Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Brave New World Response 2

1. How does John feel about the "new world"?
When John first meets Bernard, he is amazed by what he tells him about London and wants to learn more about the "brave new world" (Huxley Chapter 8). When Bernard asks him to go back to London with him, John's face lights up, and he says, "Do you really mean it?...To think it should be coming true-what I've dreamt of all my life," (Huxley Chapter 8). This shows his appeal to London and his wonders about it. When he finally goes, I believe that he still likes it, but questions alot of things about it. For example when the boys and girls are watching videos about savages (like John is at home), John asks, "But why do they laugh?" (Huxley Chapter 11). He says this in pain almost, and at this point I think his view turns from good to bad.

2. How does Bernard view John?
I believe that Bernard views John as a tool to lead him to popularity in his society. When Bernard brings John to London, it gets him out of being sent to Iceland AND gets him friends and girls. When Bernard talks to Helmholtz, he says, "And I had six girls last week," he confided to Helmholtz Watson. "One on Monday, two on Tuesday, two more on Friday, and one on Saturday. And if I'd had the time or the inclination, there were at least a dozen more who were only too anxious …" (Huxley Chapter 11) These girls came to him as a result of being able to see the savage, which is John. Later, when John refuses to come to the party, Bernard starts begging.
"'Just to please me,' Bernard bellowingly wheedled. "Won't you come to please me?"
           'No.'


'Do you seriously mean it?'
           'Yes.'


Despairingly, 'But what shall I do?' Bernard wailed." (Huxley Chapter 12)
At this point, Bernard is pleading with John, and we can see how Bernard NEEDS John.

3. How does Lenina feel about Bernard after her date with John?
Lenina isn't too happy in my opinion about Bernard after the date with John. She might be angry with Bernard for bringing John over. If John hadn't been brought over, then her heart may have not been broken.
"It was at this moment that Bernard had made his announcement; the Savage wasn't coming to the party. Lenina suddenly felt all the sensations normally experienced at the beginning of a Violent Passion Surrogate treatment–a sense of dreadful emptiness, a breathless apprehension, a nausea. Her heart seemed to stop beating." (Huxley Chapter 12). In this scene, we can see how Lenina reacts when Bernard says that John isn't going to be at the party. I believe that she is trying to find someone to put her grief, and could possibly be planning for it to be Bernard.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Brave New World Response 1

Equality and conformity are created by the World State making everybody equal in their castes without choice; it is done at birth. The author writes, "'The lower the caste,' said Mr. Foster, "the shorter the oxygen [given to the fetus] (28)." This shows how it is not up to the person what their life, it is up to the World State. By making a uniform set of "unwritten" rules, everyone is the same. Since people are deadlocked into the present, as "History is bunk" Huxley writes (47), they go with what is known then, leading to no individualism. The above reasons show the society was a dystopia.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

East v. West

1. The West views the east as sinful and barbaric almost, in a sense.They don't live hight quality lives; they live horrible lives and don't even notice it. However, the West also views the East as exotic, mystical, and seductive.
2. It means that nobody thinks or themselves; they do what everyone else does without any input for what they think.
3. Their actions are determined by instinctive emotions and racial considerations rather than individual status or concious choices.
4. It makes the West look angelic almost, who are pure and holy in everything they do. Creating a comon enemy benefits a group of people because it makes them seem better.
5. I don't think that this view still exists because we have made better amends with Africs (even though not so much the Middle East).

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

1984 Response 3

I do believe that Big Brother has won, because at the end of book it says, "He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother (245)". This shows how Winston wasn't a traitor against Big Brother anymore, and he loved him because of it.
A way how the One State can be brought down is by an entire revolt by the people. If there was a revolt by ALL the people, then they could outnumber and overrun the members of the Party who were "leaders" of the society, especially if the proles led the revolt. The book mentions that "If there was hope, it must lie in the proles, because only there, in those swarming disregarded masses, eighty-five per cent of the population of Oceania, could the force to destroy the Party ever be generated. The Party could not be overthrown from within (60)". This shows how the only plan that could work would be a mass outside revolt.
At the end of the novel, I believe that Winston has finally fully succumbed to the Party, without even realizing how bad that was. I think that he believes that he finally found the light, and it was in Big Brother. In one of his dreams, author George Orwell writes that "He was back in the Ministry of Love, with everything forgiven, his soul white as snow (244)" This shows how he had changed, and for the better in his mind, as his soul wasn't darkened by his previous thoughts against Big Brother and the Party.