Junior 1101

11 Oct 2016

Applied Marxism in Brave New World

Have you ever heard the word dystopia? The dystopia refers to the world of

undesirable and frightening, it is the opposite of Utopia. It is usually built up with

dehumanization and totalitarian government. The one of the famous dystopia book of 20 th

century, Brave New World, presents a new term of dystopia. Aldous Huxley, the writer,

doesnt create undesirable community but he shifts the world into next 600 years where the

people are living with untrue happiness, under full control of government. In the future,

human are born from the factories where they are similar in both physical and mental. He

keeps the world stable with certain elements. Huxley uses Karl Marxs idea to build up the

civilization. The structure of society composed of compulsory roles, fair distribution of

commodities and religion.

Karl Marx, famous philosopher and revolutionary socialist, suggests that citizens

occupations should be assigned by the society, not by their own desire which is represented in

conditioning in the factories. People have been specified their jobs and social roles since they

are embryos in the incubators. There is no exception, everyone is from the Hatchery Center.

The Center will decide jobs and positions through special method to ensure that everyone

gets proper ability and they can work properly for the whole society. As the students are

visiting the Hatchery Center with Henry Foster and the director, they are passing conditioning

zone. By the time they were decanted the embryos had a horror of cold. They were

predestined to emigrate to the tropics, to be miners. (Huxley, p.12) Those people are

conditioned to be miners without a chance to ask. The society is choosing for them so they

can perform this roles in the civilization and gain benefit to all. By this way, there will be no

lack of labors and it will keep everyones benefit. This is one of the main structure that shapes

Brave New Worlds society, also as fair and free commodities.

 Fair distribution of commodities is used for eliminating commodity fetishism. The

value of objects are depended on social relationship but if that valuable things are given

freely and equally to everyone, those relationship will no longer have any affects and it is

possible for anyone to access. As Soma is one of the important drug for the people as it is

used to maximize their own happiness. The Soma distribution ensures that every citizen is

able to take and enjoy it. When John is visiting Park Lane Hospital, he sees a group of twins

lining up for the distribution. Soma distribution! shouted a loud voice.(Huxley, p.184) It

shows that the society providing its citizens Soma as it is the important commodities to

everyone. So if Soma is sold or prohibited, the chaos will appear due to high demand. The

fair distribution drives equality so that everyone is allowed to take Soma and no one will need

to fight for it. The distribution holds the whole societys stability as well as the religion, Ford.

In Karl Marx opinion, religion is the opium of the people and it is occasional escape

from painful reality but it is far away from true happiness. Ford is used to unite and hold the

society. In the book, Ford is their belief or their only religion. They believe in Henry Ford

who invented the first duplicating factories where are able to produce the exact products.

They refer to human factories which produce the similar human for the society. Ford holds

people together. They believe in him and honor he as the god who gives them pleasure and

stability. you all remember, I suppose, that beautiful and inspired saying of our Fords:

History is bunk. (Huxley, p.29) Says Mustapha Mond, one of the world controllers. He

expresses the quote from Ford as the word from god. He is talking with high caste students

who are visiting the Hatchery Center. It shows the strong opinion on Ford as their belief.

This single religion teaches citizens toward the same idea. It creates the standard for society

and holds them together.

Assigned position from the society, fair distribution and practicing Ford as religion

building up the civilization in Brave New World based on revolutionary socialist, Karl Marx.
Huxley uses Marxs ideas of socialism society but Huxley doesnt infer the exact same

Marxs society, he twists some and brings up the ideas into different appearance. Stability is

kept by those position, distribution and religion. Assigned positions give the society has

enough labor to run the whole civilization. Fair distribution carry out the equality of resource

accession. Religion holds people together on certain attitude. With applied Marxs concept,

the civilization succeeds to runs the worlds stability and fulfills their needs. Do you think

Marxism can be used in our society?