In Brave New World humans are made to look a like. You could have up to 95 clones of yourself and even more who share an uncanny resemblance. Everyone is conditioned to love and hate certain things so they not only look alike but they even think alike. Uniformity and conformity are used to achieve stabilization in their society. I’m sure everyone’s appalled by this. How can they do such a thing! What happened to uniqueness and freedom! You all must be thinking or maybe even screaming it aren’t you? But in our own society don’t we do the same thing? Of course, not to that extreme of an extent, but I still believe that our own society pushes similarity onto both adults and children alike.
Think about it. Most of the time when people have a chance to make their own decisions they usually choose decisions that are similar to their peers. After all, when people are free to do what they choose, they usually copy others. Safety in numbers I’d assume would be a common philosophy many of us abide by. When we all choose the same thing by choice aren’t we usually happy with the choice?
Back to my point about our own society pushing conformity and uniformity onto us, don’t you see it as well? How everyone wears the same brand of clothing, Hollister or maybe American Eagle, and even if you don’t wear them the clothes you wear have a strikingly similar appearance or structure do they not? How most of us listen to the same type of music and scoff at others who like something very different. Even ideas and beliefs are becoming uniform like how it’s now accepted that Pokemon is for kids and stereotypes that claim all Asians are good at math. The media, our peers, and even our own thoughts encourage conditioned uniformity.
So in reality, I don’t think Huxley’s statement that stability will be achieved through uniformity and conformity is wrong. In fact I think they are incredibly right. Maybe it’ll only take time before we reach the same standards as those in Brave New World.
-- Elizabeth Ly
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4 comments:
Elizabeth i agree with you about how everyone follows other people or makes decisions based on their peers, but i dont agree with you about how we might have the same standards as the people in Brave New World. Even though we are some what alike others i dont think we will be alike others how they are in Brave New World. If our world turns like how it is in Brave New World i believe a lot of people would be shocked including me.
-Alex Martin
I have to agree with Alex on this one. Everyone follows the trends that are set up by people in the fashion industry. Anyone who decides to not follow the current trends are looked at funny or put off as weird, very similarly to Brave New World. An example is Bernard Marx. He acts differently than everyone else and people think hes crazy. Although our societ has some similarities to the Brave New World society, I do not think it will ever become that kind of society.
-Kim Bogdan
I think human behavior is a fascinating subject. Lizzy has a valid point when she says that most people dont like being outcasts and would much prefer the safety of numbers and conformity (which is apparent in the clothing styles of teenagers). However I also think that once you get past a certain point, people begin to move away from conformity.
To illustrate my point, its common for teenagers to dress similarly at our schools, but that doesnt mean we all want uniforms. Individuals crave variety! This is probably one reason why the description of BNW is so repulsive and alien to most readers. There is no variety in the people or the entertainment.
Personally, that is why I cannot see the society of BNW ever becoming a reality.
Although I see from which angle you’re coming from, it is unfair to state that “everyone” takes part of the in conformity. Sure, there are those who see a certain clothing or item and set out to find it for themselves, while others choose otherwise through deliberately choosing opposites to the usual. This does not imply that we are not “free”. Freedom, I believe, implies the ability to choose for oneself. Just because one chooses to copy, another doesn’t mean they are incapable of being a “unique” individual. We are only given so much choices in life that sometimes we must bear similarities, but the with same likes, or similar enjoyment, it allows us to function in society in ways so we can work together, take interest in others, and build relationships. We cannot all be a “John” in this world, but instead like Lenina, and Bernard, although just like others, have their own quirks and characteristics to set them apart.
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