Saturday, March 31

The Setting~ a geographical and historical report

Brave New World calls itself Utopia, It is apparent that it was located in London as it has used many historical buildings from London in a larger satire of religion. Utopia came to be after “The Nine Years War” which resulted in a peace treaty. As this treaty failed new methods of social stability were called upon. Some of these methods included hypnopaedia, soma and Technology worship. Based on numerous hints in the beginning of the novel, the story takes place in the year 2540. This is known as the people worship the first Ford model “T” which was made in 1908 and marks the beginning of time. Rather than using AD (after death) they measure using a new time system AF, which stands for After Ford.

Before the new methods of stability were used, the treaty failed due to a riot which burned down any museums and libraries that remained from “the nine years war”. This most likely inspired the new World Directors (the equivalent to today’s Government) to remove all traces of the past, apart from the science of creating test tube babies, science was not taught nor tolerated. Religion became an idolization of technology (they worship “Our Ford” and make the sign of the “T”). Complex literature was also abolished as the World Directors feared that it would suggest to civilians there is more to life than drug aspired happiness and casual sex.

London was the ideal setting for Brave New Word. If the story was written in another place, the satire of historical buildings (the ones that remained) would not have been possible. Huxley changed many buildings, such as the Westminster Abbey Church into “The Westminster Abbey Cabaret” the Westminster church is well known as The home of the Anglican church and as a place for royal matrimony. Huxley turns the church into a night club in the attempt to ridicule people and what they prioritize by making casual sex become religion. There are many other examples of this including Big Ben (becomes Big Henry) and Ludgate Hill, the home to another sacred church. (In the novel, it is home to the singery where rather than going to church service, people do fortnightly orgies, another ridicule of peoples priorities.) Without London’s many historical buildings being used in a satirical way, certain characters such as Bernard Marx would not have been understood to the reader. One chapter of the book took place in the singery by Ludgate hill, Bernard’s experience proved that he was the only character who was not convinced by Utopias brainwashing that casual sex, the drug soma and worship of technology is okay. Without this chapter and setting in London, readers would not have a clear image of Bernard’s personality.

The book was written in the future so the author Aldous Huxley was able to tell people about his ideas which he dreaded about the future. He incorporated many concepts that have already happened (such as cloning and test tube babies) and exaggerated them to the point where they became a disaster rather than a technological advance.

Utopia resulted as a brainwashed society due to the restrictions taken after “The Nine Years War”. This got to the point where geographical surroundings were adapted just to match their new culture of casual sex, and history was destroyed to maintain the culture.