Orwell’s prophecy would have been much more likely to become reality many years ago when hateful and vicious dictators were more prevalent. I think, today, we are less likely to be ruled by an external force. In agreement with Postman, I believe Huxley’s prediction for the world is much more relevant.
Drugs are a growing problem in the world today. One can not watch television without seeing commercials for weight loss pills, male enhancement pills, or physical enhancement supplements. These are just the legal drugs that are being bought by millions of hopeful people. There are still tons of illegal drugs being bought and sold that are said to enhance the body or ease the mind. These different types of drugs are especially common in the United States. We are becoming dependant on drugs, legal and illegal, to solve our problems. It would seem that we are moving closer to the society depicted in Brave New World that is ruled by soma.
Using various pills and powders to attempt to enhance appearance is not enough for many people. Plastic surgery is becoming increasingly common. Genetic engineering for superficial purposes other than trying to eliminate dangerous diseases is beginning to rear its ugly head. We are becoming an appearance-obsessed society. Using genetic engineering, parents are choosing physical characteristics such as eye color, hair color, and height for their babies. This could rapidly advance towards manufacturing similar looking babies in bottles as in Brave New World. People would lose their individuality by achieving what they believe to be cosmetic perfection and would learn to “adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think” (Postman).We would be moving towards creating babies specifically for certain occupations and certain social classes.
Shortly before the turn of the century, sex was open and casual. Fortunately, this phase faded when STD’s and STI’s became an increasing issue. But today, sex has once again become a bit more casual. It is spreading to much younger ages. Promiscuity is unbelievably common in high schools and even middle schools. It is a problem that will be hard to tame. If sex becomes as casual as it once was, our society could become much like the one in Brave New World. Open and approved sex could become a way of relieving sexual tension. Intercourse could become the “polite” thing to do.
Being eventually ruled by an oppressive dictator seems a bit far-fetched. Orwell’s predictions for the future are not as likely as Huxley’s. Already, bits and pieces of Huxley’s prophecy are being exhibited in our world today. It has not taken us very long to advance to where we are today technologically in terms of science and drugs. It is possible that an oppressed and controlled world could lie ahead of us in the future.
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3 comments:
Heyy...nice post :) I like how you point out how today drugs are available for EVERYTHING. The fact that we are so quick to turn to drugs, legal and illegal, opitomizes the potential horrors of self-destruction that Huxley emphasises in Brave New World. In Huxley's dystopia, people were their own worse enemies, which is so true. The government can only oppress individuals so much- when it comes down to it, our lives are in our own hands, and sometimes knowledge is danger.
I like your statement "intercourse could become the polite thing to do." I think I may have acutally laughed. It's sad to think that emotion can be dragged out of an act that is meant to be driven my emotions. I think Huxley and Orwell see sex similarly-an escape. Except in Orwell's world it was a rebellious escape, where in Huxley's world is was an escape from everyday life through physical feeling.
I took the same stance as you in my blog, however I'm not sure that I would say "we are less likely to be ruled by an external force." While you and I may see the US government one way, some people fear the growing power of the government. Many see the government invading too much into the personal lives of the citizens, and with a dictatorship only 90 miles away from American soil in Cuba, external forces are seen as a threat to many people.
good job!
I really like how you identified the prevalance of drugs and products in today's society. I think it to be really a shame how we as people of a society prioritize such trivial things such as appearances. I think that if we eliminated things such as importance put on appearances and material goods, then society could run more peacefully and purely. People would live life for themselves, and not devote their time to pleasing others.
Trapshootinggirl,
I agree. It is sad how much emphasis our society places on appearance and if we eliminated that, I also think we could lead happier lives. Unfortunately, I think we are in a bit too deep. It seems to be only getting worse as technology improves and time goes on. :/
Elle,
You're right. To some, the government is a growing problem. This is why I believe it would be unlikely for us to be eventually ruled and controlled by an external force as in 1984. Many people do not trust the government and are not supportive of its expansion into our lives. If a political figure tried to gain too much control, I do not think they would succeed because so many citizens would disapprove and rebel.
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