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Shariq Anis
Professor abc
Literature nnn
13th Sep 2015
Analysis of Brave New World
Brave New World presents a dystopian society where the omnipotent state has
absolute control over its subjects. This control is exercised through technological
interventions that condition the people from pre-birth down to their last breaths. Huxley uses
satire and exaggeration to highlight ailments of the society, where utopian pursuits have
reduced the society to mindless followers.
I would be focusing on aspects of shallowness of hedonism1 and pursuit of true
happiness in the novel and these aspects would be explored by considering the elements of
Pavlovian conditioning, eugenics, virtual slavery, caste system and rampant unbridled sex. I
have chosen the theories of Psychoanalysis and Marxism for critique of the novel Brave New
World. Both of these theories together synergize and provide a holistic framework through
which the novel may be better understood.
Psychoanalytic lens focuses on the mediation of unconscious on conscious elements
and acts by bringing out the persons repressed fears and conflicts. Freud divided the
personality into three constituents id, ego and superego. Id drives the base urges like hunger
and sexual desires. This is the first aspect of personality developed in babies where they
demand instant gratification. Next in line is ego which also deals with impulses but in a
more socially acceptable way. Superego, the third element represents the moral barometer
that checks the person - typically the role of parents in childrens life, is missing in Brave
New World. (Eagleton 136-158).
1 Hedonism is philosophy aiming for maximizing the amount of pleasure and
minimizing the amount of pain. The quantity and intensity of pleasure are the
whetstone determining goodness of pleasure.

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Another aspect coming from Freudian lens is infantile sexuality which starts right from the
time of infants relationship with mother and oedipal complex where child seeks to eliminate
male parent and assume the role of father. Closely connected is libido that represents the
energy from sexual desire (Barry 73-81). As Buchanan mentions Oedipus complex force
coupled with its family structure is considered highly potent and dangerous by World
Controllers, in this novel so the whole family structure is removed. Lack of family structure
prevents the general population from ever reaching psychological maturity. Children are
decanted in assembly line process and subjected from the fertilization stage to neurochemical Pavlovian conditioning. This abject control over child and subsequently on his/her
upbringing keeps adults in perpetual dependency on the larger social body. Larger social body
is thus the pseudo parent for the child, who has been stripped away from oedipal interaction
with social order bestowed on through state control. State has done away with repression of
infantile sexual energies that come from confluence of parents with the children being born
out of womb less decanters. All kind of strong feelings and affections are strongly frowned
upon. This controlled state is preferred more rather than erstwhile emotionally stifling parents
in the historical era, who would cling on to their children.
The world was full of fathers was therefore full of misery; full of mothers
therefore of every kind of perversion from sadism to chastity (Huxley 28).

Brave New World by satire on the controlling state system shows the vacuity of
human existence when artificial controls are introduced in the novel. Another way of looking
at the novel is through the imagery, symbols and metaphors which aim to convey the
unconscious desires of the protagonists.
Marxist is a materialist philosophy that looks for concrete, scientific and logical
explanations. In this novel, progress is reduced to struggle between different social classes.

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Exploitation of social classes results in alienation where worker become deskilled and is
made to perform repetitive tasks of whose nature and purpose the worker has no overall grasp
of (Barry 156-161).
Looking on Brave New World via Marxist lens highlights the Fords replaceable
worker example as presented in the novel. Assembly line and mass production is evinced in
reproduction of human life through decanters. Marxs philosophy of performing according to
ones abilities is typified by production of castes of Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilons.
The higher most cadre is of Alpha, while Betas to Gamma represent the middle class and the
rest are poor workers each unit performs according to ones inherent conditioning and
infused traits (How Marxism applies to Brave New World). Thus by fitting the workers by
creating special social classes, the aim is to produce un-alienated workers (Bloom & Hobby
33-34).
Brave New World, presents a dystopian future driven science and technology with one
world state graphically outlining the function and life of each element. Social hierarchical
structures in the novel illustrate workers laboring for commodity that they can never own.
Each person has a specific role in the assembly line and is expected and does that very thing.
The persons at the top of the structures reap all the rewards. Art, creativity and individuality
is rooted out through careful eugenics and selective breeding of human population.

Barr opines that inhabitants of this society are bereft of any free will, and have no
chance to make any difference - their only aim is to be another cog in the machinery run by
the state. The same produce is repeated over and over again as individualism has been
quashed and inspiration has been quelled at the behest of stability and world order.

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Explaining further Diken (154) mentions that in the novel spending time alone is
questioned, distraction and escape from reality feeling are fed through soma drug. Thus
Brave New World becomes an epitome of repressive evolution. Consumption is fed through
seeking pleasure as an end in itself while sublimation of pleasure into directed passion is
looked down upon. Play is analogous to hedonistic consumption that cannot wait to try the
effect of arresting my impulsesnever put off till to-morrow the fun you can have to-day,
(Huxley 63).
Sex with everyone without focus on anyone is indoctrinated from the very beginning
where children are fed and conditioned with rhymes like orgy porgy
Orgy-porgy, Ford and fun,
Kiss the girls and make them One.
Boys at One with girls at peace;
Orgy-porgy gives release. (Huxley 56)

Freedom or what looks like freedom to populace is more than servitude, as this
society is a totalitarian society in which everything is commoditized. Sexuality has become
socialized, such that body remains no longer a private property it belongs to the state. In
this novel sociality is observed through the rules and logic of business (Diken 164).

Brave New World is a futuristic novel that besides parodying the bane of progress,
highlights the possibilities of artificially creating, a control society and artificial joy of
living. It is interesting that managing existence and controlled experiment structure is failed
by one flawed hatchling, Bernard and vacuity of existence proven by one person born
naturally. Individuality and any chances of bringing something to wonder about is replaced
by big brother, world controller and his touts carefully rationing out mindless existence. Is

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this the objective of hedonism and pursuit of happiness and resultant emptiness in happiness!
Brave New World is indeed a very utopian presentation with shallowness in its existence

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Works Cited

"How Marxism Applies to the Novel Brave New World." HubPages. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Sept.
2015.
Barr, Bob. Aldous Huxley's Brave New WorldStill A Chilling Vision After All These
Years. Michigan Law Review. Vol. 108, No. 6. 2010. pp. 847-857. Print
Bloom, Harold. Bloom's Guides: Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. 2004: Chelsea House,
2004. Print.
Barry, Peter. Beginning theory an introduction to literary and cultural theory. 2002.
Second edition. Manchester University Press: USA. Print
Bloom, Harold, and Blake Hobby. Alienation. New York: Bloom's Literary Criticism, 2009.
Print.
Buchanan, Brad. Oedipus in Dystopia: Freud and Lawrence in Aldous Huxleys Brave New
World. Journal of Modern Literature. XXV, 3/4 (Summer 2002). Print
Chrunik, Danika. "(Psycho) Analysis of Brave New World Danika Chrunik." Weblog post.
N.p., n.d. Web.
Congdon, Brad. Community, Identity, Stability: The Scientific Society and the Future of
Religion in Aldous Huxleys Brave New World. ESC. 37.34 September/December
2011. 83105. Print
Diken, Blent. Huxleys Brave New World and Ours. Journal For Cultural Research
Volume 15 Number 2 (April 2011). Print

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Eagleton, Terry. Literary theory: an introduction. 2003. 2nd ed. UK: Blackwell Publishers
Ltd. Print
Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York: Harper Perenial. 1969. Print
Smith, Nicole. "Brave New World by Aldous Huxley : An Analysis of the Themes of
Consumption and Utopia." Article Myriad. N.p., 13 Jan. 2012. Web. 12 Sept. 2015.