Preview

A Comparison of Brave New World and 1984

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
931 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
A Comparison of Brave New World and 1984
According to John Wooden, "You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one." John Huxley's novel Brave New World has received a lot of mixed criticism that dismissed this book as one that would stand the test of time. When the novel was first released in 1932, critics like John Chamberlain dismissed the novel as being farfetched. He said, "The bogy of mass production seems a little overwrought…" (233). Critics in recent times seem to enjoy this novel because Huxley shows us a utopia in the future that might be similar to ours. On July 1973, critic Bernard Bergonzi stated, "There is a gloomy fascination in seeing the ingenious horrors of Brave New World realized, not hundred of years into the future, as Huxley conservatively supposed, but here and now before our very eyes" (244). Even though some critics may not agree in the worth of this novel, I believe the public has proven its worth. Even after 73 years since the book was first published, people have heard about the book one way or another and educational institutions continue to teach it to students.
One of the first critics to write about Brave New World was John Chamberlain. On February 7, 1932, in The New York Times Book Review John says, "Yet it is a little difficult to take alarm, for, as the hell-diver sees not the mud, and the angle worm knows not the intricacies of the Einstein theory…"(233). He says the novel has good points about the future, but the public will not grasp it because they will not understand it. Chamberlain says, "If Mr. Huxley is unduly bothered about the impending static world, Aguirre 2 let him go back to his biology and meditate on the possibility that even in laboratory-created children mutations might be inevitable" (233). He is just a part of a few of the early critics who did not appreciate Huxley's vision of the future as later critics would.
A more modern critic who did appreciate Huxley's novel was

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    tl guide DoubleHelixb 1

    • 2590 Words
    • 9 Pages

    postulated in Aldous Huxley’s classic Brave New World, but from the point of view of a…

    • 2590 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Both Orwell’s 1984 and Huxley’s Brave New World portray a dystopian societies where authoritarian control has been established and has replaced the individual’s freedom and identity by effectively altering the thoughts and actions of its population through the use of various control methods which will supposedly protect the majority against the threat this poses to their happiness and stability. But is in reality, a method through which they can maintain totalitarian control. In both novels, leaders have attempted to create a Utopian society, one that they consider to maintain peace and stability but in which have become oppressive and tyrannical. To do this, history is distorted or ignored completely and control is used as a means to keep…

    • 132 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Although the modern dystopian novel and dystopian works of the early 20th century may share many of the same principles and components, the overall purposes behind them are poles apart. The popular novel, The Hunger Games and its sequels can be considered prototypical of our contemporary dystopian themes that emphasize; the act of rebellion against a state of oppression, the power that comes with being motivated by love, the presence of hope and the triumph of the protagonist over a totalitarian regime. George Orwell and Alex Huxley—authors of 1984 and Brave New World respectively—did not write stories that inspired resistance. They used allegory to pinpoint the faults in society and prophesy the end of human intelligence and freedom. Orwell…

    • 162 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley has many of the same basic ideas as 1984 by George Orwell, but the two are more different than alike. In both books a totalitarian government is in complete control of the people, but A Brave New World shows a more positive side of this type of government than does 1984. 1984 doesn't show any good things that have come out of having this form of government, and is a warning of what can happen if people stop thinking for themselves and don't question the government.…

    • 484 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Huxley grew up in a conservative, rich, and elite English family during the early 20th century. He lived through World War I, the roaring 20’s, and part of the Great Depression before he began writing Brave New World, giving him a wealth of issues to expound upon in the novel. As a conservative Englishman, Huxley feared both rapid progress and the growing communist and fascist powers in Europe, giving rise to his predictions about the future of art and the role of government. The terror instilled in him by nearby change and unrest likely lead to the inaccuracy and, in some cases, the reversal of his predictions. Huxley was able to see the importance of the issues addressed in Brave New World, but ultimately the predictions themselves are actually inaccurate due to the perspective of…

    • 1560 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Children in many stories are depicted as small and insignificant, but in 1984 and Brave New World they are much more. The governments in both books realized that the power lies within the kids. Both governments figured out that if they could control the children they would control the future. Both governments went about gaining their power in slightly different ways, but each method was very powerful. The children in both Brave New World and 1984 are taught their belief systems by their government, but the children who live in 1984 are much more of a danger to those living in their society.…

    • 900 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The novel “Brave New World” should be kept in the high school curriculum because it creates concepts that are similarly based on today’s values. However, some may find it offensive due to some fragments of the literary work, and believe it should be banned from high school curriculum, but one is not intended to receive any misleading advice or become influenced based on the novels content. The novel provides a very vivid image of a dystopian society and that was Huxley’s intention and nothing…

    • 914 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Aldous Huxley's Brave New World is a work of science fiction, but it is not a work about the dangers of science. Huxley himself says in the forward to the novel that "the theme of Brave New World is not the advancement of science as such; it is the advancement of science as it affects human individuals" (Huxley xi). In the novel, Huxley shows that science itself is dangerous and that the true goal of the World State’s research is to advance consumer technology—the aspect of science that directly affects the State’s citizens.…

    • 579 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A new society that was created by science and technology. The novel, Brave New World, was written by Aldous Huxley. This science fiction novel was published by the publishing company HarperCollins in New York, New York. The original copyright date was in the year of 1932, but was then later copyrighted in the year of 1946 by the author Aldous Huxley. John is the main character, but he is also the antagonist in this novel. He has many qualities that makes him important. He also has people that motivate him to behave and act certain ways. However, John also creates many conflicts with other people in this dystopian society.…

    • 832 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Aldous Huxley was born into a renowned English family in 1894. Huxley works were creative and in all he published 47 books during his career. But his single most famous book remains "Brave New World," a combination of science fiction, politics, and satire that depicts a negative vision of what the future could hold. He set out to write about the social and intellectual climate change between the two world wars that were marked by major changes on an international scale. H.G. Wells, a contemporary man of Huxley 's time, wrote novels that explored the future from an optimistic viewpoint. Wells found…

    • 1017 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Is it inhumane to arrest and convict a person of terrible crimes, even if it is not yet committed, if it is certain that it will be? Utopia is an imaginary place in which everything is perfect; in comparison, dystopia is an imaginary state in which the condition of life is extremely bad as from deprivation, oppression, or terror. George Orwell’s 1984 (1949), is a novel based on life in a dystopian setting, with a totalitarian government centered on war and hatred. Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report (2002) is a film in a futuristic setting with a system which predicts future murders so that citizens live a homicide-free utopian life. Winston Smith is the main character in 1984. His rebelious views on his society and government cause his arrest for ‘thoughtcrime,’ for which he is brainwashed until he complies to his society’s views. In Minority Report, John Anderton (Tom Cruise) begins by completely trusting the system which allegedly predicts murders before they happen. In fact, Anderton is an officer of precrime himself, and is responsible for figuring out the specific details of the murders. However, when it is revealed in the film that Anderton will murder a man he has not even met, he tries to fight the system to prove his innocence. The idea that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely is the central message of both 1984 and Minority Report. This is because technology is used to enforce power, it is purported to be infallible, and the result of the misuse of power is corruption.…

    • 1352 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and George Orewell’s 1984 were both composed surrounding times of war in the twentieth century. The authors were alarmed by what they saw in society and began to write novels depicting the severe outcomes and possiblities of civilizaton if it continued down its path. Although the two books are very different, they both address many of the same issues and principles.…

    • 1203 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    1984 Vs Brave New World

    • 168 Words
    • 1 Page

    If you look back to every science fiction film or book, you will find that almost all these works are created in respect to their controversial time periods. Books and films like Uncle Tom’s Cabin, American Psycho, Animal Farm, 1984, and Brave New World are all works that hold a significant historical background. Films and novels simply cannot be made without any context; however, the best books and films, and the most controversial ones, were created when the world appeared dull. They were created when life became dark and frightening technological advancements were around the horizon. These outlets were created to show people that actions have consequences, and if humans continue on the wrong path then this is how the world will eventually…

    • 168 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Examining Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and George Orwell’s 1984, there are some accurate depictions of public discourse in 1984, but Huxley’s novel includes more relevant examples. Postman bounds the idea of television, a cherished part of our life, as the means of self-destruction in accordance to Huxley’s views. Postman’s assertion of the more accurate Brave New World is evident in freedom, technology and the media.…

    • 515 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The novel Brave New World written by Aldous Huxley is like no other in fantasy…

    • 1318 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays