BRAVE NEW WORLD (Aldous Huxley)

Analytical Essay

Choose ONE of the following topics on which to write a thoughtful, well-developed essay analyzing Huxley’s novel. Create a strong thesis and offer persuasive evidence from the text (examples, citations) to support it. Note that we have also offered you possible approaches to the closing reflection (aka conclusion) of your essay.

1.In the futuristic society Huxley creates, London’s “brave new world” treats happiness as the highest good. To achieve that happiness, the society has instituted controls that guarantee stability and conformity – and consequently limit individual freedom. Is the security that Londoners have achieved worth trading for the freedom they lose? Examine various characters to respond to this topic.

Closing: Find contemporary parallels to further the stance your thesis takes

or offer your personal view on whether we have achieved a good balance between happiness and freedom.

2. John the Savage is the ultimate outsider wherever he goes. Compare the relative freedom and happiness of London and Malpais from John’s point of view. What qualities do these two societies have in common? How does each society treat nonconformists? How does each one condition its citizens? What are the advantages and drawbacks of belonging to each society? Ultimately, why is John’s experience of London so different from Linda’s memories – the lovely stories she has told him about life there?

Closing: Which of these cultures would you choose and why?

3.Explore the way(s) that women are portrayed in the novel through the roles they play, their attitudes, actions, relationships, and sense of self. While your focus is on the women in the novel, it may be useful to examine in what ways their roles and treatment differ from and/or parallel those of men. Consider issues such as women’s relative power, societal expectations, and rewards. Use a variety of characters to create a strong thesis.

Closing: Compare the roles and position of women in the novel to those in our multicultural societytoday.

4. In the words of Mustapha Mond, the World Controller for Western Europe, “People are happy; they get what they want, and they never want what they can’t get” (220). And a bit later he adds, “Our Ford himself did a great deal to shift the emphasis from truth and beauty to comfort and happiness. . . . Universal happiness keeps the wheels steadily turning; truth and beauty can’t” (228). Examine these two statements carefully, and build a thesis around this question: Are happiness and stability antithetical? Why or why not? Look at the two very different cultures Huxley presents to create your thesis and be sure to use the text to support your position.

Closing: Provide your own response to this philosophical question. Say why, from your experience in your own culture, they are or are not antithetical.

5. Brave New World makes use of several different types of language – tribal, scientific, everyday, and Shakespearean. How do they function to reveal characters, emotions, motives, attitudes, beliefs, and relationships in the novel? For instance, how does Shakespeare’s language contrast with London’s prose? What effect does language have on thought and morality in this novel?

Closing: How does language define you and shape your view of others?

Essay Requirements:

Introduction with clear, strong thesis

2-4 Strong Body Paragraphs

3-5 quotes (cited and analyzed)

Strong Conclusion

It can be typed or hand written.

Time:

You will have some class time Wednesday, all day Monday, and the essay will be due Wednesday, April 27.