Brave New World

Irony in Brave New World A society in the future can be very distinctive apart from a society in the modern day. Brave New World, written by Aldous Huxley, is a novel in regards to a utopian society. It takes place in the future where all is advanced and people are no longer born. Instead, reproductive technology is developed and futurology is emphasized. The majority of the population is divided into classes and no one is able to think for themselves. The novel is ironic at points and uses satire profoundly. Huxley uses irony to satirize religion, family, and sex. In the World State, religion is really satirized and depleted by its employment of religious rituals and its portrayal of God. Their God is Henry Ford, the inventor of the conveyor belt and the man responsible for, as they say “the introduction of [Their] Ford’s first T-Model” (52). Ford’s invention of the assembly line is one of the many reasons why he is an ideal God to society in the World State. The assembly line is an efficient line of productivity that creates items and in Brave New World, this is how people are born. This really exhibits his roll of God as God is believed, in modern religion, to have created people. People in the World State also use his name in vain similar to today’s society so when Bernard yells “…for Ford’s sake” (90) it reveals how they perceive Ford as their god. Another circumstance that depicts religion is their visits to the Solidarity Services. In the World State the community is told to attend solidarity services which somewhat corresponds to how people go to church in current times. At the solidarity services they await their dose of soma and have an orgy. It moderately mocks how people in church eat the bread and pray together. It is all basically a mimicry of religion in current society. Brave New World is really satire towards the average modern family. The words “mother” and “father” are considered obscene. It states that to say one is a mother “[is] an obscenity” (153) and reveals how they contemplate family. In the World State there are no mothers and fathers because people are not born naturally, where instead they are born artificially. This concept is revealed through John’s reference to the director as “[His] father!” (152). When John shouts “my father” to the director, laughter breaks out from everyone there. The word “father” is pretty much a joke in their society. It is just not intended to have family in the World State. One of the biggest reasons why family is not ideal in Brave New World is order. Family is completely banned so it can reduce the possibility of people caring for each other; therefore it will reduce the possibilities of them disrupting the order in which they are expected to obtain. Sex in Brave New World is distinctive compared to modern society. Sex is glorified and is more of a responsibility, however, it is not for pleasure or emotion but more for entertainment. Sex is encouraged and promiscuity is celebrated in different ways. Many forms of entertainment in Brave New World relate to sex. For example the Feelies, pornographic movies, are attended by the citizens. When the Assistant Predestinator asks Henry if he is “going to the Feelies this evening” (35) he is sustaining this argument. The fact that the government allows these films to be shown publicly reveals how the government encourages sexual promiscuity. In the World State, if a person is not sexually promiscuous, they are pretty much considered outcasts. Sex is practiced and discussed openly even with children. This is exposed when the nurse claims that “[They] had Elementary Sex” (27). Even at a young age children learn about sex and are encouraged to have sex where as to modern society would not permit this. All of the information is evidence to prove that the World State commends sex. A utopian society that takes place in the future can really have many differences than the average modern society. One feature that can expose many facets of a society is irony. In Brave New World, irony is used to satire events and ideas and reveals that all societies have their own views and morals.