In his extraordinary analysis essay titled “Conclusion: The Two Futures: A.F. 632 and 1984”, Ward thoroughly discusses the similarities and diversities between the two anti-utopian novels, 1984 and Brave New World. Obviously, Orwell and Huxley had an urgent message to relay to all generations about the impending future. It is not, after all, impossible to succumb to tyranny, ignorance, and power (or any lethal combination of the three). What we must rest on to secure a stable future is our intelligence, strength, and stubbornness (but only when resisting such awful powers, right?).
As part of his discussion, Ward analyzes communications (direct and in-direct) between the two master writers. The topic is boiled down to this – which future would be most probable, the one described by Orwell, or the one crafted by Huxley? In a sentence, the author determines, “The political system envisioned by Nineteen Eighty-Four is simply not efficient, and, all other things being equal, efficiency leads to stability as inefficiency leads away from it” (119). Power is terrifying and certainly not a tool to be toyed with, yet can a man efficiently terrorize a country into stability? Cuba, Iran, and North Korea are definitely not countries I would jump to call “people-friendly,” or models of well-organized governments. Man will most certainly relinquish his free will in response to fear; the instinct to survive is simply too great. But what these types of close-minded governments refuse to tolerate is, essentially, the free thinker, the rebel, the revolutionary. And one will always exist. Some men are not bred to surrender their individuality as willingly as others. This is why, as Ward stated, a system ruled by terror can never truly achieve stability.
In this same debate, Huxley maintains that his dystopia has a greater chance of existing, “…the lust for power can be equally well satisfied by inflicting a humiliating pleasure rather than a humiliating pain; and the power of pleasure has the advantage of being more stabilizing” (120). This statement is true. Man reacts more willingly to pleasure than he does to pain. Therefore, he is almost more willing to adapt to control than he would be if he were tortured into it. In a sick sense, the characters of Brave New World still possess free will, no matter warped it may be (conditioning, after all, had a strong influence on their this concept of “free will”). They have no fear of reproach simply because they believe the mantra, “Everybody is happy now.” And what of the rebels of this society? There is no torment, no painful punishment. They are sent to an island, which is framed to be an escape from cloned happiness and ideals. These “free thinkers” are removed from society as to not “corrupt” the minds of the rest of the herd. Stability, in Huxley’s world, is key, not power.
“For Orwell, the most potent intoxication is power; for Huxley… it is sex. But for Orwell, as for Huxley, only a state that takes the ultimate intoxicant into prime consideration can achieve stability” (125). In order for any given society to be successful and stable, it must first identify man’s ultimate weakness. Then, it must expand its availability and once man has bitten, claw at his declining strength and resistance. Suddenly, man is convinced that the government’s way is the right way, the only way, and will succumb to their every order. Obedience equals stability, and that can only be conquered if the government is aware of the people’s needs, and more importantly, the people’s wants. Huxley manipulated man’s desire for lust, which is why his “brave new world” was so stable when compared to Orwell’s future. Orwell relied on the knowledge that man will eventually surrender to fear. But what happens when there is an uproar? Would man actually surrender so quickly? And if so, is it possible for the government to remain? Would there not be intervention by other nations or groups of people? For these reasons, I find Huxley’s potential future to be much more realistic than Orwell’s.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
beliefs
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1 Corinthians: 4-7).
Sometimes when I wake up in the middle of the night, I can hear my father snoring from across the hall. Snoring is perhaps one of the highest peeves on my list of annoyances, but rather than pursue a destructive rampage I merely creep to his bedroom door and shut it. Had this been any other being outside my family realm, I may have induced some sort of physical harm. (This includes, but is not limited to, duct taping of the mouth, pillow over the face, etc.) But it is my father, who I know cannot help this gruesome habit. More importantly, it is my father, and I love him.
Love is an ideal I would defend to my death. It has cradled me when I feared, rocked me when I sobbed, and rejoiced with me when I laughed. I define love as a state of calmness, of happiness, of generosity of the heart. It does not necessarily infer the fireworks and Hollywood happy endings kind of love, but the child rolling with a kitten, grandfather handing a homeless man a dollar kind of love.
Love enlightens the masses and creates an unbreakable union between even the most diverse communities. When September 11th occurred, a melting pot of cultures stood together in pride of their nation – it was for love of a frightened country. Every Sunday, Christians across the world flock to their house of worship and praise a Lord no man can be certain exists – it is out of faith, it is out of love. When a person passes away, many attend his funeral and other desired processions – it is most certainly, out of love.
Love is able to conquer what hate evokes. The media mass-produces reality television shows that boast violent fights and screaming matches about cheating spouses and brutally honest people. Shows about finding love (such as the ever popular Flavor of Love) become boiled down to one hour of “This girl is a dumb ho and I hate her and bleep this and bleep that I love this man and no one can stop me from getting anything I want.” This sort of negative attention is merely a concoction for hatred in a post-modern world. People are attracted to the idea, but even more attracted to the idea of disaster (as long as they are not in the situation). Watching those aforementioned shows may help boost self-esteem, but they pollute the idea of love. Love should be sought after, but not in such a tasteless and destructive manner. It should not be based on body type and size, bluntness of personality, or interest in promiscuity. Sex does not define love. Love is not meant to be ridiculed in the manner it often is now, it is meant to celebrated and respected.
After the tragedy of 9/11, many suffered the passing of a loved one. Some were able to grieve, to forgive but not forget, while others continue to struggle with the idea of this defeat to this day. How can love exist in a world full of hate and loss? It depends on how you view the world. Regardless, love will always manage to survive destruction because it is the solution. (Is not selfishness the love of self? Even in situations where a problem may have been solved merely for the other to have his way, you are experiencing love – love for your sanity.)
Love is a belief most certainly worth fighting for. Whether it is love of family, love of a lover, love of a God, love of a pet, love of the earth, it does not matter. Love is love is love. And if it is eliminated from this earth, there is essentially nothing worth living for. A man will become a shell of his former self, a droid of emotionless values. His every action will be performed on robotic tendencies. Not out of desire or necessity, but from routine. There is nothing to look forward to, there is no one he hopes to see. He trudges through life without questioning. Why bother doing so? The answer cannot excite him, for he feels no love.
Many take the freedom of love in America for granted. There remain countries where arranged marriage still exists – where you cannot choose to marry someone you love. Some expressions of love must be kept hidden in fear of exposure or expulsion. Love is not meant to be stressful. It is meant to be a beautiful occurrence, meant to engulf every heart of every being on this earth. For we all hold one thing in common: we are human, and we love.
So I encourage you to love, and love often. Smile at an unfriendly peer, embrace a friend who needs reassurance, be earnest, be honest, say something simple like please and thank you. Spread happiness, and build circles of love. Do not become entrapped by a cement wall of hate.
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).
Sometimes when I wake up in the middle of the night, I can hear my father snoring from across the hall. Snoring is perhaps one of the highest peeves on my list of annoyances, but rather than pursue a destructive rampage I merely creep to his bedroom door and shut it. Had this been any other being outside my family realm, I may have induced some sort of physical harm. (This includes, but is not limited to, duct taping of the mouth, pillow over the face, etc.) But it is my father, who I know cannot help this gruesome habit. More importantly, it is my father, and I love him.
Love is an ideal I would defend to my death. It has cradled me when I feared, rocked me when I sobbed, and rejoiced with me when I laughed. I define love as a state of calmness, of happiness, of generosity of the heart. It does not necessarily infer the fireworks and Hollywood happy endings kind of love, but the child rolling with a kitten, grandfather handing a homeless man a dollar kind of love.
Love enlightens the masses and creates an unbreakable union between even the most diverse communities. When September 11th occurred, a melting pot of cultures stood together in pride of their nation – it was for love of a frightened country. Every Sunday, Christians across the world flock to their house of worship and praise a Lord no man can be certain exists – it is out of faith, it is out of love. When a person passes away, many attend his funeral and other desired processions – it is most certainly, out of love.
Love is able to conquer what hate evokes. The media mass-produces reality television shows that boast violent fights and screaming matches about cheating spouses and brutally honest people. Shows about finding love (such as the ever popular Flavor of Love) become boiled down to one hour of “This girl is a dumb ho and I hate her and bleep this and bleep that I love this man and no one can stop me from getting anything I want.” This sort of negative attention is merely a concoction for hatred in a post-modern world. People are attracted to the idea, but even more attracted to the idea of disaster (as long as they are not in the situation). Watching those aforementioned shows may help boost self-esteem, but they pollute the idea of love. Love should be sought after, but not in such a tasteless and destructive manner. It should not be based on body type and size, bluntness of personality, or interest in promiscuity. Sex does not define love. Love is not meant to be ridiculed in the manner it often is now, it is meant to celebrated and respected.
After the tragedy of 9/11, many suffered the passing of a loved one. Some were able to grieve, to forgive but not forget, while others continue to struggle with the idea of this defeat to this day. How can love exist in a world full of hate and loss? It depends on how you view the world. Regardless, love will always manage to survive destruction because it is the solution. (Is not selfishness the love of self? Even in situations where a problem may have been solved merely for the other to have his way, you are experiencing love – love for your sanity.)
Love is a belief most certainly worth fighting for. Whether it is love of family, love of a lover, love of a God, love of a pet, love of the earth, it does not matter. Love is love is love. And if it is eliminated from this earth, there is essentially nothing worth living for. A man will become a shell of his former self, a droid of emotionless values. His every action will be performed on robotic tendencies. Not out of desire or necessity, but from routine. There is nothing to look forward to, there is no one he hopes to see. He trudges through life without questioning. Why bother doing so? The answer cannot excite him, for he feels no love.
Many take the freedom of love in America for granted. There remain countries where arranged marriage still exists – where you cannot choose to marry someone you love. Some expressions of love must be kept hidden in fear of exposure or expulsion. Love is not meant to be stressful. It is meant to be a beautiful occurrence, meant to engulf every heart of every being on this earth. For we all hold one thing in common: we are human, and we love.
So I encourage you to love, and love often. Smile at an unfriendly peer, embrace a friend who needs reassurance, be earnest, be honest, say something simple like please and thank you. Spread happiness, and build circles of love. Do not become entrapped by a cement wall of hate.
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).
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