Aldous Huxley's Brave New World exemplifies a social experiment put into action at full force, much like George Orwell's 1984. However, unlike the never-ending, constantly enforced regulation which the government in 1984 employs to keep its citizens in check, Brave New World's citizens are free to live as they wish, without as much government regulation upon individuals. Or so it seems. The Brave New World's citizens are raised, before birth and during the developmental stages of childhood, to enjoy life under such limited parameters that, even when they feel spontaneous and out of routine, they limit their rebelliousness by their own will. Were 1984's government to be described as totalitarian, Brave New World's could be described as contained anarchy. By separating the "savage" people such as John's kinsmen, "rebellious" anarchists such as Helmholtz and Bernard, and "happy citizens" like Linda or Lenina into different areas of the globe, untainted from one another, they are able to live out their lives as they want, while the highest tier of government control keep control with relative ease, watching for mistakes in the fabric of Earth's population and simply moving them out of harm's way.
In my Brave New World essay, I intend to explain Huxley's ultimate purpose for the novel. Theme being, that what Mustapha Mond sees as the ideal "happy" paradise of human society does not quite fit the mold of utopia for humankind. I also intend to bring in examples, with the help of outside sources such as Sir Ken Robinson's speech, of how modern society bears close resemblance to many of the institutions of Huxley's anti-paradise. I will incorporate Naomi Klein's No Logo, which explains the rising tide of commercially-driven youth generations in America. My title refers to soma. Which induces one, enormous headache. Or, may as well. Since most citizens in Brave New World have never experienced a headache, they have no frame of reference. So regular life may as well be one, long headache.
