Of all questions that Aldous Huxley’s 'Brave New World' (BNW) raises, I have chosen to analyse the role of memories and past within the society described. This will lead to the questions of what the qualities of adulthood really are, and why the character of Bernard Marx doesn’t feel like an adult.
These themes are most present in chapter 6, but to present the whole topic, I will also quote from other chapters. First of all, I will need to quickly introduce to you the perception of character and individuality in BNW. One quote summarises it all: “‘Characters remain constant throughout a whole lifetime’”,(p.80, ll. 1,2). But how is this character achieved in the
first place, if there’s no development? – Only through conditioning! The character is made! It’s artificial, yet we cannot deny that it’s there.
Therefore the question should rather be: Can a character that doesn’t evolve be real? Aren’t development or simply change it’s most important aspects?
We would immediately know, what to answer, but to the inhabitants of Brave New World, even the question must seem ridiculous, because they do not celebrate individuality. Even the Alphas only have a limited amount of free will and they do not differ much from each other, neither in appearance, nor in personality. This is because their aims are all alike. As the examples of Bernard and Helmholtz show (who are both considered exceptional individuals), individuality is a mere nuisance to those living in BNW. This may be due to the fact that character has no influence on life whatsoever career and social activities are imposed on them and there is no room for choice according to one’s likings. Also, to others, character doesn’t matter, only the ability to consume happiness is of importance. The individualist part of the human nature is completely denied as the following quote shows: “[…] for doing things in private. Which meant, in practice, not doing things at all.”, (p.116, ll.5f).
Table of Contents
1. Introduction to the perception of character and individuality
2. The significance of memories and the remote past
3. The absence of development and the concept of adulthood
4. Bernard Marx as an outsider and his struggle for autonomy
Research Objectives and Themes
This essay examines the role of memory and past experience within the society of Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World," specifically analyzing how the suppression of these elements prevents characters from achieving true adulthood and results in the infantilization of the population, with a focus on the character of Bernard Marx.
- The impact of conditioning on individual character development.
- The deliberate prohibition of memory to maintain social stability.
- The definition of adulthood as the ability to postpone immediate desires.
- The correlation between the absence of individual reflection and the lack of human depth.
- The role of "soma" in enforcing a life of continuous, unrelated moments.
Excerpt from the Book
On the Importance of Memories to Character and the Different Concepts of Adulthood in Brave New World
In paragraph two of chapter six we learn that talking about the remote past is objectionable in BNW. Memories are one of the most important aspects of personality. It doesn’t develop all of a sudden, nor has it always been there, ready for us to use. Obviously it needs have a past and to evolve continually. If this is so, we have all the more reason to say that the Brave New Worldians don’t live the life of adults, because they are deprived of its final stage: old age. Instead, the conditioning can be seen as a very basic substitute for personality, which makes the person function in the simplest ways. For example it equips the BNWians with sentences to utter in almost every situation. In fact, it seems that all conversation among the civilized is but endless repetition. This becomes especially clear, when we listen to Lenina and Bernard in §2. For Bernard it is just impossible to explain his thoughts, because they are new to Lenina and the only way in which she can react to them is by completely blocking herself. This is of course a very frustrating situation, both for the characters and the reader, emphasized by the fact that the author employs dramatic irony in this scene.
Not being allowed to speak about the past, and not being allowed to think, make the people loose their past and personality: The activities, which take the place of thinking, do not leave behind any memories, because they are meaningless to their personalities, like watching TV, playing computer games, or having sex without any relationship. The BNWians don’t need to remember these activities, because they’re always alike, leave no room for thoughts and repeat themselves every day.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction to the perception of character and individuality: This chapter introduces the artificial nature of character in the society of the Brave New World, which is defined by conditioning rather than development.
2. The significance of memories and the remote past: The author explores how the prohibition of memories and the restriction of thinking prevent the development of a coherent personality and human relationships.
3. The absence of development and the concept of adulthood: This section defines adulthood as the ability to suppress immediate desires and argues that inhabitants of the Brave New World remain infantilized because they live only for the moment.
4. Bernard Marx as an outsider and his struggle for autonomy: The final chapter analyzes why Bernard Marx is perceived as an outsider and concludes that the society of the Brave New World systematically denies its citizens the traditional stages of human maturation.
Keywords
Brave New World, Aldous Huxley, Bernard Marx, conditioning, adulthood, memory, individuality, character development, stability, social control, soma, infantilization, outsider, human nature, repression
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this essay?
The essay analyzes the role of memory and the past in Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" to understand how these factors relate to the concept of adulthood and the lack of maturity in the society's inhabitants.
What are the central thematic fields discussed?
The core themes include the artificial construction of character through conditioning, the deliberate suppression of memory for social stability, and the contrast between childhood desires and adult responsibility.
What is the central research question?
The study explores what the qualities of true adulthood are and why the character of Bernard Marx fails to feel like an adult within his society.
Which methodology is employed in this work?
The author uses a literary analysis approach, drawing upon specific passages and quotes from "Brave New World" to support her arguments regarding character behavior and societal structure.
What is examined in the main body of the text?
The text focuses on the importance of memories for personality, the role of "soma" as a replacement for emotional depth, and the comparison between the infantile inhabitants of the Brave New World and true adulthood.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include "Brave New World," "conditioning," "adulthood," "memory," "individuality," and "character development."
Why are memories considered dangerous by the "World Controllers"?
Memories allow individuals to link their experiences and develop a sense of personal history, which could lead to questioning the "meaning of life" and challenging the stability of the society.
How does the author define adulthood?
The author defines adulthood primarily as the ability to suppress and postpone immediate desires, as opposed to children who live entirely in the moment.
What is the role of the character Bernard Marx in the argument?
Bernard Marx serves as a case study for an individual who, by rejecting "soma" and attempting to think critically, becomes an outsider who is unable to fit into a system that values only constant, superficial happiness.
- Quote paper
- Rebecca Steltner (Author), 2000, On the Importance of Memories to Character and the Different Concepts of Adulthood in 'Brave New World', Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/67820
