An Essay on the Use of Satire in Brave New World

The concept of a utopia can be extremely contentious for many people. Despite perfection being the aim of any community, the lengths taken to reach it may sometimes cross the line. Although some support a utopia, others see it as a joke, a waste of a thought, and something that should never be attempted. In Brave New World, Huxley takes the idea of a utopia, puts it under the microscope, and dissects it like a worm. From science, to human nature, to love in society, Huxley pours on the satire to show just how grotesque uniformity can be. He pummels the reader with threats and warnings to show that the road to a utopia is a road to hell.

Science is a study that is constantly evolving and revolutionizing the world. However, the more science progresses, the more the skepticism grows. Brave New World depicts a "utopia" controlled by the whirring and whizzing of machines. Machines not only create people, but also condition them, therefore dictating the rest of their lives. The novel jumps into this head first, describing the "soliloquizing hum or whistle" of machines in the Fertilizing Room (Huxley 2). In Chapter 2, Huxley further satirizes utopian science by describing how young children are forced to fear flowers and books. Science in the new world is a mask of its former self, and even scientists are conditioned to love the vile experiments they perform. Huxley then shows the reader that these scientists have detached themselves from helping people and look instead to "increase consumption," namely with games such as Centrifugal Bumble-puppy (Huxley 31). For the citizens of the new world, science has formed a caste system ruled by Alphas and Betas who trample on lesser Gammas, Delta, and Epsilons. As much as science has tried to move forward, Huxley shows that it has in fact thrown the world back into the 19^th century, where white men held superiority over blacks. In Brave New World, science is like a tsunami that takes the world by surprise whether they like it or not.

On the other hand, while science changes, human nature does not. People will always try to accommodate themselves and do what helps them the most. Huxley mocks this notion throughout the novel, creating scenarios that the reader can relate to. One of these situations is addiction. The people of the new world are addicted to soma and use it whenever they want to feel happy. They encourage others to "Take a holiday from reality whenever you like" because "A gramme is always better than a damn" (Huxley 106). Even with perfection passing through the community like a cool breeze, the addictive nature of humans is still present. For characters such as Linda, Huxley demonstrates that this nature only points to death in the end. Human nature also dampens the picture when the new world shuns Linda for looking different. In contrast, the public glorifies John because of the controversy that surrounds him. Huxley satirizes this particular topic because it is comparable to events that occurred during his lifetime. Immigration was a notorious topic in America in the 1930's, and just like in the book, if someone looked different, it was essential to avoid them. This idea can also be seen in the fact that the utopians see outsiders as barbaric and place them in a whole other hemisphere. A final glimpse of human nature can be seen in Chapter 18 with John's actions. John had tried to fit in at Malpais but was not accepted. However, when he did not try to fit in in the new world, he was welcomed with open arms. John did not get what he wanted and isolates himself because of this. Huxley satirizes the way people act when things do not go their way, and even allows John to truly take on the title of "savage." Human nature is a boulder than cannot be broken, but that does not prevent Huxley from chipping away at it, piece by piece.

No matter where one looks in the world, love can always be found. Love is the bond between a brother and sister, a father and son, or a husband and wife. However, even as love stretches its hands out to everyone in society, it still takes on a different meaning for each person. Huxley chooses to satirize what people believe love truly is. He comes out of the gate running by humoring the reader with the idea that "everyone belongs to everyone" (Huxley 41). This ridiculous notion takes jabs at the utopia by demonstrating to the readers how far they have strayed from normalcy. Huxley also gives a comparison of the definition of love between John and Lenina. John sees love as a feeling that can allow two people to spend their lives together, whereas Lenina sees it as another excuse to take her clothes off. The result of this clash of ideas itself is anything but lovely. Although love reaches out to everyone in the utopia, it has been twisted and disfigured to the point where children playing erotic games and adults "having each other" is not just encouraged, but expected as well.

In conclusion, Huxley chooses to satirize science, human nature, and love in society to expose the utopia for what it truly is. Huxley demonstrates to the reader that when it comes to a utopia, the negatives outweigh the positives far too much, and chaos is inevitable. Science stops benefiting the people, love becomes distorted without bounds, and human nature stays the same above it all. Huxley depicts this with immaculate diligence and gives the reader a vantage point they may not have previously had. The utopian worm is too segmented to ever truly be bound together, and just like taking the bottom card out of a house, everything comes crashing down.

*ALL QUOTES COME FROM THE NOVEL Brave New World written by author Aldous Huxley.*