The document discusses ways in which modern society may be becoming similar to the dystopian world depicted in Aldous Huxley's novel "Brave New World". It identifies several parallels between the novel and today, including inhumane control of living things, controlled populations, social castes, disappearing languages, designer babies, earlier serious relationships, advanced technology, and widespread drug and alcohol use. The document argues that taken together, these factors suggest society is evolving in a direction envisioned by Huxley's novel.
4. Introduction to Brave New World
What do you remember/know?
Who are the 3 main characters?
5. Introduction to Brave New World
What do you remember/know?
Who are the 3 main characters?
Lenina
6. Introduction to Brave New World
What do you remember/know?
Who are the 3 main characters?
Lenina
John
7. Introduction to Brave New World
What do you remember/know?
Who are the 3 main characters?
Lenina
John
Bernard
8. Introduction to Brave New World
What do you remember/know?
Who are the 3 main characters?
Lenina
John
Bernard
What is the Reservation that Bernard and Lenina visit called?
9. Introduction to Brave New World
What do you remember/know?
Who are the 3 main characters?
Lenina
John
Bernard
What is the Reservation that Bernard and Lenina visit called?
Malpais
10. Introduction to Brave New World
What do you remember/know?
Who are the 3 main characters?
Lenina
John
Bernard
What is the Reservation that Bernard and Lenina visit called?
Malpais
What are the 5 castes of the Brave New World?
11. Introduction to Brave New World
What do you remember/know?
Who are the 3 main characters?
Lenina
John
Bernard
What is the Reservation that Bernard and Lenina visit called?
Malpais
What are the 5 castes of the Brave New World?
Gamma
12. Introduction to Brave New World
What do you remember/know?
Who are the 3 main characters?
Lenina
John
Bernard
What is the Reservation that Bernard and Lenina visit called?
Malpais
What are the 5 castes of the Brave New World?
Gamma
Delta
13. Introduction to Brave New World
What do you remember/know?
Who are the 3 main characters?
Lenina
John
Bernard
What is the Reservation that Bernard and Lenina visit called?
Malpais
What are the 5 castes of the Brave New World?
Gamma
Delta
Beta
14. Introduction to Brave New World
What do you remember/know?
Who are the 3 main characters?
Lenina
John
Bernard
What is the Reservation that Bernard and Lenina visit called?
Malpais
What are the 5 castes of the Brave New World?
Gamma
Delta
Beta
Alpha
15. Introduction to Brave New World
What do you remember/know?
Who are the 3 main characters?
Lenina
John
Bernard
What is the Reservation that Bernard and Lenina visit called?
Malpais
What are the 5 castes of the Brave New World?
Gamma
Delta
Beta
Alpha
Epsilon
17. About Huxley...
Aldous Huxley was born in Godalming, Surrely on July 26th,
1894
When he was 16 he was blind for 18 months from an attack of
keratitis punctata
Huxley died in Las Angeles on November 22nd, 1963
His first novel was Chrome Yellow (1921)
Some of his novels to follow were Point Counter Point (1928),
Do What You Will (1929), The Devils of Loudon (1952), & Island
(1962)
18. Are We Becoming a Brave New
World?
Google Behavioural
Conditioning
try with class
19. Are We Becoming a Brave New
World?
Google Behavioural
Conditioning
try with class
Why we think it is becoming a Brave New World:
Inhumane ways of Controlling Living Things
Controlled Populations
Castes vs. Social Groups
Languages are Disappearing
Designer Babies
More Serious Relationships at a Younger Age
Technology
Drugs & Alcohol
21. Inhumane Ways of Controlling
Living Things
In Brave New World:
Use of Soma (Quote: PG 217)
Conditioned for roles in the society
Train the babies by electrocuting
them
Threaten them if they misbehave
(Quote: PG 134)
Today:
Deals at stores
Bribery
Paying money for tasks
Using “shock collars” on dogs
25. Recap!
“You’re using chocolates as positive reinforcement for what you
consider as correct behaviour”
Sheldon decides to take things into his own hands by using positive
reinforcement to try and train Penny to behave how he likes, and he
rewards her with chocolate every time she produces good behaviour
Later in the episode Sheldon discovers, “Sex works even better than
chocolate to modify behaviour.”
This is another example of how people can control other living
things
27. Controlled Populations
In Brave New World:
In Brave New World they produce 96 identical twins by using the
Bokanovsky process
By doing this they have full control of the population
If the population got too high they could burn the bodies (Quote:
PG 65)
Today:
In China, you can mainly only have one child with some exceptions
Now the size of families is a lot smaller than it was 60 years ago
30. Castes vs. Social Groups
In Brave New World:
In the world state people are divided into the 5 castes
They are judged based upon their placing within
They are placed in castes based upon their appearance, intelligence, and the
role they are to play in the world (Quote: PG 58)
Today:
People are separated into different social or religious groups based upon
their similarities
Judged based on your group and ranked in terms of “popularity”
Groups have different views on controversial subjects
32. For Example... Quote:
Chapter 4
Page 58
John, in Brave New World, is an
outsider because he doesn’t follow
or agree with the rules
Bernard is also an example because
he doesn’t like the way the world is
run and acts differently making
him an individual
Today bullying and not being in
the “cool” social group makes you
become an outsider which can lead
to depression or suicide
34. Languages are Disappearing
In Brave New World:
Shakespearian language is not
allowed to be read or used in
speech (Quote: PG 199)
The only language we hear in the
book is English
Today:
Country’s native languages are
overtaken by foreign languages
Foreign are not commonly
recognized
EXAMPLE!!!
36. Designer Babies
In Brave New World:
Babies are designed
according to their caste
(personality, intelligence,
& appearance) (Quote:
PG 99)
Today:
Babies can now be
genetically engineered to
meet specifications
40. More Serious Relationships at a
Younger Age
In Brave New World:
In the garden several hundred
naked children are
encouraged to participate with
erotic play (Quote: PG 29)
Today:
Children are engaged in
relationships at younger ages
Sexual play during
childhood used to be
abnormal (PG 28)
42. Technology
In Brave New World:
Control of reproduction
Creation of complex
entertainment machines
Soma
Today:
We now have more
advanced technology
allowing us to accomplish
complex tasks
44. Drugs and Alcohol in Brave New
World
They use soma to help ease
their pain and forget about
troubles
It also helps them to lead
happier lives (Quote: PG 229)
Pope brought Linda mescal to
drink and she became
addicted
Mescal is like their alcohol
46. Drugs and Alcohol Today
People use drugs and alcohol
to erase pain and suffering in
their life
Some use it to build self-
confidence and relieve stress
Others just like the way it feels
Teens can feel pressured to
participate and is a way to “fit
in”
47. %of First Year High School Students
Who Have Tried Drugs or Alcohol
Alcohol Drugs
Yes Yes
No No
29% 26%
71% 74%
48. Interactive Activity
Turn your clicker on by holding the power button
Search for classes to join
Log in to class 206
Wait for the quiz to begin
50. In Conclusion...
We are becoming like a Brave New World because of many contributing
factors:
Inhumane ways of Controlling Living Things
Controlled Populations
Castes vs. Social Groups
Languages are Disappearing
Designer Babies
More Serious Relationships at a Younger Age
Technology
Drugs & Alcohol
