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Contrasting Places in Brave New World

 

            The novel "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley, takes place in two different settings: the World State and an Indian Reservation. Huxley contrasts these two settings to warn of the dangers of using technology to control society. By employing these societal extremes and what they stand for, Huxley is able to intensify and drive home the meaning of the story. In the World State, technology has advanced to the point were children are no longer born through the natural method of fertilization, pregnancy, and delivery, as they are at the reservation, instead children are created in labs to exact genetic specification and live in bottles until they are fully developed and later on "conditioned" by a process called hypnopedia which purpose is to make people accept their fates; one example is Linda who is constantly repeating quotes from the sleep teaching she received throughout her life. During these processes every citizen of the World State becomes dehumanized and therefore they are not actually alive and happy, they are living in a monotone society that in order to avoid reality citizens depend on the consumption of soma to turn off their emotions every time they perceive a negative feeling; Soma gives instant gratification which is why is one of the most powerful weapons used by the World State to keep stability.
             While the World State is full of technological advancement, the Indian Reservation is a society that is still living in the past; most of the buildings look like "amputated pyramids" because this is a more natural and traditional setting. The individuals that live within the Indian Reservation are actually allowed to get married and have children of their own without any technological interference. In contrast with the World State the citizens of the Indian Reservation are also allowed to have a mind of their own, therefore, since there is no such thing as soma to blur their reality they are able to feel different kinds of emotions, such as anger, sadness, between other negative and positive feelings as well.


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