Brave New World ( Full Review)

Brave new world is A Novel written by Aldous L. Huxley that was described by The Observer as “Provoking, stimulating, shocking and dazzling” and that exactly what I think it is. What I like   about Huxley’s writings is that he is a critical observer of customs, social norms and ideals and he is highly concerned about the potentially harmful applications of scientific progress. He was interested in parapsychology, mysticism and Universal-ism.

The novel presents a far-fetched world were there is only one world state –a border-less world- from an omnipotent point of view,   where people can fly anywhere they want in a blink of an eye and where genetic engineering reached its peak, giving birth is something long forgotten; A single fertilized egg can bring to life a whole population of identical twins. It is a world where everyone helps everyone and everyone can have everyone, no restrains whatsoever. 

There is a whole new set of values, a totally shocking and thought provoking life style when we look at it from the outside .  For the Insiders, There seem to be no kind of discrimination. It is pictured like an Utopian world where peace and happiness is easily attained, through recreational sex and drugs – a gramme is better than a damn- that is exactly what the controllers want the citizens to think.

the citizens are conditioned since they are embryos to have a certain appearance to lead a very specified life and to have a limited amount of knowledge that will allow them to achieve their appointed tasks . so instead of dividing people into ethnic groups, nationalities and religious preferences in the new world they tend to divide people into Alphas , Betas , Gammas , Epsilons and so on … and the most interesting categories are the  “Alpha and Beta” ; they are the future  intellectuals and future rulers , the rest are the manufacture workers and menial laborers.. Alphas and Betas  are conditioned to think that they are superior and that they despise the Gammas and Epsilons  , the inferior categories are designed to wear certain colors and clothes and be thankful  to the other categories , each category is designed to love itself and feel content

“ I’m glad I ‘m not an Epsilon”  said Lenina  with conviction . “And if you were an Epsilon “said Henry “your conditioning would have made you no less thankful that you weren't an Alpha or a Beta “

Other than genetic conditioning, there is hypnopaedia, it is a term that you will come across in this dystopian novel, it’s a technique by which controllers and directors of genetic engineering centers condition their citizens when they are kids, it is illustrated as sleep learning, hypnopaedia is when a single sentence is repeated several times per day , several days per week... for several years until it is   stuck in the mind of the citizens and becomes an automatic response when they are in a certain situation , which in turn kills individuality . (Individuality appears to be the quest of the main character of the book)

“…because progress is lovely, isn't it ?” said Lenina . “ five hundred repetitions once a week from thirteen to seventeen “ said Bernard wearily as though to himself .  “what did you say ?” “I said progress was lovely…”  

Its a Novel where civilization becomes synonymous with sterilization and Genetic and psychological conditioning are the norm and anything outside of that is considered uncivilized, queer and savage.

Brave new world was banned in several countries for different obvious reasons , to name few : encouraging critical thinking , to have a Revolutionary outlook and the fact that it is a metaphor for our current Global situation and what powerful politicians aim for .

 Its a book that makes you think twice if not more ...