In this post: Classic commentary on socialization and caste systems, perhaps a foreboding warning but a gripping read nonetheless.
Category: Fast Fiction
Ramiah Recommended?
Yes. Brave New World is a classic, and definitely worthy of the title.
The piece's grappling with socialization as a source of stability is particularly interesting to me. Brave New World's caste system hierarchically organizes citizens into one of five classes: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon. As with any caste system, the higher one is ranked, the more privileges they are allowed.
From birth, there is social conditioning for people to be devout to their ranking. Simultaneously, they are reminded that they are part of the World State, the governing body that instills its motto "Community, Identity, Stability" time and time again. The devoutness and motto ensure individuals will not question how or why they rank, the only thing that matters is that they are members of a community that will support them. It should come as no surprise that the support is not necessarily true.
The caste system was a means for social control. Control over individual behaviors and thoughts yielded control over the community... control over change. Change was an ultimate threat to the World State. Change in many forms, but particularly, scientific change. The Controller of the World State explained:
We don't want to change. Every change is a threat to stability. That's another reason why we're so careful about using new inventions. Every discovery in pure science could lead to a revolution. Even science must sometimes be treated as a possible enemy. Yes, even science (kindle location 1426).
As I read Brave New World, I got frequent reminders of1984 by George Orwell - one of my favorite books of all time and another classic. I have always found reading about dystopian futures interesting and the commentary, or foreshadowing, they can offer about contemporary society as well. In Brave New World's case, classism and socialization are modeled in the extreme, and we see the consequences of resistance and the lack thereof throughout its pages.
The ending of Brave New World left me absolutely confused. There was no closure. But I also think that was the point. What is the 'happy ending' to socialization, especially isolated (and seemingly futile) resistance to such socialization?
Reading this book affirmed my attitude on groupthink - it's dangerous and it can be powerful. In Brave New World the character resisting socialization in the name of scientific discovery was primarily addressed as Savage. It's very telling of how change agents can be (and often are) regarded by the status quo, as was the case for many civil rights leaders in the US.
The more divergent thought is welcomed, the less threatened individual bodies as much as governing bodies will be.
Lots to noodle on! Read for yourself and let me know what you think!
Ramiah Reflects
My New Favorite Life Quotes:
(No life quotes for this book)
Questions to Ask Yourself (and answer!):
Mustapha Mond says to the Savage: "'Happiness is never as exciting as unhappiness or the struggles of great passions. Happiness is never grand'" (kindle location 1406). Does happiness find its value from unhappiness? This quote made me think of Iron Man's monologue at the beginning of Avengers: Endgame in which he explains how death makes life worth living, or death gives value to life.
Do the struggles of living make life worth living? In response to this paragraph below:
"'In fact,' said Mustapha Mond, 'you're claiming the right to be unhappy.' 'All right, then,' said the Savage, 'I'm claiming the right to be unhappy.' 'Not to mention the right to grow old and ugly and weak; the right to suffer disease; the right to have too little to eat; the right to live in constant fear of what may happen tomorrow; the right to fall a victim to pains of every kind.' There was a long silence. 'I claim them all,' said the Savage at last.
Food for Thought:
"The Savage was silent for a while. 'All the same,' he went on, sticking to his argument, 'Othello's good. Othello's better than those films.' 'Of course it is,' the Controller agreed. 'But that's the price we have to pay for stability. You've got to choose between happiness and what people used to call high art. We've given up the high art. We have the love films instead.'" Does stability come at the expense of happiness?
Ramiah's Re-read When
Re-read when:
You would like an adjacent example of the power of socialization
You need encouragement to pushback on groupthink
You want to contemplate if stability breeds happiness, or the source of happiness in general
When you want to consider what gives life value
You want to enjoy a timeless classic!
(No book notes for this reading)
Check out my other posts and book notes here.
Until next time!
Montana Houston
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