Brave New World - 1931 - Aldous Huxley - Reprised

Brave New World was written in 1931 by Aldous Huxley and takes place in London ( a very different, futuristic London) which is the centre of the World State. It was intended as a satire on a future, chemically engineered Utopia , not a scientific prophesy. It's a negative Utopia or Dystopia where the human genome is rewritten, babies are engineered and grown in test-tubes. They are genetically altered and conditioned to perform certain tasks. People are divided into five castes according to their engineered brains and bodies: Alphas, Betas, Gammas, Deltas and Epsilons. The Epsilons are the lowest caste and bred to perform the most menial and undesirable jobs. The Alphas are bred to be the most intelligent and are scientists and scholars.

Everyone is happy in their respective castes as they are conditioned and indoctrinated to be. This prevailing feeling of happiness and well being is greatly enhanced by Soma, a drug that is taken by all, daily. Soma also serves to control the population. It keeps them calm and emotionless. Marriage, family and motherhood have been done away with and sexual activity and promiscuity are encouraged from early childhood. Freedom of choice is obsolete.

There is only one race in the 'World State'. Everyone is beige and slightly Oriental. Since the book was written prior to World War two , it reflects that period in certain references and attitudes, such as the promotion of capitalism ( to an extreme in the book) and the isolationism of the United States. Even some of the names used in the story are from this period such as Hoover, Trotsky and Marx.

It's a loveless and unsettling place. It is also vaguely sinister ; a feeling that grows as the story progresses. One man, An Alpha plus, Bernard (a sleep teaching specialist) chooses to be different from the herd. He finds an Alpha ally, Watson, who dares to think outside the box.

Bernard takes us outside the contolled and programmed World State for a holiday with his girlfriend to a Savage Reservation where people are free and live as they choose. We learn there are many places like this around the world which are considered undesirable and are not under the control of the World State. Bernard meets a young man there named John (later known as John Savage), and takes him back to London and the Brave New World that John is curious about. As you can imagine, John Savage turns that society on it's ear. John is affected very negatively by what he perceives as an empty, souless society and his story ends very unhappily, with his suicide; illustrating to us what such a society would do to a normal, feeling human being.

That's a brief summary of what I remember about the book. It can be a difficult read even if you are prepared for Huxley's style. It's not an entertaining book so much as it is a fascinating glimpse, although much exaggerated, at a possible future. Some things are happening now that reflect this vision. What about our dependence on a vast variety of chemicals and drugs? Cloning and genetic engineering are now realities. And capitalism? Why, we are all busy little consumers. The divorce rate has made a mockery of marriage and family and children are engaging in sexual promiscuity at a younger and younger age. What'cha think ? Are we all headed to hell in a hand basket?? Or are we headed to a 'Brave New World'??