Aldous Huxley

The current society that we live in today is full of problems such as world hunger, (as mentioned by Aldous Huxley in the respect of possible shortages in food due to overpopulation), war, and pollution. Can these problems ever be fixed? Are Aldous Huxley’s claims and views just around the corner? I believe that these problems will and already have taken great toll on the world. Immense amounts of pollution are leading to the greenhouse effect. Polar ice caps are melting and certain species of animals are becoming extinct. Millions of people die each year die due to shortages of food as stated by Huxley. Can you remember the last time you saw one of those commercials where an older man is holding a malnourished child in another country whom then asks you to sponsor that child? I personally see these commercials every time I turn the television on. If these problems are not corrected fast I do believe that humanity could someday evolve into a totalitarian world full of problems such as starvation and mind control.

In class video (aldous Huxley)

This interview was taped at the height of the Cold War and which Huxley saw as an increasing time of tension in the world which could ultimately arise in global problems such as totalitarian control. To be more exact, Huxley saw overpopulation as a disaster that was lurking just around the corner. Huxley argued that increasing populations would place extra pressure on existing resources such as coal and agricultural necessities like food. In his interview Wallace asks “Well, what are these forces and these devices, Mr. Huxley?” Huxley replies “I should say that there are two main impersonal forces… This is the force which in general terms can be called overpopulation, the mounting pressure of population pressing upon existing resources.” Huxley then says “let's just take a simple fact that between the time of birth of Christ and the landing of the May Flower, the population of the earth doubled. It rose from two hundred and fifty million to probably five hundred million.” Mike Wallace then asks “Well, why should overpopulation work to diminish our freedoms?” Huxley basically responds by saying that people in the world have less to eat and less goods per capita than they had fifty years ago due to the problem of overpopulation. This correlates with what was said above regarding that growing populations would place pressure on existing resources.

Brave New World (Qoute)

The quote below stood out to me. I feel like this quote is in a way "drama". When i read this quote it just reminds me of all of the people that are in relationships in the world and all of the drama that seems to be associated with them.

"But it's absurd to let yourself get into a state ... like this. Simply absurd," she repeated. "And what about? A man – one man."
"But he's the one I want."
"As though there weren't millions of other men in the world."
"But I don't want them."
"How can you know till you've tried?"
"I have tried."


This quote makes it sound like Lenina's desire for John is a simple case of wanting what you can't have. If she really loved him, she probably wouldn't be sleeping with "dozens" of other men like she does. Knowing how Lenina is throughout the book you could also suggest that she sleeps around with so many guys because it is her way of dealing with emotion.

A Brave New World

Incredible to think this science-fiction book by Huxley was first published in 1932. It seems like such a long time ago but yet still prevails in today's society as a "good read". A Brave New World portrays a future where happiness is the universal goal of human society. Total happiness is achieved by the removal of art, science, and religion, and maintained by technology, conditioning, sex, and drugs. The novel gets emotional when a 'savage' raised at a primitive reservation in the desert Southwest enters the civilized world. The contrasts of the two worlds become apparent following the adventures of the savage in his new environment.

My favorite character so far i would have to say would be Mustapha Mond, the World Controller for Western Europe, as I loved the Inner Party member O'Brien in Nineteen Eighty-Four. These patriarchal characters, who have given up their own convictions, hope and happiness for the sake of society are the best plotted.
It is not difficult to see the society of Brave New World coming to pass. Biological engineering and social instruction, to some extent, are increasingly affecting everyday life. We must all ask ourselves, will we seek progress and consumption for their own sake? How do we maintain our humanity in an increasingly networked world?

1984 Conclusion to a Great book

I cannot stress this enough. I really enjoyed this book. I have said this again and again in before posts but it is true. The first thing that comes to mind when i read this book is i think of a communist society such China or how Germany used to be before the fall of the Berlin wall. I went to China 2 years ago and it was scary in a way. If you try and go on the internet you cant. The government only allows you to go on websites such as News sites or General public Information. If you try and go on facebook or something like that a message comes up saying that you are being blocked. That is strange and scary to me that the government constantly monitors your information. It seems like a terrible place and a place that i wish to never live in. Living in a totalitarian society like the one of Oceania would be unbearable for me. I would never be able to live in a society like this. I myself have no regard for authority. I feel like almost all my life i have been screwed over by the police for stupid things when i was younger. Now that i am older i have learned to keep my head straight. I have been pulled over before for going 41 in a 35 and have been put at gunpoint to get out of the car at 1 o'clock pm. Now really??? What is that about... Things like that really piss me off and thus contribute to my lack of regard for authority.

I feel as if Shippensburg University in a way has a sort of Communistic control over its students. By this i mean the following. Second semester last year i had my final exam on the last Friday of school. My exam was at 8 am so i decided to drive to the cub at 7 am and get some breakfast and study for a bit. I come out of the cub at 7:35 to move my car and BAM! I have a ticket for OVERTIME PARKING. I would like to add that there was only 2 other cars in the lot because it was the last day of school and No ONE is even on campus anymore. I received a $30 ticket for parking 4 minutes overtime. After my exam i drove to the police station and argued my case, explaining what the situation was and that it wasnt a big deal. But OH NO!!! it WAS a big deal to them. I didnt have the money to pay for the ticket so Ship uni Police put a hold on my account until i paid it. With this hold on my account it basically meant i was not allowed to schedule for classes for next year. Now in my opinion i DO NOT think it is right for the Uni Police to do that. To me that is saying if you dont pay this stupid parking ticket you CANNOT come back and fulfill your college career. If you do not pay this ticket we wont let you come back to school. That is basically what they are saying. So long story short the school basically screwed me over. I couldnt register for my classes. When i finally was able to i didnt get any classes i wanted and it put me a semester behind. REALLY????? Basically Ship Police are saying that if you do not pay a stupid parking ticket you cant schedule your classes. That is sooooooo dam wrong. Stupid things like this make me think of 1984. A total communistic rule. If you don't do this then we will punish you.

I would never be able to live in a society such as the one in 1984. I would rather go down in a hail of gunfire then put up with that bullshit. I hate authority and as Justin Stine said in his blog

"I would have to say that I would stockpile a bunch of weapons and go down fightin in a blaze of glory if I was a person living in the world that this novel portrayed." (Justin Stine)

I completely agree with him. I would do the same exact thing then live in a totalitarian society where i am constantly being watched and told what to do. I would go insane. All in all the book wrapped up well. I cant add any other comments about the book because i simply loved it and that is something that is rare for me to say. I hardly ever read unless i have to. I have a hard time finding books that interest me and this one truly sparked my interest.

Now i know i just ranted above about SHIP police etc but DO NOT even get me started about the parking ticket i got the other day because my front right tire was 1 GOSH DAM inch on the DAM grass!!!!!. $30 ticket because 1/4 of my front right tire was 1 inch on the grass..... REALLLY?????????? Ok i better get off my computer before i break it.

In conclusion i would never be able to live in a communistic society and i loved this book!

George Orwells 1984

Without a doubt this book is extremely popular among readers. I chose to read this book because I had read it before whilst in high school. Now as you can imagine when i was back in high school I was not exactly fond of reading but this book really allowed me to stretch out and enjoy what literature has to offer. George Orwell's 1984 takes place in three roughly equal groups. Eastasia, Eurasia, and Oceania. George Orwell's 1984 is set in Oceania, which includes the United Kingdom, where this story is set, known as Airstrip One. Oceania is operated by a totalitarian society where the federal serviceman have complete /power over the inhabitants. The people of Oceania are subjected to 24 hour surveillance via telescreens. These people are constantly being watched and must also be careful not to commit a thought crime. A thought crime is when a inhabitant of Oceania can be arrested for just "thinking" about a conducting a crime. This goes to show that privacy is no longer a known word.

The main character in this story is named Winston. Winston despises the totalitarian rule over the people. He is a weak, frail, thin, and almost malnourished minor member of the ruling party. The inhabitants of Oceania are constantly reminded that "Big Brother is Watching YOU". This slogan is Oceania's primary means of propaganda. This slogan goes to show how little privacy there actually is. These posters are littered everywhere, set as a reminder for anyone who may even think about committing a crime. Big Brother is constantly watching you. Big Brother never actually appears in the Novel as a real person. So as far as i am concerned he may not actually exist at all but rather serves as a mental scare for the people of this totalitarian society. Big Brother is the perceived ruler of Oceania. His face is plastered everywhere bearing the message "Big Brother is Watching YOU". He makes you think twice before you do anything and i mean anything. One cannot even "think" about a crime. This goes to show how strict Oceania is.

All in all i really do like this book. It is extremely hard for me to find a piece of literature that actually envelops me. This book does this quite well. Except for Big Brother the characters seem very believable and very realistic. I also liked the part where O'Brian makes Winston confront his biggest fear of all; strapping a cage full of rats onto Winston's face. I thought it was funny how he wanted Julia to do it instead of himself. I also like the idea of how Winston and Julia met. Julia slips Winston a note that says "I love you" and from there their relationship begins. There relationship must be a secret. If any of the party leaders find out they risk punishment.

If a society like this were to actually exist it would be very scary. One must also think whether or not our U.S. Government is already doing this. I personally do not feel like i am being watched but you never know. The Government could be tapping everyone's phone and you would never know it.

Lastly, the question i ask is "Do you think that our current Government will ever one day become this strict?"

EXTRA CREDIT (Without a Cell Phone) PART 3 of 3

So here I am. Its week 3. I have learned to accept the fact that communication is coming to a halt. In weeks 2 post I spoke about my alternative activities one which was sitting in my room and doing absolutely nothing. Week 3 i realized that this was not a good option. I am naturally a very active person so i thought hey! why not start going back to the gym? Week 3 was a marking point for the gym. 3 days a week and cardio in between is more than enough. I also focused on eating healthier. While on the computer starring at facebook waiting for a friend to log in i began researching healthier eating habits etc. Week 3 of being phone less actually proved to be a good thing. Between going to the gym more, eating healthier, and actually doing my homework how could this not be a good thing. My friends began to accept the fact that i didnt have a phone thus backed out my life.

Living without a phone for 3 weeks was at first terrible but in the end bearable. What i learned from this experience is that we are so dependent on technology. It runs our lives. In a way this is sad. What happened to sending letters and face to face conversations? These types of communications have a certain emotional attraction. Sending someone a text message lacks a certain inner emotional connection between you and the person you are talking to. All in all i learned to deal with being without a phone. It was extremely hard at first but easy in the end. In a way i enjoyed this extra credit assignment. In a way it helps you find who you are inside and helps you stray from becoming reliant on technology as a means of communication.