In Brave New World, the main theme of the problems of a technology-reliant utopia is discussed and developed via placing a savage (a member of the Savage Reservation) within the society of Brave New World. John, the savage, along with his mother, were taken to the 'civilised' society for research. Being from the Savage Reservation, they had no idea how technology could possibly change every single detail and defining moments of their lives.
In the Savage Reservation, happiness is acquired the means of which we people today do-doing what we like, spending time with our loved ones, building relationships. A key change to their perception and understanding of happiness came in the form of the happiness inducing drug soma. John's mother, upon being taken out of the Savage Reservation, soon fell ill. After a series of health checks, it was found that she had not much time remaining on earth.
Being in the Brave New World, where everyone is programmed to accept death and where death is nothing to fear, we see the protagonist's mother succumbing to the blissful experience of soma, whereby she no longer experienced any fear for death, but instead, pure bliss. It is in this pure bliss of his mother, where John was disgusted by the sheer superficiality of the people living in this society. Nurses and doctors that spoke to the mother showed no concern nor sympathy, but instead are like mere robots, accepting other people's death with no emotions attached.
Being an emotional creature he is, upon witnessing his mother's death as well as the coldness of the fellow human beings towards his mother's passing prompts John to try to force humanity from the workers by throwing their soma rations out a window. Without their soma, the workers found within themselves confusion and a sense of helplessness. They felt lost, and did not know what to do, for they were not programmed to react in such situations. They were merely programmed to follow their daily routine, and without soma, they find themselves unable to act.
However, peace and stability soon arrived in the form of loudspeakers chanting again and again the subliminal message implanted within the workers. Soma was quickly given out to the workers, and they soon felt safe, secure, and happy. John then retreated to a hermit life, only to be discovered by the society, intrigued by what a being with uncontrolled emotions can perform. John, in the presence of Lenina (a woman working in the 'human factory'), finally gave in to soma and sex, and the next morning, unable to accept himself yielding to drugs for pleasure, hangs himself.
- Data surveillance
- Human or machines?
- Part 1
- Part 2
- Part 3
- Human and animal experimentation
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