Brave New world

Essay by keeponpathHigh School, 12th gradeA+, March 2003

download word file, 4 pages 3.7 1 reviews

For more than half a century science fiction writers have thrilled

and challenged readers with visions of the future and future worlds.

These authors offered an insight into what they expected man, society,

and life to be like at some future time.

One such author, Ray Bradbury, utilized this concept in his work,

Fahrenheit 451, a futuristic look at a man and his role in society.

Bradbury utilizes the luxuries of life in America today, in addition

to various occupations and technological advances, to show what life

could be like if the future takes a drastic turn for the worse. He

turns man's best friend, the dog, against man, changes the role of

public servants and changes the value of a person.

Aldous Huxley also uses the concept of society out of control in

his science fiction novel Brave New World. Written late in his career,

Brave New World also deals with man in a changed society.

Huxley asks

his readers to look at the role of science and literature in the

future world, scared that it may be rendered useless and discarded.

Unlike Bradbury, Huxley includes in his book a group of people

unaffected by the changes in society, a group that still has religious

beliefs and marriage, things no longer part of the changed society, to

compare and contrast today's culture with his proposed futuristic

culture.

But one theme that both Brave New World and Fahrenheit 451 use in

common is the theme of individual discovery by refusing to accept a

passive approach to life, and refusing to conform. In addition, the

refusal of various methods of escape from reality is shown to be a

path to discovery. In Brave New World, the main characters of Bernard

Marx and the "Savage" boy John both come to realize...