Although there are many differences in the two novels, Fahrenheit 451 and Brave New World have the same goal as far as society goes; the central government just wants everyone to be socially safe.
When a society in these worlds are socially safe, they usually have to maintain three things; people have to be clueless of history or old literature, they have to be content all the time, and they have to be emotionless and not passionate for anything or anyone.
How these societies on both if these novels keep people clueless if very different, but along the same lines. In Fahrenheit 451 they simply take books away completely. And the talk of these books is frowned upon and if you were caught with books, then your house was burnt down. But in Brave New World people just don’t even know what history is and don’t understand it. Like when John was talking to Mustapha about why there was a movie about a modern day Othello, Mustapha said it was because they were to stupid and they wouldn’t understand it. Which is not their fault because that’s how they are conditioned and raised.
The people in these societies are kept happy all the time, and if they aren’t happy are feeling like they have to deal with emotional situations, they just take have routines that make everything all better again. In Brave New World soma was their escape from reality. Whenever Lenina had to sit through a boring meeting, or deal with John calling her a whore, she would always take soma so she would be happy again. And they even had a plan just incase a riot broke out, which it did when John was throwing out the soma. The police would just take a bunch of gas soma and stray it over everyone until people were so high that they could be mad and just passed out into a soma holiday. In Fahrenheit 451 they use giant televisions to keep people happy and entertained. Mildred would think is TV programs as her family because that’s what would make her happy.
They last thing the central government does to keep social stability is make sure no one is passionate toward anyone or anything, in Fahrenheit 451 although there was marriage, is a woman’s husband died in war or died at all they would go and find another significant other. And if they were to become passionate, like Montag did about books, then people go and break the rule and rebel. In Brave New World No one is passionate towards anyone else and if they are it is only the physical attraction, nothing emotional. Like when Lenina first went after Bernard, she thought he was so odd, but he was physically pleasing, so she went to the reservation with him.
The central governments in these two novels are very similar as far as their goals for the people go.
Hannah - outstanding organization: you have a thesis statement, an order of development, a body of points and a conclusion.
ReplyDeleteYou also go a wonderful job with the comparison. Though, does society just want everyone to be "safe"? Or is there anything more sinister going on? You could be right, just question yourself. Is safety would giving up certain liberties (such as the freedom to read or have free choice and personal connections with others)?