Nick Gabel

April 31st, 2010

English 162

1984 and Brave New World: Similar, Yet Distinct

Nineteen Eighty-four describes a world full of hatred, horror and oppression, while Brave New

World is about a world filled with love, enjoyment and desire. The two books are like two different

entrances of a maze, one is called totalitarianism and collectivism, and the other is called anarchism and

individualism. Although the paths are distinct, they all lead the only exit of the maze: the ending of

society. Under the different surfaces of the two dysfunctional worlds, both of the novels have some

same principles.

In Nineteen Eighty-four, the totalitarianism Oceania, this problem is solved by wars. 'War is

peace' is one of the Nation's maxims, and it is also explained detailed in Goldstein's book The Theory

and Practice of Oligarchic Collectivism. Wars are daily affairs in Oceania, against Eastasia or Eurasia,

although there is no reason or ideological difference. The meaning of wars only comes to long-term lack

of consumptions. The importance of wars, as expounded in Goldstein's book, is to try to run out of the

machine products without raising the general standard of living.

In Brave New World, the anarchic World Nation, this problem is solved by over-consuming. It

has become a virtue in World Nation, as people are taught 'Ending is better than mending' and 'more

stitches fewer riches’ during hyponopaedia. As most products are consumed in a wasting way, there is

no need to worry about over-sufficient products.

In Nineteen Eighty-four, science is described as a thinking habit and a continuous memory.

Science is based on logic. In an oppressive nation, such as Oceania all things are under strong control,

there is no history. The ideas must not be in a line; they are required to be dots. Therefore, there is no
need for a road for ideas, no need for logic, no need for science.

In Brave New World, science means disruptive change. World Nation requires stability, but not

truth. Science is always going forward, which cannot be in a stable situation, and does harm to the

establishment. Science also presents truth, which is considered as a hint to happiness. Happiness is easy

and cheap, but truth is not, and to chase truth is companied with confusion and astonishment.

Nineteen Eighty-four and Brave New World demonstrate the harm of science in sensibility and

sensuality. Nowadays, science is referred to as the highest virtue, as Socrates' insisted. In Nineteen

Eighty-four, the principal of the world is living, while in Brave New World it is expressive happiness.

In Nineteen Eighty-four, the structure of society is pyramidal. From the top, there are Big

Brother, Inner Party members, Outer Party members and Proles. The Party uses both materials and

thoughts to control each class. For the Proles, the Party makes them so poor that they don't have time

and desire to think about other things besides living. The entertainment they need is poor cheap and

easy. The Party has an apartment to compose pulp songs and novels for Proles. For Party members,

there are Ministry of Love and Ministry of Truth taking charge of them. Every individual's life is under

24-hour two-way surveillance. Any action or idea against the Party will be found immediately.

Thoughtcrime is extremely severe in Oceania; it leads to arrest, torture and conversion.

In Brave New World, classifying is not as complicated as it is in Nineteen Eighty-four. In World Nation,

classifying has done as soon as the babies were born, as reproductive technology and sleep-learning are

common. Since the babies are born, they are conditioned to be alpha, beta, gamma, delta or epsilon.

Alpha is the highest caste, which is the smartest and strongest, and epsilon is the lowest. Different

castes have altered works which are suitable for their conditioning. There is no envy on others' caste,

because everyone has accepted that their caste is the best during hypnopaedia.
` Why there must be classes in society? It is against our common knowledge again. Equality is the

aim we are pursuing. Through the books, George Orwell and Aldous Huxley told us that equality is

impossible.

In Nineteen Eighty-four, George Orwell clarified the necessity of classes in Goldstein's book in

the Chapter of 'Ignorance is strength'. There have been three classes of people, the upper ones,

mediums and lower ones, since the civilization began and the history is made up of the fight for power

among three classes. In an oligarchic country, to maintain the Party's dominance is the most important

thing. The key to keep predominant is not hereditary between father and son, but the continuous of the

worldview and life style. To keep the social structure stable is the most significant thing.

In Brave New World, Mustapha Mond, the Resident World Controller for Western Europe, told a failed

experiment on Cyprus to make Alpha double plus live together. The result was 19 out of 22 thousand

alphas were killed, and the 3 thousand left requested to go back to the society. There are all kinds of

jobs in the society, some are nice and some are not. To let an intelligent alpha do stupid epsilon's work

is against his conditioning. In a society, the jobs are not equal, but people are equal; there are problems

apparently. As there is good and bad in people's mind, there must be alphas and epsilons.

Since the Enlighten movements, equality has become an instinct inside us. How to diminish this instinct?

The key is education. (Bloom 20)

In Nineteen Eighty-four, there are doublethinking and newspeak to rule people's thoughts. The

way to rule thoughts is cruel, that the Oceania took the punishing method. Who act against the rules,

which is called thoughtcrime, will face arrest, torture and conversion. The conversion is the most

harmful one; it makes you give up your own brain but accept the brain the Party wants you to have, just

like Winston Smith, after he was out from Room 101, he is not Winston Smith any more, he is just a man

with the Party's brain. The Party's brain is the most powerful. Therefore, ignorance is strength.

In Brave New World, it is soft and tender. The sleep-learning starts before the formation of individual's
mind. That you do not need a brain, the government will give you one which suits you best. And, that is

your identity.

In Nineteen Eighty-four, this should be described in Goldstein's third Chapter 'Freedom is

Slavery'. Before Winston Smith covered this chapter, he was arrested because of his intellectual

rebellion against the Party and illicit romance with Julia; and his consequent is imprisonment,

interrogation, torture, and re-education by the Thinkpol in the Miniluv. After conversion, Winston Smith

'died', the man is not Winston any more, but a party brain holder.

In Brave New World, Helmholtz Watson and Bernard Marx were like Winston, they all have different

thoughts. Helmholtz Watson was lucky, he did not have to be brainwashed, and he was expelled to an

isolated island where he can develop his mind freely without spreading it and being harmful to society.

In Nineteen Eighty-four, individuals are trivial, only the Party is valuable. Freedom to an individual is

happiness, but this kind of freedom is meaningless and tender. The Party is seeking for a perpetual and

strong freedom. Under this freedom, there is no difference between liberty and slavery, and that is the

most powerful conception. To realize this strong freedom, individual must sacrifice own happiness.

In Brave New World, this is explained more lenient than in Nineteen Eighty-four. Living in lies is happy,

so there is no need for truth. Happiness is the only thing in World Nation. John, Mr. Savage, is requiring

the rights to be unhappy, and died. Nobody really hurt him, but he, himself, was squeezed by the

dysfunctional world.

Both worlds are built after World Wars. The new social system is avoiding destroy in some ways.

And here comes a question, to be living or to have life if they are contradicting.