Brave New World by Aldous Huxley Utopia vs. Dystopia ELF 40S Ms. Van Den Bussche

How many goodly creatures are there here! “O wonder! How many goodly creatures are there here! How beauteous mankind is! O, brave new world That has such people in’t!” -Miranda, The Tempest ELF 40S Ms. Van Den Bussche

Although the novel was originally published in 1932, the themes in Brave New World are quite relevant to the world in which we live today. Some would even call this novel prophetic, considering the present state of things: brain-numbing advances in technology and the internet; our tendency to waste time on meaningless diversions such as television and video games; consumerism surpassing religion (take Christmas, for example); promiscuity surpassing morality; issues of eugenics, cloning, stem-cell research and genetic engineering; and, most strikingly, the overly-prescribed and overly-used medications such as anti-depressants and sleeping pills, so like the fictional “Soma” of Huxley’s novel. ELF 40S Ms. Van Den Bussche

Utopian and Dystopian Literature ELF 40S Ms. Van Den Bussche

What is Utopia? A Utopia is a place or society that appears perfect in every way. The government is perfect, working to improve societies standards of living rather then their own, social aspects of the community run perfectly. There is no war or disease, only peace and happiness. Everyone outside this Utopian society looks to this place in wonder and awe, believing it is completely perfect in every such way. ELF 40S Ms. Van Den Bussche

- Utopia by Sir Thomas More - Men Like Gods by H. G. Wells A good example of this is the novel Utopia. Focusing on a conversation that Sir Thomas More is having with a traveling knight, the reader learns of many places that have established some form of perfection. Focusing on a place called Utopia, it shows the flaws in their established Monarchy in contrast to the Utopians seemingly perfect democracy. Examples of Utopian Literature - Utopia by Sir Thomas More - Men Like Gods by H. G. Wells - We by Yevgeny Zamyatin - Erewhon by Samuel Butler - Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy - Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman ELF 40S Ms. Van Den Bussche

What is Dystopia? Dystopia came from the term Utopia. It defines a place or society which is in complete chaos. The citizens are all suffering and are miserable. Often times in novels what appears to be a Utopian society it first by the visiting protagonist is actually revealed to be a dystopian society. The citizens are often revealed to live in terror, under complete control by the government, unaware of corrupt world in which they actually live in, or suppressed by the society as a whole. ELF 40S Ms. Van Den Bussche

- The Handmaid's Tale by Margeret Atwood A good example of this is the novel The Time Machine. Traveling into the distant future, the Time Traveler finds himself in a perfect future world. Decease ceases to exist, all dangerous animals have become extinct, all weeds have disappeared, and all the people get along perfectly. It is later shown that they are hunted on a daily basis and are actually raised similarly to cattle. Examples of Dystopian Literature - Lord of the Flies by William Golding - The Handmaid's Tale by Margeret Atwood - Neuromancer by William Gibson - Iron Heel by Jack London - The Running Man by Richard Bachman - Armageddon's Children by Terry Brooks - The Chrysalids by John Wyndham - The Children of Men by PD James ELF 40S Ms. Van Den Bussche

Can you think of other examples of utopia or dystopia in novels, television or movies? ELF 40S Ms. Van Den Bussche

Social and Historical Context When Brave New World was first published in 1932, the world was plunged in depression, fascism* was on the rise in Western Europe, and Marxism** appealed to increasing numbers of intellectuals in Europe and America. *a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing aggressive nationalism. **the system of political thought that that the state has been a device for the exploitation of the masses by a dominant class, that class struggle has been the main agency of historical change, and that the capitalist system will inevitably be superseded by a socialist order and a classless society. ELF 40S Ms. Van Den Bussche

Essential Questions that you should be able to answer after reading this novel: 1. How are the themes of Brave New World applicable to today’s society? 2. What makes the science fiction genre such an effective device for bringing about social change? 3. How does reading fiction shape our social and political ideologies? ELF 40S Ms. Van Den Bussche

Journal: Personal Opinion Defend or refute the following quote. ½ – 1 page, critical thinking and explanation are necessary! You may first want to define the key words! Manmade utopia is an oxymoron. - Mike Duran ELF 40S Ms. Van Den Bussche