‘“But do you like being slaves?’ the Savage was saying as they entered the Hospital [...] absorbed into an intense overpowering hatred of these less than human monsters (Page 146).” The author was able to create a seemingly utopian society, but it was a facade for the underlying truth that this world is really a dystopia where everyone is confined by their own happiness and has no real freedom. Once this is learned, John is the only one who does anything to escape it. However, John is all alone in this world and that, in part with other factors, is was sparks his need to find sanctuary outside of the World State. The author distills in John an appreciation literature to create conflict between himself and the world contoller.
“‘The Savage was silent for a little. ‘All the same,’ he insisted obstinately, ‘Othello's good, Othello's better than those feelies.’ [...] the Controller agreed. "But that's the price we have to pay for stability. You've got to choose between happiness and what people used to call high art.’ (Page 151).” John begins to unravel the truth of why literature is banned and Huxley reveals it is all about the happiness of society. The author starts to show that total happiness is a prison for the mind and emotions. The entire character of John was created by the author to be a symbol of rebellion against the society’s traditional drug use and conditioning, while Lenina was a symbol of fully giving into society’s practices. This helps add to the reasons for John’s status as a pariah; he is the only one, asides from some such as the World Controller, that isn’t constantly in a state of
happiness. Lenina and John’s relationship was a way for the author to enhance John’s need to return to a way of life that was familiar to him. On par with the other differences, Lenina presents a sharp contrast from the Savage. She gives into the soma and sexual traditions that she refrained from early on in the novel. John’s refusal of her sexual advances represents his refusal of not only her but of the institution of World State. “Strumpet! Strumpet!" he shouted at every blow as though it were Lenina [...] Forgive me, God. I'm bad. I'm wicked. I'm… No, no, you strumpet, you strumpet!’ (Page 172)." Huxley shows that John’s hatred for Lenina is apart of his hatred for the World State. He feels bad for what he’s doing but he gives into his anger because he had nothing to lose. The author’s development of John was all to create this rift between who he was and what he became. Aldous Huxley inserted John into an alien world where everything he knew and believed was different and considered to be old-fashioned. The use of contrast pushes the story forward to create conflict between differing ideas and opinions, ultimately leading to an internal battle within John the Savage who embodies loneliness and difference in a world of perfectly conditioned specimen. The differences presented in Brave New World underline that contrasting ideas lead to conflict.
brings his critique of this “flawless” society to the forefront before his impending demise: ‘“But do you like being slaves?’ the Savage was saying as they entered the Hospital [...] absorbed into an intense overpowering hatred of these less than human monsters (Page 146).” The author was able to create a seemingly utopian society, but it was a facade for the underlying truth that this world is really a dystopia where everyone is confined by their own happiness and has no real freedom. Once this is learned, John is the only one who does anything to escape it. However, John is all alone in this world and that, in part with other factors, is was sparks his need to find sanctuary outside of the World State. The author distills in John an appreciation literature to create conflict between himself and the world contoller.
“‘The Savage was silent for a little. ‘All the same,’ he insisted obstinately, ‘Othello's good, Othello's better than those feelies.’ [...] the Controller agreed. "But that's the price we have to pay for stability. You've got to choose between happiness and what people used to call high art.’ (Page 151).” John begins to unravel the truth of why literature is banned and Huxley reveals it is all about the happiness of society. The author starts to show that total happiness is a prison for the mind and emotions. The entire character of John was created by the author to be a symbol of rebellion against the society’s traditional drug use and conditioning, while Lenina was a symbol of fully giving into society’s practices. This helps add to the reasons for John’s status as a pariah; he is the only one, asides from some such as the World Controller, that isn’t constantly in a state of
happiness. Lenina and John’s relationship was a way for the author to enhance John’s need to return to a way of life that was familiar to him. On par with the other differences, Lenina presents a sharp contrast from the Savage. She gives into the soma and sexual traditions that she refrained from early on in the novel. John’s refusal of her sexual advances represents his refusal of not only her but of the institution of World State. “Strumpet! Strumpet!" he shouted at every blow as though it were Lenina [...] Forgive me, God. I'm bad. I'm wicked. I'm… No, no, you strumpet, you strumpet!’ (Page 172)." Huxley shows that John’s hatred for Lenina is apart of his hatred for the World State. He feels bad for what he’s doing but he gives into his anger because he had nothing to lose. The author’s development of John was all to create this rift between who he was and what he became. Aldous Huxley inserted John into an alien world where everything he knew and believed was different and considered to be old-fashioned. The use of contrast pushes the story forward to create conflict between differing ideas and opinions, ultimately leading to an internal battle within John the Savage who embodies loneliness and difference in a world of perfectly conditioned specimen. The differences presented in Brave New World underline that contrasting ideas lead to conflict.