Brave New World Blog #2 (Ch. 7-13)

1. Why is John motivated to use Shakespeare quotes in daily life while speaking with other characters?

In sharp contrast to those who have lived in the World State for their entire lives, John is obviously different not only in dress and actions, but most prominently through speech. When speaking he references a multitude of Shakespeare plays for reasons that are not apparent to the other characters, but after reflection become visible. Huxley shows the contrast between our world and the World State through primarily actions, but he uses John as his obvious indicator of difference. This difference become visible when John reads some lines from Romeo and Juliet to Bernard who responds by saying, "Orgy-porgy...It's just a Solidarity Service hymn" (Huxley 183).This shocking response to the audience from a character who some may identify with shows the conditioning that the population has received , so that they will not understand the brilliant playwright who understands the human soul. Huxley emphasises the distance between the two worlds.

2. Would we in our world treat John the same way as the citizens of the World State and are there possible future conflicts in the novel?

Difference in modern society stands out as John does in the World State. He becomes an instant society hit with all the important people wanting to meet him. When one reflects on the attraction he receives, I personally think about aliens arriving on Earth and the attention they would receive. To the World State, he is an alien. He represents the world that they have destroyed, yet they are still eager to meet him, so I was not surprised at the guest' response to John's lack of presence at the party. Huxley describes their anger, "As for the women, they indignantly felt that they had been had on false pretenses" (Huxley 173). Their anger didn't surprise me because of their fascination, but the question has not really been answered for me because I feel that a conflict is building between the citizens and John because of his behavior.

3. Why does John continually refute Lenin's sexual advances?

Though deeply in love with Lenina for unknown reasons John consistently refuses her sexual propositions. This refusal of sex on the part of John reveals a theme in the novel to me that society cannot live carefree and meaningful lives at the same time. He realizes that as much as he loves Lenina he can never have her because of the incompatibilty between them. A realtionship must be based on common values and love instead of just sexual desire, which is the only factor in World State realtionships. Huxley specifically describes this difference through a conversation between Lenina and John. "'But, John... I thought you were... I mean, aren't you?...' He shut the door..."(Huxley 171). Lenina is shocked by John's lack of desire because she doesn't understand his need for a 'normal' relationship and never will because of her conditioning. John realizes that they can never be together because Lenina will never leave her carefree livestyle for a real life without soma or an active sex life.

"Don't You Want Me?" by The Human League

1. A man has helped a woman to success and she leaves him behind without thanking him. His perspective of the story if reflected through the quote, "Turned you into someone new...But don't forget it's me who put you where you are now."

2. The man claims that he has been forsaken for no reason while the woman claims she just wanted to live life on her own without his influence, which can be noted through the quote, "...I think it's time I lived life on my own."

3. I side with the man because I feel that the woman left him without a cause sufficient enough to justify the rejection of the sacrifices he made for her. I feel that she has a haughty attitude about moving on and forgetting her past. The quote, "I knew I'd find a much better place either with or without you," exemplifies her negative attitude towards her past.

First Brave New World Reading Entry

In sharp contrast to the terrorized society of 1984, the World State of Brave New World creates forced happiness in their society through sexual pleasure. It seems that everything in their world revolves around sex: soma pills, multiple lovers, and the contraception-preception belt. Though each serves a different purpose in society, the message is clear: the population is too fascinated with their sex lives to care about real problems. In effect, the World State also stops conflict throught the retraction of monogamy as a life choice. Without monogamy, the population can have as much fun as possible and live a carefree life, so who would want to change things? Huxley reinforces his point through the voice of Mustapha Mond, "The urge has but a single outlet. My love, my baby. No wonder those poor pre-moderns were mad and wicked and miserable. Their world didn’t allow them to take things easily, didn’t allow them to be sane, virtuous, happy. What with mothers and lovers, what with the prohibitions they were not conditioned to obey, what with the temptations and the lonely remorses, what with all the diseases and the endless isolating pain, what with the uncertainties and the poverty—they were forced to feel strongly. And feeling strongly (and strongly, what was more, in solitude, in hopelessly individual isolation), how could they be stable?" This lack of stability caused the turmoil before the World State and the emotion caused the lack of stability. The World State is a utopia because even though the population may be superficial, the government has succeeded in it's job of ending conflict and making it's population happy.

Ethnography

1. One perspective approaches the topic with a scientific perspective while the other approaches the topic from the specific cultural perspective. Both perspectives are valid, but just approach the topic differently.

2. These rules exist because bias is evitable as some cultures may seem strange, an informant provides an inside view, and the subjects must know someone's purpose to completely show themselves.

Postcolonialism

1. The West views the East as inferior and fascinating, yet mystical.

2. The West often views people from the East homogeneously because of the anonymous masses they see instead of individuals.

3. Eastern people's actions are determined by instinctive emotions and their emotions are determined by racial considerations.

4. Viewing the East as inferior has benefited the West through colonialism because the West felt that they had a right to the East because of the inferiority. By creating a common enemy the persecutors feel justified in their actions.

5. This view of the East does not exist anymore because of the rise of new powerful nations that the West must respect now.

Final 1984 Blog

Sad as it may sound to the engrossed reader, Big Brother has won against Winston and Julia. Being the representation of the Party has empowered Big Brother to destroy dissent through places like Room 101. Julia notes how the Party can destroy passion for others and channel it to the Party by saying, "You think there’s no other way of saving yourself and you’re quite ready to save yourself that way. You want it to happen to the other person. You don’t give a damn what they suffer. All you care about is yourself." This statement strongly contrasts what she would have said before Room 101 during her affair with Winston and this contrast represents the power of the Party to break, to destroy, and to channel love unless for the Party. Winston and Julia have given in to Party and Big Brother has destroyed who the reader knows as Winston and Julia. Winston feels the same way as Julia by wishing that she would suffer more than he meaning both characters are just the shells of what they once were together. Sadly, I am certain that Winston will love the Party for the rest of his life because of Big Brother's success.  Oceania has ensured that any dissent will be crushed and there is no way to overthrow the state.

"Love Language"

1. I assumed that the girl wasn't interested in the guy because she didn't speak to him when he was making conversation.
2. This is a cultural conflict between the deaf population and the normal population because deaf people have different problems from normal people and the problems can interupt everyday life.
3. The external conflict was the fact that the girl couldn't understand what the man was saying causing confusion.
4. The internal conflict was the man's decision to date the girl or not to date the girl because she was deaf.
5. The conflict was resolved by the use of writing to communicate and the man's acceptance of the girl's handicap.