ANALYSIS

This is my analysis of this important piece of science fiction literature.

SOCIALIZATION  THROUGH CLONING

As the director of the cloning factory leads his trainees on a tour of the facility he is overcome with enthusiasm about the fact that now humans' thought processes are derived from suggestions given to them by the  government:

    "...the  child's mind is these suggestions, and the sum of the suggestions is the child's mind. And not the mind only. The adult's mind too-all his life long."

The form of socialization presented in this story comes across in a very literal sense. In one part a group of babies are conditioned to hate flowers and literature by pairing the two with a loud sound that scares them. This is supposed to condition the babies so that when they grow into adults they won't want to read or become botanists.

SOCIETAL STANDARDS

In this futuristic alternate world all people are expected to be totally obedient and supportive of the government. This standard is achieved through the manufacturing process where humans are created and mentally molded to fulfill a particular job, such as waste management. Because of this socialization, these humans go about the role society gives them, no matter how miniscule or dull, with an unfailing optimism. In reality we also have social standards that we are expected to live up to. Education, clothing style, manners, ect. The difference between Huxley's world and our is that we have some control over the standards we choose to live up to.

MODERN DAY CONNECTION

The reason this story is such a powerful work of fiction is that it isn't all necessarily fiction. Even though it was written in the 30's, its themes still ring true today. The media is a powerful force in socialization. It tells us the clothing trends that are popular, what we should be worried about, and the standards we should value and live up to as citizens. As the role of the media in society continues to grow, individualism grows weaker and we get closer to the bleak future that Huxley invisioned.


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