Brave New World

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The World State is built upon the principles of Henry Ford's assembly line—mass production, homogeneity, predictability, and consumption of disposable consumer goods. At the same time as the World State lacks any supernatural-based religions, Ford himself is revered as a deity, and characters celebrate Ford Day and swear oaths by his name (e.g., "By Ford!"). In this sense, some fragments of traditional religion are present, such as Christian crosses, which had their tops cut off in order to be changed to a "T". The World State calendar numbers years in the "AF" era—"After Ford"—with year 1 AF being equivalent to 1908 AD, the year in which Ford's first Model T rolled off his assembly line. The novel's Gregorian calendar year is AD 2540, but it is referred to in the book as AF 632.

From birth, members of every class are indoctrinated by recorded voices repeating slogans while they sleep (called "hypnopædia" in the book) to believe that their own class is best for them. Any residual unhappiness is resolved by an antidepressant and hallucinogenic drug called soma (named for an intoxicating drink in ancient India) distributed by the Arch-Community Songster of Canterbury, a secularised version of the Christian sacrament of Communion ("The Body of Christ").

The biological techniques used to control the populace in Brave New World do not include genetic engineering; Huxley wrote the book before the structure of DNA was known. However, Gregor Mendel's work with inheritance patterns in peas had been re-discovered in 1900 and the eugenics movement, based on artificial selection, was well established. Huxley's family included a number of prominent biologists including Thomas Huxley, half-brother and Nobel Laureate Andrew Huxley, and brother Julian Huxley who was a biologist and involved in the eugenics movement. Nonetheless, Huxley emphasizes conditioning over breeding (see nature versus nurture); as science writer Matt Ridley put it, Brave New World describes an "environmental not a genetic hell". Human embryos and fetuses are conditioned via a carefully designed regimen of chemical (such as exposure to hormones and toxins), thermal (exposure to intense heat or cold, as one's future career would dictate), and other environmental stimuli, although there is an element of selective breeding as well.



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Bokanovsky's Process is a fictional process of human cloning that is a key aspect of the world envisioned in Aldous Huxley's novel Brave New World.

The process is applied to fertilized human eggs in vitro, causing them to split into identical genetic copies of the original. The process can be repeated several times, though the maximum number of viable embryos possible is 96, with 72 being a "good average".

The process is described in detail in the first chapter of the book. The process is not applied to embryos of the Alpha and Beta classes of humans. It is reserved for the Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon classes.

One egg, one embryo, one adult - normality. But a bokanovskified egg will bud, will proliferate, will divide. From eight to ninety-six buds, and every bud will grow into a perfectly formed embryo, and every embryo into a full-sized adult. Making ninety-six human beings grow where only one grew before. Progress.

In the highly-controlled social world, the ability for the government to control the number of humans is important, as is the ability to control the function of those humans.

Bokanovsky's Process, combined with Podsnap's Technique for speeding up the maturation of unfertilized eggs from an ovary, is used to produce massive numbers of a genetic group: "Fertilize and bokanovskify ... and you get an average of nearly eleven thousand brothers and sisters in a hundred and fifty batches of identical twins, all within two years of the same age."

The record number of twins from a single ovary at the London Hatchery is 16,012 in 189 batches. Centers in tropical climates can get better numbers: Singapore created over 16,500, and Mombasa has touched 17,000.

Bokanovsky groups usually work together doing a single task, and by manipulating the in vitro chemicals, various subclasses can be created from a Bokanovsky Group.

The caste system in ‘Brave New World’ includes 5 major castes named after Greek letters (Alpha to Epsilon) which can slightly differ in the position in the hierarchy (indicated by an additional ++, +, - or --). The whole life of each being is coined by the affiliation to a caste. There are significant differences between the members of the castes, such as varieties regarding outer appearance, differences concerning intelligence and work as well as miscellaneous transport systems and housing. As a result of predestination and conditioning, everyone is happy and thus stability is achieved.

FORD

10 World controllers // Directors of departments

(Alpha ++ = ruling elite)

Alphas (+,-) = elite
powerfully built […], deep chested, broadshouldered, massive, […] quick in movements, springy agile. […] beautifully shaped head […]." (p. 59, l. 22-25)

Betas (+, -)
everything is a bit less developed compared to Alphas, but still they are quite well-built

Gammas (+, -)
they are relatively short, narrow-shouldered, and, in comparison to Alphas and Betas, gangling

Deltas (+,-)
relatively short (nearly dwarfs), often semi-handicapped people (e. g. longheaded-ness)

Epsilons (+, --)
mostly black, ugly and monkey-like creatures that are often handicapped

Intelligence

“Alpha children [...] are so frightfully clever. Gammas are stupid. [...] And Epsilons are still worse. They’re too stupid to be able to read or write.” (hypnopaedia, p. 23-24, ll. 33-13)

Alphas represent the intellectually superior group, followed by the Betas. From then on, each caste is progressively less intelligent (cf.: they vary in appearance accordingly). Epsilons are exposed to the harshest restriction in the hatching process with regard to their intelligence.

Thus, they are described as having little to no intelligence. Everyone perfectly fits his/her job because of the specific brainpower. To make everyone happy Alphas are given challenging jobs and Epsilons are given menial work which would be boring for higher caste members.

Work

Alphas
relatively intellectual work (journalists, film producers, etc.), important positions

Betas
rather demanding work, still important positions (e. g. in the ‘Hatchery and Conditioning Centre’)

Gammas
normal work: housekeepers attendants, workers, porters

Deltas
lower labourers, (manual) workers in factories, servants

Epsilons
easiest and most unpretentious work, for example: the Epsilon minus Semi-Moron liftman (p. 52-53)



Function

The society in Brave New World seeks to create maximum happiness for everyone. This aim is achieved through conditioning. Everyone is happy to belong to his/her caste. The caste system is needed to cover every little part of processes that form the society, such as work, housing, etc.. Everyone works for everyone.

Conditioning makes every single person feel happy and thus creates a more efficient society. Even Deltas and Epsilons are content to do their manual labour. This contentment is expressed on page 66: “ [...] Epsilons don’t really mind being Epsilons,” [...],”How can they? They don’t know what it’s like being anything else. We’d (Alphas and Betas) mind of course.

But then we’ve been differently conditioned. Besides, we start with a different heredity.” [...] “And if [...] (we) were [...] Epsilon(s) [...] (our) conditioning would have made [...] (us) no less thankful that [...] (we) weren’t a Beta or an Alpha.” (ll. 14-24)

And through happiness stability is guaranteed.

Conclusion: The caste system is an elementary constituent of a functioning society in ‘Brave New World’.

A.F.: This refers to After Ford, or the years after the death of the figure of Ford. Ford is the surrogate, and surrogate word, for God in the new civilization. People say things like 'Oh, Ford!' and 'Fordey!' The new sign, replacing the cross, is a T, or a cross with the top chopped off, which alludes to the Model T, the first Ford (as in the motor vehicle company) car. 'Ford' is also a corruption of the word Freud, otherwise known as the last name of the psychologist Sigmund Freud, whose psycho-sexual theories, many of which involve family dynamics, are controversial. Mustapha Mond explains that Ford, or Freud, as he used to call himself when speaking of psychological matters, was the first to reveal the perversion, misery, and dangers of family life.

Bokanovsky's Process: Basically, this process involves letting the egg 'bud' and creates up to ninety-six embryos from each bud, each of which will grow into a human being. The Director calls the Bokanovsky process 'one of the major instruments of social stability.'

Soma: Soma is the drug that people take in half-gramme tablets to get away from it all. It produces a joyful effect in which all bad things are simply whisked away. It is on hand at all times. For most of their lives, the citizens of the Brave New World are doped up. John, or the Savage, is pretty much the only one in the book who has never taken soma. The creation and introduction of soma is as such: Two thousand pharmacologists and bio-chemists were subsidized in A.F. 178, and six years later, it was being produced commercially.

Hypnopaedia: Hypnophaedia is sleep-teaching. We first see this in the DirectorÂ's tour. It is a series of repeated sayings used to teach children everything from their place in society to clever little sayings and proverbs. Basically, it is a form of thought control, or the imposing of a mind-script. While the children at the Central London Hatcheries and Conditioning Centre are napping, these 'lessons' are played time and time again, thousands of times between the ages of three and sixteen.

The Savage Reservation, aka Malpais: The Savage Reservation, or Malpais: The Savage Reservation, or Malpais, is filled with sixty thousand Indians and half-breeds, where things considered abominations, such as marriage, religion, disease, and wild animals still exist. The Reservation is in New Mexico. Malpais means 'bad country' in Spanish.

Central London Hatching and Conditioning Center: This is the building where the embryos are created and conditioned.

Caste System: The people of the World State are all part of a rigid caste system. It goes, in descending order, Alphas, Betas, Gammas, Deltas and Epsilons.

Alpha Plus Intellectuals: This is the top-ranking social caste in the novel. Bernard Marx is an alpha-plus intellectual, as is Helmholtz Watson.

Alpha: Alpha is the highest caste in the caste system. Alphas have the highest level of intelligence and attractiveness.

Beta: This is the second-highest caste in the caste system. Betas possess human intelligence, though not as much as Alphas or Alpha Plus Intellectuals.

Delta: Delta is the fourth caste in the system, outranking only the sub-human Epsilon caste. The Deltas are used mainly as workers.

Epsilon: Epsilon is the lowest caste in the caste system. They possess little to no human intelligence, and they are used only as workers.

Pregnancy Substitute: Since there is no live birth or pregnancy, only decanting, it is suggested that women take a pregnancy substitute, which lasts several months. The procedure is not described in detail. It is compulsory at age twenty-one, but some women have it as early as seventeen.

Thomas "Tomakin" Foster, Alpha, Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning (D.H.C.) for London; later revealed to be the father of John the Savage.

Henry Foster, Alpha, Administrator at the Hatchery and Lenina's current partner.

Lenina Crowne, Beta-Plus, Vaccination-worker at the Hatchery; loved by John the Savage.

Mustapha Mond, Alpha-Double Plus, World Controller for Western Europe (nine other controllers exist, presumably for different sections of the world).

Assistant Director of Predestination.

Bernard Marx, Alpha-Plus but anomalously small, psychologist (specializing in hypnopædia) and the false protagonist of the story. He dates Lenina for a short period of time.

Fanny Crowne, Beta, embryo worker; a friend, but not a relation, of Lenina.

Benito Hoover, Alpha, friend of Lenina; disliked by Bernard.

Helmholtz Watson, Alpha-Plus, lecturer at the College of Emotional Engineering (Department of Writing), friend and confidant of Bernard Marx and John the Savage.

At the Solidarity Service
Morgana Rothschild, Herbert Bakunin, Fifi Bradlaugh, Jim Bokanovsky, Clara Deterding, Joanna Diesel, Sarojini Engels, and "that great lout" Tom Kawaguchi.

Miss Keate, headmistress of the high-tech glass and concrete Eton College.

Arch-Community Songster, a quasi-religious figure based in Canterbury.

Primo Mellon, a reporter for the upper-caste news-sheet Hourly Radio, who attempts to interview John the Savage and gets assaulted for his troubles.

Darwin Bonaparte, a press photographer who brings worldwide attention to John's mother.

Of Malpais
John the Savage ("Mr. Savage"), son of Linda and Thomas (Tomakin/The Director), an outcast in both primitive and modern society. While he does not appear until partway through the story, he becomes the protagonist shortly after his introduction . He commits suicide in the end.

Linda, a Beta-Minus. John the Savage's mother, and Thomas's (Tomakin/The Director) long lost lover. She is from England and was pregnant with John when she got lost from Thomas in a trip to New Mexico. She is disliked by both savage people because of her "civilized" behaviour, and by civilized people because she is fat and looks old.

Popé, a native of Malpais. Although he reinforces the behaviour that causes hatred for Linda in Malpais by sleeping with her and bringing her Mezcal, he still holds the traditional beliefs of his tribe. John also attempts to kill him, in his early years.

Brave New World is a novel by Aldous Huxley, written in 1931 and published in 1932. The novel anticipates developments in reproductive technology and sleep-learning that combine to change society. The future society is an embodiment of the ideals that form the basis of futurism. Huxley answered this book with a reassessment in an essay, Brave New World Revisited (1958), and with his final work, a novel titled Island (1962).