In his very challenging and nightmarish novel Brave New World, Aldous Huxley creates a fictional world that prohibits truth. He creates a powerful character by the name of Mustapha Mond, the Resident Controller of this World State, a leader who protects all of Western Europes values. The fact that his title is Controller clearly shows how powerful he is and points to the main purpose of this brave new world: to be in command of all human lives, from the day they are born to their last breath. In fact, Monds significance is suggested in several ways: Mond, in French, means world. Huxley also creates John the Savage, an outsider whose purpose in the novel is to argue against Monds perception of the meaning of life as well as the societys organization. Since John did not originate from the World State, he distinctly goes against everything that Mond stands for. This World State has ten Controllers who maintain a world that is based on its own values.
Brave New World is a brilliant novel that demonstrates how true life can be forgotten and overpowered by technology. Technology, though useful in the world today,is,inthe novel,something that erases the true meaning of life: life is to be lived with pain and sadness. In Huxleys world, however, knowledge and technology are far more important than nature and God. Not only does this society erase biological nature, but it also takes away human nature from these civilians. People are manufactured rather than born and know nothing about what the true meaning of life is. An ultimate fear for the controllers is God, nature and pain which have beenbannedfrom their society. This world began after the assembly line was created by Henry Ford. Ford, in this novel, is their God and in their eyes, the reason for survival. Mondbeing the voice for Fordknows everything that goes on: he watchesthepeoplesevery move, listens to their every word and secretly knows everything about reality and its true history. These civilians, being so brainwashed, act only the way they were conditioned to act.Huxley makes Mustapha Mond a very intelligent yet dangerous man who chooses to control a world that is based on the maintenance of stability.The goal of this civilization is to have "universal happiness" by banishing all emotions of pain and depression. But this happiness is far too easy to have, which makes it meaningless. Mond controls a world that is based on false ideas, whose goal is to create a utopia. Huxley then brings in John, an outsider who knows about true life and goes against the ways of this society. He knows that life is nothing without nature, beauty and pain, the things that Mond has been asked to repel. I will demonstrate how Brave New World begins as a world that Mustapha Mond insists is steady and ideal, yet ends as a world that has no knowledge of true life: it becomes a tragic dystopia.
The Resident Controller for Western Europe!. . . Straight from the mouth of Ford Himself (34), the civilians state after Mustapha Mond mysteriously appears right before their eyes. His appearance seems too good to be true, for he is rarely seen. He is their leader as well as a kind of god. His appearance is powerful and frightful, for his personality is intimidating. His . . .strong deep voice (34) causes the peoples eyes to bulge out, which suggests his power. After arriving, Mond begins to tell the students that history makes no sense; it has been banned from this World State. He insists that the past is nonsense, and the strange rumors that he has old books like the Bible are not true. Though these rumors disturb these people, Mond quickly soothes their thoughts to prevent any distress.
In this scene, Mond helps the students to learn about this worlds purpose. His lessons reinforce the ideas that being a parent is pornographic and that people are better off being manufactured than born because they can live happy and healthy lives. He describes how having a home and living with a family is repulsive and something that no one should ever experience. The people are now conditioned to know that life is better when everyone belongs to everyone else. When he begins describing life with a family and a home, the students start to feel embarrassed and disgusted. The Controllers evocation was so vivid that one of the boys, more sensitive than the rest, turned pale at the mere description and was on the point of being sick (37). Not only is Monds description sickening but his voice, so frightful and overwhelming, adds more credibility to his presentation.
Mustapha Mond is a wall between the outside world and the World State. Throughout the novel, his task is to make the people of this world happy, but happiness that is based on what he wants. Since the civilians are conditioned from birth, believing in something that they were not taught is forbidden because it can cause unhappiness. Mond shows his society what it is based on: stability. This, however, is only part of his goal. Huxley then brings in several views of different conversations in which one of them, Mond declares, No civilization without social stability. No social stability without individual stability. . . The primal and ultimate need. Stability (42; 43). Mond insists that this society is close to perfect, when really it is simply a perfect disaster.
All through Brave New World Mond expresses the idea that universal happiness is what really matters. Apparently, happiness helps maintain stability and is the only emotion this society is permitted to feel, which makes it valueless. Huxleys next attempt to shock his readers is at this point, when Mond begins to show what this world is truly made of: Fortunate boys!. . .No pains have been spared to your lives emotionally easyto preserve you, so far as that is possible, from having emotions at all (44). This statement means that emotions are not a problem in this society simply because the sad emotions can be overpowered by taking a lovely and peaceful pill: Soma. Soma is a drug citizens use in order to feel constantly happy. If one ever feels remorse or sadness, Soma takes the pain away. Although the word Soma is a type of hallucinogen, significantly, in Greek, it means body which shows why it is so important throughout the novel. Soma takes over the body and the mind, which is why it is so powerful. The similarity between Soma and Mustapha Mond is also very interesting, for both exist to sooth and maintain stability.
According to Mond, Soma plays a big part in every persons life. In his deep and soothing voice, he claims that . . .if ever by some unlucky chance such a crevice of time should yawn in the solid substance of their distractions, there is always soma, delicious soma, half a gramme for a half-holiday, a gramme for a weekend, two grammes for a trip to the gorgeous East, three for a dark eternity of the moon. . . (56). Although happiness is something felt everyday, it is possible to suddenly feel depression; thats when soma plays its part. But how can one live life without feeling sadness? Is it even possible? According to Mustapha Mond, it most certainly is because of Soma. Although nature doesnt exist in this world, Soma in many ways is the closest to nature these people will get. It takes their minds to the gorgeous East, a place with plant life and beauty, and taking more Soma takes them even further: to a dark eternity, which merely means a deep sleep. Therefore, their escape from depression is by simply taking this drug and falling asleep, waking up the next day as if nothing happened, as if life is as perfect as the Soma dream.
Mustapha Mond is a very experienced Controller who knows everything. He does not let his world know about things like the Bible and the works of Shakespeare, which are all big parts of history. This world has no death, no tears, no pain and recycles our reality. This is when an important character by the name of John the Savage comes in. Mr. Savage is different from the rest of the society because he grew up in the outside world. His emotions and ideas are very different than the rest; in fact, he is the one that knows too much. His love for Shakespeare makes him question whether or not this world is even where he belongs. So you dont much like civilization, Mr. Savage (218), Mond asks after hearing how John feels about this society. John is very upset, for he doesnt understand how people can live without feeling upset or without knowing about God. Mond, on the other hand, admits the fact that in his world, There used to be something called God. . .God in the safe and Ford on the shelves (219). Through his words it is easy to see that these people have been alienated from nature and from their bodies and overtaken by technology. Mond acknowledges that the feelings that the Savage is experiencing are too high for this societys standards and that he doesnt belong in this world. He also argues that his purpose in this society is to make others happy which is something John doesnt accept.
Happiness is a hard masterparticularly other peoples happiness. A much harder master, if one isnt conditioned to accept it unquestionably, than truth (227), Mond admits, after seeing how interested in truth John is. His interest, however, is forbidden in this society and can ruin everything he and the other Controllers have worked so hard to maintain. Johns actions are out of the ordinary; Shakespeare and the Bible have shown him a world beyond this one and are the cause for his dislike of the World State. He wasnt conditioned like the others and wants to know why this society is the way it was. He wonders why things like Shakespeare and the Bible are banned and Mond tells him: We havent any use for old things here. . . We want them to like the new ones (219). It is obvious that old things might bring instability to this world. History is made up of wars, misery, sin and love, and the World State was purposely created to prevent them from occurring again. Mond insists that these new things are the reason this world is almost perfect. They endlessly repeat themselves so that the old ones dont return. Although Mustapha Mond doesnt agree with John, he admits that the Savage reminds him of himself. When Mond was younger he also knew too much about truth and now John will have to pay for it like he did: . . . paying because you happen to be too much interested in beauty. I was too much interested in truth; I paid too (228). Like John, Mond was also too interested in truth, yet his knowledge was something this World State needed. Mond had a choice: either to go to an island to pursue his love for science or become a Controller of this World State; he chose to maintain this society and felt it was the right thing to do. John, however, still doesnt understand why Mond would choose to manage a false world. He is still angered by the fact that happiness is acquired through a pill. Because Soma is such a big part of the civilians lives, it was as if this pill is, literally, their only hope in life.
Huxley purposely dedicates a lot of time near the end of the novel to Mustapha Monds very important conversation with John. Mond reveals many things about his society and most importantly, himself. I was a pretty good physicist in my time. Too goodgood enough to realize that all our science is just a cookery book, with an orthodox theory of cooking that nobodys allowed to question, and a list of recipes that mustnt be added to except by special permission from the head cook. Im the head cook now. . .I started doing a bit of cooking on my own. Unorthodox cooking, illicit cooking (226). When Mond was younger, he was too interested in truth but that knowledge got him nowhere. Mond knew that his illegal thoughts would only make things worse, so he gave up reality for security; he chose to sustain the happinessand it doesnt matter what type of happinessof others because this is what he wanted. Mond gave up his own freedom and decided to follow the ways of this world because his knowledge would be more useful. Johns love for beauty, on the other hand, began to grow into something more: a longing for something true. Mond knew that Mr. Savage wanted to be on his own and nothing he could say or do would be able to change John into believing what the others believe. Johns independence was too deep and Mond warned him that in this society Independence wont take you safely to the end (233). In fact, independence is what brings instability into the world. According to Mustapha Mond, if everyone were to do things on their own, there would be no use of a Controller.
Johns independence makes him feel alone, for he is the only character who experiences freedom and has knowledge of the real world. When he begins to wonder about God, Mond begins proving him wrong. John forgot that people in this society dont have a need to feel independent. Then Mustapha Mond makes an important announcement to John in his own defense: But people never are alone now, we make them hate solitude; and we arrange their lives so that its almost impossible for them to every have it (235). Societys purpose begins to fully reveal itself; these peoples lives are all planned out so feeling anything other than what they were manufactured to feel is almost impossible. Their conditioning was mainly based on hating the idea of being alone, which once again brings up the fact that if they did feel alone, there is Soma. In fact, Mond insists that soma is their religion, something one can always look up to: Christianity without tearsthats what soma is (238).
Mustapha Mond, though hiding his knowledge of reality from the society, begins to reveal the truth when speaking to John about why sadness is not necessary to feel. Mond believes that the reason for Johns emotions is the fact that he knows about the outside world and its history; he insists that this is essentially why his society doesnt have these feelings at all: it only causes unhappiness. Knowledge was the highest good, truth the supreme value; all the rest was secondary and subordinate. . . Universal happiness keeps the wheels steadily turning; truth and beauty cant (228), Mustapha Mond insists that Johns knowledge of truth will never get him far, especially not in this world. His words, however, only make John more certain of his convictions. What you need, is something with tears for a change. Nothing costs enough here (239), John argues. Because he has experienced the outside world, Johns emotions run deep. He knows that no matter what, no one can escape depression and reality; the entire point to life is to feel these emotions and learn to cope with them instead of taking a pill that only takes the pain away for a few hours. Happiness is something humans struggle to get rather than feeling it all the time, and thats what gives it value.
Getting rid of everything unpleasant instead of learning to put up with it. Whether tis better in the mind suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing end them. . . But you dont do either. Neither suffer nor oppose (238), John claims. After everything Mond has tried to explain, John still tries to show him that having troubles and sin is natural and something everyone should experience, for they make a person stronger. But these are the things that can break this society apart and cause the people to think for themselves, which is not something Mond or the other Controllers want. On the other hand, John believes that these are the things that made him who he is and Shakespeare and the Bible should be allowed in this world.
In Brave New World, nature is an ultimate fear for the Controllers because it can only lead to problems. Technology replaces nature in this world and it also replaces history, which means God, passion, sin and war. At the end of the novel, after revealing the truth to Johnwhich only sickened himMustapha Mond suggests that God can never create universal happiness; thats only the work of technology. Technology is the escape from sadness; it can make anything, from medicine to machinery, to help take away ones misery, unlike God, an entity that you cant see or talk to. But isnt it natural to feel theres a God? (234), John interrupts, after realizing that technology is not something that can make him happy. However, the actual problem is that in this world, it is not natural to feel anything because every person is conditioned to feel what he was taught. John deplores Monds values and says, If you allowed yourselves to think of God, you wouldnt allow yourselves to be degraded by pleasant vices. Youd have a reason for bearing things patiently, for doing things with courage (236). This once again brings up the main point: stability; having patience and being brave are values this society doesnt need because people are already happy with what they have. God and Shakespeare, on the other hand, are problems. Shakespeare writes about a world with war, love, passion, nature, and those are things that no one in this world can understand. Technology, however, is something they can all relate to as well as rely on. According to Mustapha Mond, God cannot come and help someone when he is in need, but technology always can; it brings them comfort and sense. Because Johns life is based on Shakespeare and a sense of God, being in this World State only makes him more alienated in a false and unbearable world. Monds reasons cause John to hate himself. After the Savage leaves Mustapha Mond, he tries to create some type of nature within this society, but realizes that it would never be appreciated or understood. He begins to beat himself because he feels as if he is the sin. His sadness and hatred led him to an unnatural death: suicide.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley is a wonderful novel that shows how life can lose its value. Our world is the opposite from that of Brave New World. We have wars and sadness but they make us who we are. What kind of world would we live in if everything was perfect? Would that be life at all? Reading this novel makes one think about how certain emotions define a person and that escaping them is not possible. Mustapha Mond plays a very important role in this novel for he defends the idea of brainwashing people and erasing the meaning of life. He insists that technology can overpower nature and this idea fundamentally changes our reality, our beliefs and truth. Having your own mind is forbidden in the world of Brave New World and is what beings naturally need. Although this world has many escapes from reality like Soma, it can not completely banish human emotions. No matter how powerful technology is, it can never replace the one thing that makes humans human: a soul.
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