The issue of finding the right balance between personal freedoms and the need for social stability and development has been a pressing one for a long time. Its urgency has further been increased by the spread of terrorism, which resulted in certain measures intended to control and protect citizens and largely affecting their privacy. Moreover, the recent health crisis has led to further toughening of such incentives, with many willing to abandon their freedoms for safety purposes. However, the World State, depicted by Aldous Huxley, indicates the dangerous consequences of such an approach and emphasizes the need for its reconsideration.
The idea of giving up some freedoms for the sake of the common good can at first be alluring to many. Like in the Brave New World, it allows to “balance population to consumption” and obtain a match between people’s desires and the available resources (Brave New World 00:07:20-00:08:15). Besides, living in a society free of any wars, crimes, and conflicts, which makes the use of all technological advancements, could be a dream for many. However, the costs associated with these improvements are excessively high to accept them. Abandoning individual freedoms means losing any chance to choose one’s lifestyle and improve it through personal efforts. In its extreme manifestation, it leads to the denial of such feelings as love, hatred, or passion (Brave New World 01:03:50-01:04:45). People turn into robotic creatures designed to perform their functions. Such depiction is an exaggeration, but the limitation of personal freedoms is a step in this direction.
As evident from the discussion above, I would not like to live in a society like the one described by Aldous Huxley. Although it might give an impression of abundant resources and a sense of security, it requires abandoning every trait that forms an individual’s personality. Even the World State leaders understand that such life is unnatural, and conditioning is necessary for anyone to enjoy it (Brave New World 00:14:20-00:15:00). Therefore, I would prefer to live in a country where free will is a fundamental value, and people can choose the lives they want.
A dystopia typically represents a fictional society characterized by complete governmental control, oppression of its citizens, and lack of individualism. Unlike utopia, it emphasizes the unfavorable aspects of such a community. It uses an exaggerated depiction of technological advancements to show their possible negative consequences. A perfect example of dystopia is the World State, a grim community where people are deprived of their natural feelings and turned into robots.
The novel contains all aspects typically found in a dystopia. First, it is characterized by complete control of the residents. Their function is determined by the government, and they are not allowed to act or think independently. Even for the senior managers, being dull is valuable since it protects against any flexibility (Brave New World 00:20:30-00:21:00). Second, technology is the leading force in society, defining all its attributes. Children are produced like cars on an assembly line, and natural food flavors are replaced with artificial ingredients. Finally, the actual misery of people’s lives adds to the dystopian image. Their visible happiness is maintained by regular reinforcement training and doses of an antidepressant called soma. They can have sex but not love since “everyone has everyone” (Brave New World 01:08:00-01:09:00). All this would make people truly unhappy if their emotions were not entirely suppressed.
The characteristics mentioned above definitely depict the World State as a dystopia. Using this exaggerated model, Aldous Huxley tried to show the negative consequences of technological and social advancements. It shows that the desire to protect citizens and determine what is better for them can lead to hazardous results. Finally, everyone has the right to be unhappy, commit mistakes, fall in love and become betrayed, and make one’s own choices. The dystopia depicted in Brave New World is a warning to humankind that freedom should never be abandoned for the sake of a perfect community.
Work Cited
Brave New World. Directed by Burt Brinckerhoff, NBC Universal, 1980.