Brave New World

Hello again. The time has come for another blog, this time about the first four chapters of Brave New World. Okay, so this book is really interesting, and I think I'm going to like it, but everything going on in that world inside that book is just craziness. And because I don't really know what other way to write about this, I will try to answer the questions that we were so kindly provided by Mr. Dominguez.
Alright, so first things first. How do I feel about the society depicted in the novel? Well, I think it's... it's just absurd. The way the people are predestined to be a certain class, to like or to hate certain things, it's just unnatural. It's not even that they aren't allowed their own thoughts, as in 1984, it's that they just don't have them, because they were brainwashed as they slept while they were children. And the way the "condition" the babies, it's just horrible. During the demonstration with the flowers and books, the Director says, "now we proceed to rub in the lesson wit a mild electric shock"(21). After frightening the poor things with loud noises when they looked at the flowers and books, they electrocute them...They electrocute babies. All for the sake of maximizing efficiency and productivity. Wow. That's just...Unbelievable. When I read that, I didn't know how to feel. I simply can't imagine anyone doing such a thing. And for it to be normal? No,it's just wrong. Cruel.
Okay, okay, next question. Does it seem like an improvement, or progress? Improvement, absolutely not. Progress? I guess if by progress you mean they use more resources more efficiently. If you meant progress as a society, as people, then no. No way. It is not progress to lessen individuality, emotions, to...essentially grow people for the most smoothly working society, in stead of allowing there to be emotional attachments between people, and allowing for the existence of families.
What is Huxley trying to say? I do not know. I've only read the first four chapters, so I'm still not sure what direction this will be going in. He might try to say that this is the way a society could work better, or he could say that we as a society should try our best to avoid such a future. Or maybe he could be saying something totally different. I think I will have to read some more before I decide on this answer.
And now...does this present a relative critique on today's society? Ummm...I have not thought about this enough, so I think I shall skip it. Hooray!
Okay, lastly, the bit about the end of chapter 3, were it was all skipping around the points of view. That was a little bit confusing, at least for the beginning. Once you could follow who was saying what, though, it wasn't too bad. I think the effect this had was in that it kind of made it so all of that was happening at once, in stead of one person at a time. Like, it kind of brought together that this was all the kind of stuff that was constantly going on in that society; people casually discussing "having" others, children being taught about the evils of pre-efficient (pre-Ford?) times, and how wonderful it is now, babies being brainwashed as they dream...These are all normal parts of this society. As it is skipping around though, and the comments being made are all of the similar, "appropriate" mindset, Bernard Marx stands out more as someone different. His thoughts are against what they were taught; he obviously cares about Lenina, and he hates the way Henry Foster and the other guy are talking about her. This brings attention to Bernard's...uniqueness, and I think it makes it clear that he will be an important figure in the rest of the novel.
Well, that is all. Byes, everybody!