Brave New World - Revision history

WikiSysop at 11:40, 23 December 2017

2017-12-23T11:40:22Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:40, 23 December 2017
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	Huxley’s novel was written between the First and Second World War and, even though various aspects had an impact on his work, there are two main influences that have to be discussed in order to understand why Huxley wrote his most famous book. One of them is his stance on eugenics and the other one is his experience with American culture.		Huxley’s novel was written between the First and Second World War and, even though various aspects had an impact on his work, there are two main influences that have to be discussed in order to understand why Huxley wrote his most famous book. One of them is his stance on eugenics and the other one is his experience with American culture.

	In 1894, Aldous Huxley was born into a very rich and academically highly regarded family in Surrey. His little brother, Julian Huxley, was a well-known evolutionary biologist who was also an advocate for [[eugenics]]. “During this early period of his career, Huxley was close to a group of prominent Cambridge scientists who were outspoken socialists and reform eugenicists” (Woiak 110) and even though he never joined the Eugenics Society, he became “very familiar with its rhetoric and policy proposals and began incorporating these into his articles” (Ibid. 118). Many readers of ''Brave New World'' tend to assume that Huxley opposed any form of eugenics due to the many oppressive technological and scientific methods that he describes in his work. It is crucial to understand that he was, in fact, part of an elitist group of intellectuals who believed that there was a human way of genetically modifying the human race in order to improve it and, even though Huxley “expressed [his] revulsion at nazi practices” (Dikötter 467), he still held the “assumption that societies will always have innately inferior and superior groups” (Woiak 118). The caste system and the Bokanovsky groups in the novel are an extreme expression of the eugenic principle.		In 1894, Aldous Huxley was born into a very rich and academically highly regarded family in Surrey. His little brother, Julian Huxley, was a well-known evolutionary biologist who was also an advocate for eugenics. “During this early period of his career, Huxley was close to a group of prominent Cambridge scientists who were outspoken socialists and reform eugenicists” (Woiak 110) and even though he never joined the Eugenics Society, he became “very familiar with its rhetoric and policy proposals and began incorporating these into his articles” (Ibid. 118). Many readers of ''Brave New World'' tend to assume that Huxley opposed any form of eugenics due to the many oppressive technological and scientific methods that he describes in his work. It is crucial to understand that he was, in fact, part of an elitist group of intellectuals who believed that there was a human way of genetically modifying the human race in order to improve it and, even though Huxley “expressed [his] revulsion at nazi practices” (Dikötter 467), he still held the “assumption that societies will always have innately inferior and superior groups” (Woiak 118). The caste system and the Bokanovsky groups in the novel are an extreme expression of the eugenic principle.

	The second aspect that was influential to his work was Huxley’s journey to the United States in 1926. After the First World War, he noticed an American impact on Europe that he found alarming. When he finally arrived in the United States, he was shocked to see that it was “every bit as vulgar and as freakish as he had anticipated” (Bradshaw xix). Huxley wrote several letters in which he expressed his concerns about the possibility that what he had seen in America might also indicate the future for the rest of the world. In one of those letters, he wrote that Americans "can live out their lives […] without once being solitary, without once making a serious mental effort, without once being out of sight or sound of some ready-made distraction" (qtd. in Woiak 113). It is this bitterness about cheap, popular culture that finds its expression in ''Brave New World''.		The second aspect that was influential to his work was Huxley’s journey to the United States in 1926. After the First World War, he noticed an American impact on Europe that he found alarming. When he finally arrived in the United States, he was shocked to see that it was “every bit as vulgar and as freakish as he had anticipated” (Bradshaw xix). Huxley wrote several letters in which he expressed his concerns about the possibility that what he had seen in America might also indicate the future for the rest of the world. In one of those letters, he wrote that Americans "can live out their lives […] without once being solitary, without once making a serious mental effort, without once being out of sight or sound of some ready-made distraction" (qtd. in Woiak 113). It is this bitterness about cheap, popular culture that finds its expression in ''Brave New World''.

Pankratz at 07:31, 4 July 2017

2017-07-04T07:31:22Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:31, 4 July 2017
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	The second aspect that was influential to his work was Huxley’s journey to the United States in 1926. After the First World War, he noticed an American impact on Europe that he found alarming. When he finally arrived in the United States, he was shocked to see that it was “every bit as vulgar and as freakish as he had anticipated” (Bradshaw xix). Huxley wrote several letters in which he expressed his concerns about the possibility that what he had seen in America might also indicate the future for the rest of the world. In one of those letters, he wrote that Americans "can live out their lives […] without once being solitary, without once making a serious mental effort, without once being out of sight or sound of some ready-made distraction" (qtd. in Woiak 113). It is this bitterness about cheap, popular culture that finds its expression in ''Brave New World''.		The second aspect that was influential to his work was Huxley’s journey to the United States in 1926. After the First World War, he noticed an American impact on Europe that he found alarming. When he finally arrived in the United States, he was shocked to see that it was “every bit as vulgar and as freakish as he had anticipated” (Bradshaw xix). Huxley wrote several letters in which he expressed his concerns about the possibility that what he had seen in America might also indicate the future for the rest of the world. In one of those letters, he wrote that Americans "can live out their lives […] without once being solitary, without once making a serious mental effort, without once being out of sight or sound of some ready-made distraction" (qtd. in Woiak 113). It is this bitterness about cheap, popular culture that finds its expression in ''Brave New World''.

	The structures of the novel's fictional World State are strongly influenced by what Huxley saw during his journey, and his work was “first conceived as a satire on the global diffusion of the American way of life” (Bradshaw xx). During his travels, the author also discovered [[Henry Ford]]’s ''[[My Life and Work]]''. He read about Ford’s principles on mass production and mass consumption and found them to be in tune with what he would later see in America (Ibid.). Ford’s ideas had a huge impact on Huxley’s novel and the invention of the assembly line becomes the starting point for the new society in ''Brave New World''.		The structures of the novel's fictional World State are strongly influenced by what Huxley saw during his journey, and his work was “first conceived as a satire on the global diffusion of the American way of life” (Bradshaw xx). During his travels, the author also discovered [[Henry Ford]]’s ''My Life and Work''. He read about Ford’s principles on mass production and mass consumption and found them to be in tune with what he would later see in America (Ibid.). Ford’s ideas had a huge impact on Huxley’s novel and the invention of the assembly line becomes the starting point for the new society in ''Brave New World''.

Pankratz at 07:30, 4 July 2017

2017-07-04T07:30:46Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:30, 4 July 2017
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	==='''Setting'''===		==='''Setting'''===

	The novel is set in AD 2540 where most of the world is united in the “World State” where everyone is happy. There is no more natural procreation but every person is cloned and conditioned in so called hatcheries. There they are also put into one of five castes (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon). These different castes define the type of work they will be doing for the rest of their life. For example Alphas are considered the new world leaders and intellectual elite, whereas Epsilons are created with low intelligence (by oxygen deprivation) to do menial labour. All children are taught by a hypnopaedic process, i.e. they subconsciously learn by listening to a voice while they sleep.		The novel is set in AD 2540 where most of the world is united in the “World State” where everyone is happy. There is no more natural procreation but every person is cloned and conditioned in so-called hatcheries. There they are also put into one of five castes (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon). These different castes define the type of work they will be doing for the rest of their life. For example Alphas are considered the new world leaders and intellectual elite, whereas Epsilons are created with low intelligence (by oxygen deprivation) to do menial labour. All children are taught by a hypnopaedic process, i.e. they subconsciously learn by listening to a voice while they sleep.

	The two main forms of recreation are on the one hand a drug called soma, which is a kind of hallucinogen but without a hangover and is produced and developed by the World State, and on the other hand sex, which is encouraged from very early on. The idea of family and/or marriage are considered a taboo. Life expectancy is about 60 but death is not feared because there are no family ties and everyone is sure and knows that society will continue the way it always has.		The two main forms of recreation are on the one hand a drug called soma, which is a kind of hallucinogen but without a hangover and is produced and developed by the World State, and on the other hand sex, which is encouraged from very early on. The idea of family and/or marriage are considered a taboo. Life expectancy is about 60 but death is not feared because there are no family ties and everyone is sure and knows that society will continue the way it always has.
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	In the first chapters the reader gets a glimpse into life in the "Brave New World". The reader is also introduced to Lenina, a vaccination worker in the hatchery and Bernard, an Alpha and psychologist, who has an inferiority complex because he is a bit shorter than the “average” Alpha. Bernard takes Lenina on a holiday to a reservation in New Mexico in order to seduce her. The seduction fails because Lenina is disgusted by the aged people in the reservation and she has forgotten her soma rations.		In the first chapters the reader gets a glimpse into life in the "Brave New World". The reader is also introduced to Lenina, a vaccination worker in the hatchery and Bernard, an Alpha and psychologist, who has an inferiority complex because he is a bit shorter than the “average” Alpha. Bernard takes Lenina on a holiday to a reservation in New Mexico in order to seduce her. The seduction fails because Lenina is disgusted by the aged people in the reservation and she has forgotten her soma rations.

	Both encounter an old woman called Linda and her son John. Linda was a former citizen of the World State but got lost in the reservation and separated from her group. She turns out to be the date of Bernard's boss. Both Linda and John are considered outcasts in the reservation because Linda's conditioning still works so she wants to have sex with all the men in the village and John is an outcast because of his mother's deeds. Bernard arranges permissions for John and his mother to leave the reservation.		Both encounter an old woman called Linda and her son John. Linda was a former citizen of the World State but got lost in the reservation and separated from her group. She turns out to be the date of Bernard's boss. Both Linda and John are considered outcasts in the reservation because Linda's conditioning still works so she wants to have sex with all the men in the village and John is an outcast because of his mother's deeds. Bernard arranges permissions for John and his mother to leave the reservation.
	On their return Bernard confronts his boss, because he wanted to relocate Bernard to Iceland, with his former lover and his son. John is the new top story in London society and even Bernard with his inferiority complex can shine but it is only for a very shot period. John on the other hand is disgusted by the society of the World State and is heartbroken when his mother dies in a hospital. The workers in the hospital feel sick about John's display of sorrow and so John tries to start a riot by throwing the worker's soma rations out of the window. The riot is subdued by the police via soma-gas. John, Bernard and his only friend Helmholtz (also a friend of John) are sent to the office of Mustapha Mond, who is one of the controllers of the World State. Bernard and Helmholtz are exiled to foreign islands, where they can “do as ~~the~~ please” without influencing the population. John and Mustapha engage in philosophical discussions.
			On their return Bernard confronts his boss, because he wanted to relocate Bernard to Iceland, with his former lover and his son. John is the new top story in London society and even Bernard with his inferiority complex can shine but it is only for a very shot period. John on the other hand is disgusted by the society of the World State and is heartbroken when his mother dies in a hospital. The workers in the hospital feel sick about John's display of sorrow and so John tries to start a riot by throwing the worker's soma rations out of the window. The riot is subdued by the police via soma-gas. John, Bernard and his only friend Helmholtz (also a friend of John's) are sent to the office of Mustapha Mond, who is one of the controllers of the World State. Bernard and Helmholtz are exiled to foreign islands, where they can “do as they please” without influencing the population. John and Mustapha engage in philosophical discussions.

	After that John starts to live in an old lighthouse in isolation from society, but this life is cut short when a video is shown of him flagellating himself. A large group of people gathers around his lighthouse to see the savage but the sight of Lenina in the crowd is too much for John and so he attacks her. This outbreak of emotion triggers an orgy of sex and soma in which even John participates. In the morning the crowd returns only to see that John has committed suicide by hanging himself in an attempt to escape from society.		After that John starts to live in an old lighthouse in isolation from society, but this life is cut short when a video is shown of him flagellating himself. A large group of people gathers around his lighthouse to see the savage but the sight of Lenina in the crowd is too much for John and so he attacks her. This outbreak of emotion triggers an orgy of sex and soma in which even John participates. In the morning the crowd returns only to see that John has committed suicide by hanging himself in an attempt to escape from society.

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	In 1894, Aldous Huxley was born into a very rich and academically highly regarded family in Surrey. His little brother, Julian Huxley, was a well-known evolutionary biologist who was also an advocate for [[eugenics]]. “During this early period of his career, Huxley was close to a group of prominent Cambridge scientists who were outspoken socialists and reform eugenicists” (Woiak 110) and even though he never joined the Eugenics Society, he became “very familiar with its rhetoric and policy proposals and began incorporating these into his articles” (Ibid. 118). Many readers of ''Brave New World'' tend to assume that Huxley opposed any form of eugenics due to the many oppressive technological and scientific methods that he describes in his work. It is crucial to understand that he was, in fact, part of an elitist group of intellectuals who believed that there was a human way of genetically modifying the human race in order to improve it and, even though Huxley “expressed [his] revulsion at nazi practices” (Dikötter 467), he still held the “assumption that societies will always have innately inferior and superior groups” (Woiak 118). The caste system and the Bokanovsky groups in the novel are an extreme expression of the eugenic principle.		In 1894, Aldous Huxley was born into a very rich and academically highly regarded family in Surrey. His little brother, Julian Huxley, was a well-known evolutionary biologist who was also an advocate for [[eugenics]]. “During this early period of his career, Huxley was close to a group of prominent Cambridge scientists who were outspoken socialists and reform eugenicists” (Woiak 110) and even though he never joined the Eugenics Society, he became “very familiar with its rhetoric and policy proposals and began incorporating these into his articles” (Ibid. 118). Many readers of ''Brave New World'' tend to assume that Huxley opposed any form of eugenics due to the many oppressive technological and scientific methods that he describes in his work. It is crucial to understand that he was, in fact, part of an elitist group of intellectuals who believed that there was a human way of genetically modifying the human race in order to improve it and, even though Huxley “expressed [his] revulsion at nazi practices” (Dikötter 467), he still held the “assumption that societies will always have innately inferior and superior groups” (Woiak 118). The caste system and the Bokanovsky groups in the novel are an extreme expression of the eugenic principle.

	The second aspect that was influential to his work was Huxley’s journey to the United States in 1926. After the First World War, he noticed an American impact on Europe that he found alarming. When he finally arrived in the United States, he was shocked to see that it was “every bit as vulgar and as freakish as he had anticipated” (Bradshaw xix). Huxley wrote several letters in which he expressed his concerns about the possibility that what he had seen in America might also indicate the future for the rest of the world. In one of those letters, he wrote that Americans "can live out their lives […] without once being solitary, without once making a serious mental effort, without once being out of sight or sound of some ready-made distraction " (qtd. in Woiak 113). It is this bitterness about cheap, popular culture that finds its expression in ''Brave New World''.		The second aspect that was influential to his work was Huxley’s journey to the United States in 1926. After the First World War, he noticed an American impact on Europe that he found alarming. When he finally arrived in the United States, he was shocked to see that it was “every bit as vulgar and as freakish as he had anticipated” (Bradshaw xix). Huxley wrote several letters in which he expressed his concerns about the possibility that what he had seen in America might also indicate the future for the rest of the world. In one of those letters, he wrote that Americans "can live out their lives […] without once being solitary, without once making a serious mental effort, without once being out of sight or sound of some ready-made distraction" (qtd. in Woiak 113). It is this bitterness about cheap, popular culture that finds its expression in ''Brave New World''.

	The structures of the novel's fictional World State are strongly influenced by what Huxley saw during his journey, and his work was “first conceived as a satire on the global diffusion of the American way of life” (Bradshaw xx). During his travels, the author also discovered [[Henry Ford]]’s [[My Life and Work]]. He read about Ford’s principles on mass production and mass consumption and found them to be in tune with what he would later see in America (Ibid.). Ford’s ideas had a huge impact on Huxley’s novel and the invention of the assembly line becomes the starting point for the new society in ''Brave New World''.		The structures of the novel's fictional World State are strongly influenced by what Huxley saw during his journey, and his work was “first conceived as a satire on the global diffusion of the American way of life” (Bradshaw xx). During his travels, the author also discovered [[Henry Ford]]’s ''[[My Life and Work]]''. He read about Ford’s principles on mass production and mass consumption and found them to be in tune with what he would later see in America (Ibid.). Ford’s ideas had a huge impact on Huxley’s novel and the invention of the assembly line becomes the starting point for the new society in ''Brave New World''.


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	==='''Sources'''===		==='''Sources'''===

	Huxley, Aldous. ''Brave New World'', Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1974.		Huxley, Aldous. ''Brave New World''. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1974.

	www.huxley.net		www.huxley.net
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	Bradshaw, David. “Introduction by David Bradshaw.“ ~~Preface.~~ Brave New World. London: Random House, 2007. Xvii-xxvii.		Bradshaw, David. “Introduction by David Bradshaw.“ ''Brave New World''. London: Random House, 2007. Xvii-xxvii.

	Dikötter, Frank. "Race culture: recent perspectives on the history of eugenics."The American Historical Review 103.2 (1998): 467-478.		Dikötter, Frank. "Race culture: recent perspectives on the history of eugenics." ''The American Historical Review'' 103.2 (1998): 467-478.

	Woiak, Joanne. "Designing a brave new world: Eugenics, politics, and fiction. "The Public Historian 29.3 (2007): 105-129.		Woiak, Joanne. "Designing a brave new world: Eugenics, politics, and fiction." ''The Public Historian'' 29.3 (2007): 105-129.

Kounefnc at 19:55, 3 July 2017

2017-07-03T19:55:27Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:55, 3 July 2017
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	Lenina Crowne: She is a vaccination worker at the Hatchery. She is the focus of desire by many men, including Bernard and John. She is often seen as rather unorthodox since she dates one man for a longer period of time (in the beginning she dates Bernard but later develops a huge crush on John). Name probably alludes to Soviet revolutionary [[Lenin]].		Lenina Crowne: She is a vaccination worker at the Hatchery. She is the focus of desire by many men, including Bernard and John. She is often seen as rather unorthodox since she dates one man for a longer period of time (in the beginning she dates Bernard but later develops a huge crush on John). Name probably alludes to Soviet revolutionary [[Lenin]].


			==='''Huxley's Influences'''===



			Huxley’s novel was written between the First and Second World War and, even though various aspects had an impact on his work, there are two main influences that have to be discussed in order to understand why Huxley wrote his most famous book. One of them is his stance on eugenics and the other one is his experience with American culture.

			In 1894, Aldous Huxley was born into a very rich and academically highly regarded family in Surrey. His little brother, Julian Huxley, was a well-known evolutionary biologist who was also an advocate for [[eugenics]]. “During this early period of his career, Huxley was close to a group of prominent Cambridge scientists who were outspoken socialists and reform eugenicists” (Woiak 110) and even though he never joined the Eugenics Society, he became “very familiar with its rhetoric and policy proposals and began incorporating these into his articles” (Ibid. 118). Many readers of ''Brave New World'' tend to assume that Huxley opposed any form of eugenics due to the many oppressive technological and scientific methods that he describes in his work. It is crucial to understand that he was, in fact, part of an elitist group of intellectuals who believed that there was a human way of genetically modifying the human race in order to improve it and, even though Huxley “expressed [his] revulsion at nazi practices” (Dikötter 467), he still held the “assumption that societies will always have innately inferior and superior groups” (Woiak 118). The caste system and the Bokanovsky groups in the novel are an extreme expression of the eugenic principle.

			The second aspect that was influential to his work was Huxley’s journey to the United States in 1926. After the First World War, he noticed an American impact on Europe that he found alarming. When he finally arrived in the United States, he was shocked to see that it was “every bit as vulgar and as freakish as he had anticipated” (Bradshaw xix). Huxley wrote several letters in which he expressed his concerns about the possibility that what he had seen in America might also indicate the future for the rest of the world. In one of those letters, he wrote that Americans "can live out their lives […] without once being solitary, without once making a serious mental effort, without once being out of sight or sound of some ready-made distraction " (qtd. in Woiak 113). It is this bitterness about cheap, popular culture that finds its expression in ''Brave New World''.

			The structures of the novel's fictional World State are strongly influenced by what Huxley saw during his journey, and his work was “first conceived as a satire on the global diffusion of the American way of life” (Bradshaw xx). During his travels, the author also discovered [[Henry Ford]]’s [[My Life and Work]]. He read about Ford’s principles on mass production and mass consumption and found them to be in tune with what he would later see in America (Ibid.). Ford’s ideas had a huge impact on Huxley’s novel and the invention of the assembly line becomes the starting point for the new society in ''Brave New World''.



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	http://somaweb.org/		http://somaweb.org/


			Bradshaw, David. “Introduction by David Bradshaw.“ Preface. Brave New World. London: Random House, 2007. Xvii-xxvii.

			Dikötter, Frank. "Race culture: recent perspectives on the history of eugenics."The American Historical Review 103.2 (1998): 467-478.

			Woiak, Joanne. "Designing a brave new world: Eugenics, politics, and fiction. "The Public Historian 29.3 (2007): 105-129.

Pankratz at 12:45, 5 November 2015

2015-11-05T12:45:36Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:45, 5 November 2015
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	Utopian/dystopian novel by Aldous Huxley first published in 1932. Set in a fictional society in the future which claims to be “perfect”, but is not.		Utopian/dystopian novel by [[Aldous Huxley]] first published in 1932. Set in a fictional society in the future which claims to be “perfect”, but is not.

	==='''Setting'''===		==='''Setting'''===

Pankratz at 12:02, 5 November 2013

2013-11-05T12:02:46Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:02, 5 November 2013
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	Utopian novel by Aldous Huxley first published in 1932. Set in a fictional society in the future which claims to be “perfect”, but is not		Utopian/dystopian novel by Aldous Huxley first published in 1932. Set in a fictional society in the future which claims to be “perfect”, but is not.

	==='''Setting'''===		==='''Setting'''===
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	The novel is set in AD 2540 where most of the world is united in the “World State” where everyone is happy. There is no more natural procreation but every person is cloned and conditioned in so called hatcheries. There they are also put into one of five castes (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon). These different castes define the type of work they will be doing for the rest of their life. For example Alphas are considered the new world leaders and intellectual elite, whereas Epsilons are created with low intelligence (by oxygen deprivation) to do menial labour. All children are taught by a hypnopaedic process, i.e. they subconsciously learn by listening to a voice while they sleep.		The novel is set in AD 2540 where most of the world is united in the “World State” where everyone is happy. There is no more natural procreation but every person is cloned and conditioned in so called hatcheries. There they are also put into one of five castes (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon). These different castes define the type of work they will be doing for the rest of their life. For example Alphas are considered the new world leaders and intellectual elite, whereas Epsilons are created with low intelligence (by oxygen deprivation) to do menial labour. All children are taught by a hypnopaedic process, i.e. they subconsciously learn by listening to a voice while they sleep.

	The two main forms of recreation are on the one hand a drug called soma, which is a kind of hallucinogen but without a hangover and is produced and developed by the World State, and on the other hand sex, which is encouraged from very early on. The idea of family and/or marriage are considered a taboo. ~~The live~~ expectancy is about 60 but death is not feared because there are no family ties and everyone is sure and knows that society will continue the way it always has.		The two main forms of recreation are on the one hand a drug called soma, which is a kind of hallucinogen but without a hangover and is produced and developed by the World State, and on the other hand sex, which is encouraged from very early on. The idea of family and/or marriage are considered a taboo. Life expectancy is about 60 but death is not feared because there are no family ties and everyone is sure and knows that society will continue the way it always has.

	In several locations on the planet are so called reservations where “savages” live. They are not submitted to the conditioning and the drug but left on their own accord with several “strange rituals” like religion or ageing.		In several locations on the planet are so called reservations where “savages” live. They are not submitted to the conditioning and the drug but left on their own accord with several “strange rituals” like religion or ageing.
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	Bernard Marx: Psychologist and Alpha male who has the feeling of not fitting in because of his shorter stature, which is common for lower castes. His last name probably recalls [[Karl Marx]].		Bernard Marx: Psychologist and Alpha male who has the feeling of not fitting in because of his shorter stature, which is common for lower castes. His last name probably recalls [[Karl Marx]].

	Helmholtz Watson: He is an Alpha male and lecturer at the College of Emotional Engineering. He, like Bernard, is discontent with the World State, but his discontent has more to do with the fact that he thinks his work is meaningless, than Bernard's complains about his size. His name resembles that of German physician and physicist [[Hermann von Helmholtz]].		Helmholtz Watson: He is an Alpha male and lecturer at the College of Emotional Engineering. He, like Bernard, is discontent with the World State, but his discontent has more to do with the fact that he thinks his work is meaningless, than Bernard's complains about his size. His name resembles that of German physician and physicist [[Hermann von Helmholtz]] and Dr Watson, the close friend of Sherlock Holmes.

	Lenina Crowne: She is a vaccination worker at the Hatchery. She is the focus of desire by many men, including Bernard and John. She is often seen as rather unorthodox since she dates one man for a longer period of time (in the beginning she dates Bernard but later develops a huge crush on John). Name probably alludes to Soviet revolutionary [[Lenin]].		Lenina Crowne: She is a vaccination worker at the Hatchery. She is the focus of desire by many men, including Bernard and John. She is often seen as rather unorthodox since she dates one man for a longer period of time (in the beginning she dates Bernard but later develops a huge crush on John). Name probably alludes to Soviet revolutionary [[Lenin]].

Pankratz at 16:47, 18 January 2012

2012-01-18T16:47:17Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:47, 18 January 2012
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	Bernard Marx: Psychologist and Alpha male who has the feeling of not fitting in because of his shorter stature, which is common for lower castes. His last name probably recalls [[Karl Marx]].		Bernard Marx: Psychologist and Alpha male who has the feeling of not fitting in because of his shorter stature, which is common for lower castes. His last name probably recalls [[Karl Marx]].

	Helmholtz Watson: He is an Alpha male and lecturer at the College of Emotional Engineering. He, like Bernard, is discontent with the World State, but his discontent has more to do with the fact that he thinks his work is meaningless, than Bernard's complains about his size. His name resembles that of [[Hermann von Helmholtz]]~~, who was a German physician and physicist~~.		Helmholtz Watson: He is an Alpha male and lecturer at the College of Emotional Engineering. He, like Bernard, is discontent with the World State, but his discontent has more to do with the fact that he thinks his work is meaningless, than Bernard's complains about his size. His name resembles that of German physician and physicist [[Hermann von Helmholtz]].

	Lenina Crowne: She is a vaccination worker at the Hatchery. She is the focus of desire by many men, including Bernard and John. She is often seen as rather unorthodox since she dates one man for a longer period of time (in the beginning she dates Bernard but later develops a huge crush on John).		Lenina Crowne: She is a vaccination worker at the Hatchery. She is the focus of desire by many men, including Bernard and John. She is often seen as rather unorthodox since she dates one man for a longer period of time (in the beginning she dates Bernard but later develops a huge crush on John). Name probably alludes to Soviet revolutionary [[Lenin]].

Pankratz at 16:45, 18 January 2012

2012-01-18T16:45:35Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:45, 18 January 2012
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	==='''Setting'''===		==='''Setting'''===

	The novel is set in AD 2540 where most of the world is united in the “World State” where everyone is happy. There is no more natural procreation but every person is cloned and conditioned in so called ~~Hatcheries~~. There they are also put into one of five castes (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon). These different castes define the type of work they will be doing for the rest of their life. For example Alphas are considered the new world leaders and intellectual elite, whereas Epsilons are created with low intelligence (by oxygen deprivation) to do menial labour. All children are taught by a hypnopaedic process, ~~that is to say~~ they subconsciously learn by listening to a voice while they sleep.		The novel is set in AD 2540 where most of the world is united in the “World State” where everyone is happy. There is no more natural procreation but every person is cloned and conditioned in so called hatcheries. There they are also put into one of five castes (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon). These different castes define the type of work they will be doing for the rest of their life. For example Alphas are considered the new world leaders and intellectual elite, whereas Epsilons are created with low intelligence (by oxygen deprivation) to do menial labour. All children are taught by a hypnopaedic process, i.e. they subconsciously learn by listening to a voice while they sleep.
	The two main forms of recreation are on the one hand a drug called ~~“soma”~~, which is a kind of hallucinogen but without a hangover and is produced and developed by the World State and on the other hand sex, which is encouraged from very early on. The idea of family and/or marriage are considered ~~somewhat like~~ a taboo. The live expectancy is about 60 but death is not feared because there are no family ties and everyone is sure and knows that society will continue the way it always has.
	In several locations on the planet are so called reservations where “savages” live. They are not submitted to the conditioning and the drug but left on their own accord with several “strange rituals” like religion or ageing~~, because in the World State no one shows signs of age in their life~~.		The two main forms of recreation are on the one hand a drug called soma, which is a kind of hallucinogen but without a hangover and is produced and developed by the World State, and on the other hand sex, which is encouraged from very early on. The idea of family and/or marriage are considered a taboo. The live expectancy is about 60 but death is not feared because there are no family ties and everyone is sure and knows that society will continue the way it always has.

			In several locations on the planet are so called reservations where “savages” live. They are not submitted to the conditioning and the drug but left on their own accord with several “strange rituals” like religion or ageing.

	==='''Plot'''===		==='''Plot'''===

	In the first chapters the reader gets ~~an impression of how wonderful live~~ in the World ~~State is and how the hatcheries work~~. The reader is also introduced to Lenina, a vaccination worker in the hatchery and Bernard an Alpha and psychologist who has an inferiority complex because he is a bit shorter than the “average” Alpha. Bernard takes Lenina on a holiday to a reservation in New Mexico to seduce ~~Lenina~~. The seduction fails because Lenina is disgusted by the aged people in the reservation and she has forgotten her soma rations.		In the first chapters the reader gets a glimpse into life in the "Brave New World". The reader is also introduced to Lenina, a vaccination worker in the hatchery and Bernard, an Alpha and psychologist, who has an inferiority complex because he is a bit shorter than the “average” Alpha. Bernard takes Lenina on a holiday to a reservation in New Mexico in order to seduce her. The seduction fails because Lenina is disgusted by the aged people in the reservation and she has forgotten her soma rations.
	Both encounter an old woman called Linda and her son John. Linda was a former citizen of the World State but got lost in the reservation and separated from her group. She turns out to be the date of Bernard's boss. Both Linda and John are considered outcasts in the reservation because Linda's conditioning still works so she wants to have sex with all the men in the village and John is an outcast because of his mother's deeds. Bernard arranges permissions for John and his mother to leave the reservation.		Both encounter an old woman called Linda and her son John. Linda was a former citizen of the World State but got lost in the reservation and separated from her group. She turns out to be the date of Bernard's boss. Both Linda and John are considered outcasts in the reservation because Linda's conditioning still works so she wants to have sex with all the men in the village and John is an outcast because of his mother's deeds. Bernard arranges permissions for John and his mother to leave the reservation.
	On their return Bernard confronts his boss, because he wanted to relocate Bernard to Iceland, with his former lover and his son. John is the new top story in London society and even Bernard with his inferiority complex can shine but it is only for a very shot period. John on the other hand is disgusted by the society of the World State and is heartbroken when his mother dies in a hospital. The workers in the hospital feel sick about John's display of sorrow and so John tries to start a riot by throwing the worker's soma rations out of the window. The riot is subdued by the police via soma-gas. John, Bernard and his only friend Helmholtz (also a friend of John) are ~~send~~ to the office of Mustapha Mond, who is one of the controllers of the World State. Bernard and Helmholtz are exiled to foreign islands, where they can “do as the please” without influencing the population. John and Mustapha engage in philosophical discussions.		On their return Bernard confronts his boss, because he wanted to relocate Bernard to Iceland, with his former lover and his son. John is the new top story in London society and even Bernard with his inferiority complex can shine but it is only for a very shot period. John on the other hand is disgusted by the society of the World State and is heartbroken when his mother dies in a hospital. The workers in the hospital feel sick about John's display of sorrow and so John tries to start a riot by throwing the worker's soma rations out of the window. The riot is subdued by the police via soma-gas. John, Bernard and his only friend Helmholtz (also a friend of John) are sent to the office of Mustapha Mond, who is one of the controllers of the World State. Bernard and Helmholtz are exiled to foreign islands, where they can “do as the please” without influencing the population. John and Mustapha engage in philosophical discussions.
	After that John starts to live in an old lighthouse in isolation from society, but this life is cut short by when a video is shown of him flagellating himself. A large group of people gathers around his lighthouse to see the savage but the sight of Lenina in the crowd is too much for John and so he attacks her. This outbreak of emotion triggers an orgy of sex and soma in which even John participates. In the morning the crowd returns only to see that John has committed suicide by hanging himself in an attempt to escape from society.		After that John starts to live in an old lighthouse in isolation from society, but this life is cut short when a video is shown of him flagellating himself. A large group of people gathers around his lighthouse to see the savage but the sight of Lenina in the crowd is too much for John and so he attacks her. This outbreak of emotion triggers an orgy of sex and soma in which even John participates. In the morning the crowd returns only to see that John has committed suicide by hanging himself in an attempt to escape from society.

	==='''Important Characters'''===		==='''Important Characters'''===
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	John (the Savage): He is an outsider from a reservation in New Mexico and the son of Linda and the director of the London Hatchery.		John (the Savage): He is an outsider from a reservation in New Mexico and the son of Linda and the director of the London Hatchery.

	Bernard Marx: Psychologist and Alpha male who has the feeling of not fitting in because of his shorter stature, which is common for lower castes. His last name probably recalls [[Karl Marx]]~~, a German author best known for his book “Das Kapital”~~.		Bernard Marx: Psychologist and Alpha male who has the feeling of not fitting in because of his shorter stature, which is common for lower castes. His last name probably recalls [[Karl Marx]].

	Helmholtz Watson: He is an Alpha male and lecturer at the College of Emotional Engineering. He, like Bernard, is discontent with the World State, but his discontent has more to do with the fact that he thinks his work is meaningless, than Bernard's complains about his size. His name resembles that of [[Hermann von Helmholtz]], who was a German physician and physicist.		Helmholtz Watson: He is an Alpha male and lecturer at the College of Emotional Engineering. He, like Bernard, is discontent with the World State, but his discontent has more to do with the fact that he thinks his work is meaningless, than Bernard's complains about his size. His name resembles that of [[Hermann von Helmholtz]], who was a German physician and physicist.
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	==='''~~Literature~~'''===		==='''Sources'''===

	Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World, ~~Middlesex,~~ Penguin Books, 1974		Huxley, Aldous. ''Brave New World'', Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1974.

	www.huxley.net		www.huxley.net

Pankratz at 16:39, 18 January 2012

2012-01-18T16:39:39Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:39, 18 January 2012
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	~~=='''Brave New World'''==~~		Utopian novel by Aldous Huxley first published in 1932. Set in a fictional society in the future which claims to be “perfect”, but is not
	~~Brave New World is~~ Aldous Huxley~~'s fifth Novel and was~~ published in 1932. ~~It is an utopian novel, which means, that it is set~~ in a fictional society ~~that is “perfect” that is to say there are no more crimes, no more hate, no more pain and so on. In reality these perfect societies prove~~ to be ~~dystopian~~, ~~that~~ is in most novels there is for example a totalitarian government (for example “Nineteen Eighty-Four” by [[George Orwell]]) or drugs are used to keep the people calm (for example Brave New World by [[Aldous Huxley]]). The term was coined by Thomas More's novel Utopia from 1516, although utopian novels have existed before that.

	==='''Setting'''===		==='''Setting'''===

P.ostermann at 10:07, 16 January 2012

2012-01-16T10:07:40Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:07, 16 January 2012
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	Brave New World is ~~the~~ fifth and most ~~well known novel~~ by Aldous Huxley ~~published in 1932~~.		=='''Brave New World'''==
			Brave New World is Aldous Huxley's fifth Novel and was published in 1932. It is an utopian novel, which means, that it is set in a fictional society that is “perfect” that is to say there are no more crimes, no more hate, no more pain and so on. In reality these perfect societies prove to be dystopian, that is in most novels there is for example a totalitarian government (for example “Nineteen Eighty-Four” by [[George Orwell]]) or drugs are used to keep the people calm (for example Brave New World by [[Aldous Huxley]]). The term was coined by Thomas More's novel Utopia from 1516, although utopian novels have existed before that.

	~~Work~~ in ~~Progress~~ P.~~ostermann~~		==='''Setting'''===

			The novel is set in AD 2540 where most of the world is united in the “World State” where everyone is happy. There is no more natural procreation but every person is cloned and conditioned in so called Hatcheries. There they are also put into one of five castes (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon). These different castes define the type of work they will be doing for the rest of their life. For example Alphas are considered the new world leaders and intellectual elite, whereas Epsilons are created with low intelligence (by oxygen deprivation) to do menial labour. All children are taught by a hypnopaedic process, that is to say they subconsciously learn by listening to a voice while they sleep.
			The two main forms of recreation are on the one hand a drug called “soma”, which is a kind of hallucinogen but without a hangover and is produced and developed by the World State and on the other hand sex, which is encouraged from very early on. The idea of family and/or marriage are considered somewhat like a taboo. The live expectancy is about 60 but death is not feared because there are no family ties and everyone is sure and knows that society will continue the way it always has.
			In several locations on the planet are so called reservations where “savages” live. They are not submitted to the conditioning and the drug but left on their own accord with several “strange rituals” like religion or ageing, because in the World State no one shows signs of age in their life.

			==='''Plot'''===

			In the first chapters the reader gets an impression of how wonderful live in the World State is and how the hatcheries work. The reader is also introduced to Lenina, a vaccination worker in the hatchery and Bernard an Alpha and psychologist who has an inferiority complex because he is a bit shorter than the “average” Alpha. Bernard takes Lenina on a holiday to a reservation in New Mexico to seduce Lenina. The seduction fails because Lenina is disgusted by the aged people in the reservation and she has forgotten her soma rations.
			Both encounter an old woman called Linda and her son John. Linda was a former citizen of the World State but got lost in the reservation and separated from her group. She turns out to be the date of Bernard's boss. Both Linda and John are considered outcasts in the reservation because Linda's conditioning still works so she wants to have sex with all the men in the village and John is an outcast because of his mother's deeds. Bernard arranges permissions for John and his mother to leave the reservation.
			On their return Bernard confronts his boss, because he wanted to relocate Bernard to Iceland, with his former lover and his son. John is the new top story in London society and even Bernard with his inferiority complex can shine but it is only for a very shot period. John on the other hand is disgusted by the society of the World State and is heartbroken when his mother dies in a hospital. The workers in the hospital feel sick about John's display of sorrow and so John tries to start a riot by throwing the worker's soma rations out of the window. The riot is subdued by the police via soma-gas. John, Bernard and his only friend Helmholtz (also a friend of John) are send to the office of Mustapha Mond, who is one of the controllers of the World State. Bernard and Helmholtz are exiled to foreign islands, where they can “do as the please” without influencing the population. John and Mustapha engage in philosophical discussions.
			After that John starts to live in an old lighthouse in isolation from society, but this life is cut short by when a video is shown of him flagellating himself. A large group of people gathers around his lighthouse to see the savage but the sight of Lenina in the crowd is too much for John and so he attacks her. This outbreak of emotion triggers an orgy of sex and soma in which even John participates. In the morning the crowd returns only to see that John has committed suicide by hanging himself in an attempt to escape from society.

			==='''Important Characters'''===

			John (the Savage): He is an outsider from a reservation in New Mexico and the son of Linda and the director of the London Hatchery.

			Bernard Marx: Psychologist and Alpha male who has the feeling of not fitting in because of his shorter stature, which is common for lower castes. His last name probably recalls [[Karl Marx]], a German author best known for his book “Das Kapital”.

			Helmholtz Watson: He is an Alpha male and lecturer at the College of Emotional Engineering. He, like Bernard, is discontent with the World State, but his discontent has more to do with the fact that he thinks his work is meaningless, than Bernard's complains about his size. His name resembles that of [[Hermann von Helmholtz]], who was a German physician and physicist.

			Lenina Crowne: She is a vaccination worker at the Hatchery. She is the focus of desire by many men, including Bernard and John. She is often seen as rather unorthodox since she dates one man for a longer period of time (in the beginning she dates Bernard but later develops a huge crush on John).


			==='''Literature'''===

			Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World, Middlesex, Penguin Books, 1974

			www.huxley.net

			http://www.online-literature.com/aldous_huxley/brave_new_world/

			http://somaweb.org/