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Communism In Brave New World

Decent Essays

In his 1932 dystopian novel, Brave New World, Aldous Huxley criticises the long term effects of both capitalism and communism. The society in the novel, the World State, holds its values of stability and happiness. In order to do so, its leaders have eliminated all aspects of liberal society - freedom is the price paid for stability and happiness. The methods used in order to achieve this social order serve as Huxley’s targets of criticism towards capitalism and communism. However, before one is able to examine these critiques, it is vital to understand exactly how Huxley was able to portray the negative influences of two opposite economic and social systems in the same novel. Each system has certain aspects that lead to the creation of a herd-like …show more content…

John questions Mustapha Mond about the society, in an attempt to understand it. He wonders why the people are not given Shakespeare to read. Mond explains that old things must be left in the past, so people can be attracted to new products. Stories of tragedy and strong emotions have now been replaced by happiness coming from the gratification of immediate desires. John does not stop however, and questions why at least make all people alphas. To which Mustapha Mond replies that there needs to be inequality in order for there to be people happy doing less intellectual work. John then claims that people need religion and philosophy in their lives. But Mond goes on to tell John that religion and philosophy were ways for people of the past to cope with the fear of old age and death; and even if they do have to face something unpleasant, there is soma, which is “Christianity without tears”(285). The fact that nobody is able to think of any purpose for existence beyond the gratification of their own appetites terrifies John. He tells Mustapha Mond: “But I don’t want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin”(288). Mond tries to convince John one last time, explaining to him what that entails. The right to unhappiness, sickness, hunger, worry, and suffering. John held a long silence and told Mond “I claim them all”(288). In this moment, Huxley is speaking through the voice of John, claiming that sacrificing one’s private affections is not worth the happiness and stability of the World State. The price of personal freedoms is too high to be exchanged for living justly with our fellow human beings in such a

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