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=Brave New World Notes=

__ Epigraph __ "Utopias seem to be much more achievable than we formerly believed them to be. Now we find ourselves presented with another alarming question: how do we prevent utopias from coming into existence? …Utopias are possible. Life tends towards the formation of utopias. Perhaps a new century will begin, a century in which intellectuals and the privileged will dream of ways to eliminate utopias and return to a non-utopic society less “perfect” and more free.”

Chapter 1


 * -World State’s Motto **

__ Community __ : giant family, unity, belonging, comradeship

__ Identity __ : individuality/ uniqueness, differences

__ Stability __ : order, confidence, security/safety, no suffering


 * -Setting ** : Hatchery & Factory

The picture provided here is that of humans being "manufactured" in a mass production factory. The implication is that people are like machines, or more modernly, like computers, given certain characteristics, powers and limitations, and programmed to do certain tasks, to have certain capabilities.

The Fertilizing Room Ø Enormous room on the ground floor faced towards the north Ø Cold and colorless, only light comes from the microscopes

-“Not philosophers but fret sawyers and stamp collectors compose the backbone of society.”
 * We don’t need the big thinkers, but the small thinkers. **


 * -Director ** : we don’t know his age because age no longer matters

Ø People care about the Ford, not the Lord
 * -A.F. ** : after Ford

Ø Alphas: leaders Ø Betas: right before the leaders ** Big difference between these and the common workers: ** Ø Gammas Ø Deltas Ø Epsilons
 * -Caste System ** : the fertilized eggs are treated differently because they want to create 5 different people for 5 different purposes in society

Ø Only done to Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons while the Alphas and Betas develop more in the test tubes Ø Brings stability to society because people are the same Ø Director: “If we could bokanovskify indefinitely the while problem would be solved”
 * -Bokanovsky’s Process ** : eggs are split


 * -Viviparous ** : normal human reproduction, breed sex


 * -Progress ** : now society can produce more (and twin) babies

-“Human history is the history of class struggle”
 * Karl Marx -- founder of Marxism / Communism **

-“But our business is to stabilize the population at this moment.”
 * Director **


 * -Podsnap’s Technique ** : accelerates the process of the egg ripening

Bottling Room Liners Matriculators Labelers Social Predestination Room Fertilizers Embryo Store
 * -Order of Egg Process: **

Chapter 3

· The Director explains how this used to be abnormal and immoral, all people laugh
 * -All kids are naked and having erotic play **


 * -Controllers ** : 10 leaders for the whole world (it is one whole country)

· Huxley is saying the things in the book are related with Communism
 * -Trotsky ** : organizers of the first Communist state of the Soviet Union


 * -Mustapha Mond: ** one of the 10 world leaders


 * -Henry Foster: ** factory worker


 * -Lenina Crowne: ** factory worker


 * -Bernard Marx ** : from the Psychology Bureau, backs are turned on him


 * -Director: ** “History is bunk.”

A) Mustapha Mond B) Lenina C) Henry, Bernard Marx, Assistant Predestination
 * -Teachings **

· “Discoverer” of the subconscious
 * -Freud ** : father of psychoanalysis

· Id: primitive self · EGO: self formed by the influence of the Superego · SUPER EGO o Culture o History o Education o Parents o Religion
 * -3 parts of the interior human being **

Ø Man’s problems come from repressed (over controlled) sexuality
 * -Freud ** : “Man is the product of the stresses and pressures of the Superego, especially in the area of sexuality”

· Lenina is only with Henry Foster, the director would be furious
 * -It is wrong to have monogamy **

· Strong feelings are unstable, they don’t want anyone to feel too strongly, they just want them to have sex and don’t get attached
 * -Feel strongly **


 * -Perfect gentleman ** : a man with many lovers


 * -Strictest conventionality ** : patting the butt


 * -Promiscuity leads to stability ** Why? It leads to "stability" because one of the goals of the state is to remove the distance or time between a desire and its fulfilment because the state believes that a great distance or "wait" leads to desires and emotions that are strong, which the state wants to neutralize. The state wants no one to "feel" or "think" too much.

· The in-between is the most dangerous, when you have to wait for what you want is what causes problems
 * -Feeling, emotion, desire **** à **** satisfaction, consummation **


 * -Pneumatic: ** good at sex


 * -Ending is better than mending ** This promotes consumerism. "Throw it out and get a new one." That's the idea. Taht way, people buy more--stimulates the economy.

Rosalie Morin

Brave New World Community- giant family, unity, belonging, comradeship, Identity- individuality/uniqueness, differences Stability- order, confidence, security/safety, no suffering
 * Chapter 1 || one world government

in London far into the future

not philosophers but fretsawyers and stamp collectors compose the backbone of society

- we don’t need the big thinkers, we need the small thinkers - they don’t get the whole picture, just a small part of it and that’s what they say holds the society together There’s no real difference of being 30, 40, 50

AF 632 After Ford Ford is the godfather/lord of this society

Factory of human beings

The fertilized eggs are treated differently to make 5 different people to make them do five different things in society - highest
 * Alphas**
 * Beta**

^^^^^ (only) Where they can make a fertilized egg split and split again - major instruments of social stability because they are all the same
 * Gammas**
 * Deltas**
 * Epsilons**
 * Bokanovsky Process**

Viviparous- normal human reproduction

“Human history is the history of class struggle” Marx || A- Mustapha Mond teaching B- Lenina in Changing room with Fanny C- Henry, Assistant Predestinator, Bernard, Feelies D- Freud- Father psychoanalysis “discoverer of the subconscious” ID- primitive self Ego- self formed by the influence of the… Superego - culture - history - education - religion “Man is the product of the stresses and pressures of the superego, especially in the area of sexuality” Mans problems come from repressed (over controlled) sexuality
 * Chapter 3 || Written in three sections
 * Chapter 3 || Written in three sections

The D.H.C wants superficial and short, not long No pressure- stability

They weren’t supposed to “feel strongly” they don’t want anyone to feel to strongly about anything to keep stability

feeling> emotion> satisfaction/ consumption desire>

Bernard is more “traditional” B- Lenina/ Fanny/ Henry c- Assistant Predestinator/ Bernard D- Hypnopedic teaching

They produced the “perfect drug” - **Soma** - Replaced alcohol and drugs, and are now using //soma// that way people don’t grow old because old age causes instability - You don’t get weaker before you dies - No old age- stability

There’s always something fun to do - Because when you have to wait for something it causes anger, so now they fixed that. There’s always pleasure || - Alpha Plus - Different because he’s more gifted - Propaganda writer and teacher || · Community o Big family o Unity o Belonging o Comradeship o   · Identity o Individuality o Differences o   · Stability o Order o Confidence o Security o No suffering · We’re in a laboratory o Or factory of some sort o Workers o Microscopes · Not philosophers but fret sawyers and stamp collectors compose the backbone of society · We need small thinkers that don’t put the idea in context and just do. · AF 632 o After ford · Henry ford o Mass production · Cast systems · Viviparous o Normal human reproduction · Marxism o Human history is the history of class struggle · Pavlov Russian psychologist o Ch 2 based on his experiments · A  o Mustapha monde teaching · B  o Lenina · C  o Henry, Bernard marx feelies · Freud o Father of psychoanalysis o Discover of the conscious ·   · 3 parts of humans influence o ID: primitive self o Ego: self formed by the influence of the … o Superego: culture, history, education, parents, religion § Man is the product of the stresses and pressures of the superego, especially in the area of sexuality § Man’s problems come from repressed (over controlled) sexuality · Many sex partners eliminate pressure o Quick drawn sex, not monogamy, romance, or strong feelings. · Everyone belongs to every one else · Ending is better than mending · Night club o Soma induced drugged · Solidarity Service o 12 people (12 apostoles) o to become 1 o ford ship service § church service § communion cup § dancing like native ceremonies § drugging § coming of ford § eastern beliefs o Everything is feeling and emotion o Emotion/feeling = truth § Sex=soma · Ultimate pacifier · Peace · Stability · Is Huxley recommending or criticizing, promoting or condemming…?
 * Chapter 4 || Helmholtz Watson