As I was reading Brave New World, one quote in particular struck me - "What man has joined, nature is powerless to put asunder."
Throughout the whole novel, Huxley emphasizes his message of the dangers of over-industrialism and the troubles our world will face if we continue on our path. In the fictional world of the story, every single person is engineered to be exactly who they are at the moment. From before birth they are subliminally trained to be whatever they are assigned to be. Through this quote, Huxley suggest that the characters have become overconfident in their ability to control nature. However, their illusion of totalitarianism is completely skewed because they believe they have conquered nature, but without nature, nothing and no one could exist. What they fail to realize is that for all the supposed control over nature, nature had been silently engineering the same thing since the beginning of time, giving people the characteristics they need to survive, and selecting those which have proved most useful.
Huxley also uses this quote as a way to get the reader thinking on his theme. Because this was said, the reader is led to believe that Society thinks itself unconquerable. However, this cleverly sets the reader up with a little bit of foreshadowing, because the confidence of the statement hints that the Society might not be as all-powerful as they believe. Because Huxley is trying to give a message, this quote could be used as warning to the reader and our society, not to think to much of ourselves. Not to think that we are greater than nature, because the created cannot exceed the creator.
(On a side note, I am still reading the novel, so if the Society turns out not to be conquered, and that Huxley is saying that they can't be toppled, this could all be just mindless ponderings, but, from the foreshadowing, I really son think, and hope, that's not going to happen)
Keep Calm and Blog On
3 comments:
This has been very helpful believe or not. The novel Brave New World has always been on my must read list because of my love for the 2000 Iron Maiden album of the same name. The songs are fantastic and the music amazing, but for the literary, or in this case lyrical analysis of the album. While the album does not necessarily have a central theme or would be classified as a concept, there is the title track "Brave New World." THe song features reoccurring images of "dying swans, twisted wings" and of kings and queens and of "beauty not needed here." My question to you is if you could clue me in to any thought you may have on the relation of the lyrics to the novel I would be a very happy metal head. The other comment that got my attention was the reference to the over-industrialism and totalitarianism. Maiden's album cover I believe is a personification of those two themes. The cover features England in a more futuristic yet highly industrial city. The bands mascot is seen as a face in the clouds hovering over London, England, and appears to be ruling over and watching. I do not know how close of a tie there is between the song and the novel, but if you find anything I would love to know.
i don't recall anything about dying swans in the book, however, it could just be an illusion to the cruelty that the government was imposing upon the people. Because a swan is so pure (or seen as that way) the thought of twisting its wings and killing it is revolting, even though those doing it don't see it that way. It's the same way in the book, like their manipulation of a person could be seen as twisting its wings because they are getting them to do whatever they want, which they don't see as wrong. The beauty not needed here could refer to the fact that, in the novel, everything seems so perfect because everyone is engineered to do exactly what they are supposed to do, so no one steps out of line, and everything is in harmony. However, but by taking away individuality and choice, they have essentially destroyed what is beautiful about humanity.
Hope I helped!
I read Brave New World and the conflict of nature vs man seems to have two different levels of meaning. At the surface it seems like the society is in control and is unstoppable. This realm exists only to show what our own world is not. The novel mocks our own inability to control and subdue nature. Nature in this instance is a physical and spiritual reality. Some of the social sins that form the society in the novel seem to be contrary to the laws of nature, humans cease to be natural. By stepping outside of the framework of universal truths, the society becomes corrupted. John also serves as the sacrificial lamb and through his death, one is left to decide what will happen next. If one thinks similarly to T.S. Eliot and shares his views on cycles of fertility, the answer would be that there is a change and the society does not keep cranking along. The novel aims at change, and in a way providing a starting point for the renewal of culture and civilization. (hope I didnt spoil the ending, Austin)
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