”Brave New World”
Written by Aldous Huxley

“A Brave New World” is a science fiction masterpiece written by Aldous Huxley in 1931. The story takes place in London in AD 2540. It was censored in several places in decades past because it was labeled obscene and pornographic. It has also been compared with classics such as “1984” in its portrayal of a static, dystopian society. Like George Orwell´s classic, the citizens of society of the World State are trapped in a stagnant society. They do not have the basic freedoms necessary for an individual to grow and be happy. It is a vicious society hidden behind the veneer of beauty, stupidity and soma. A strong feeling of character apathy and helplessness permeates the story and makes the characters look pathetic.

The story takes place in a future London in a society that boasts to have solved many of humanities problems. This new world is called “The World State” and is dystopian. Like dystopian societies The World State spends much effort controlling the individual and fabricating a veneer of happiness and well-being. However, behind that façade are stuck, helpless, unhappy citizens. The World State has a sophisticated mind control program, they call training that begins before the babies are born from the bottles. The caste system ensures the supply of workers for the economy and the use of the drug soma is used to keep people from thinking and to cope with stress. Soma may affect your mood but it will not solve any problems. The citizens are trained from the time they are children what to want and dislike.

The idea that the State can have so much control over the public and private lives of citizens makes for a society of miserable people. A society that destroys the family unit in order to control the babies through adulthood is a decadent one. Finally, a society that cannot be questioned is a tyrannical one. Citizens of the World State are prisoners in a golden cage.

This is a great, fun read with a lot of healthy criticisms of our society. This is a book worth reading.

(Commentary by www.ink2quill.com )
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