This term paper is supposed to deal with how love and sex are depicted in “Brave New World” and “1984”, and if there are any similarities between them. Furthermore we will take a brief look at differences and similarities to love and sex in our society. What is the attitude towards marriage these days? And what is the role of love in all of that? After this we will then hopefully be able to identify what love and sex in dystopian fiction means.
Ever since Thomas More’s “Utopia” love and sex have been a part of dystopian novels. In Thomas More’s times his depictions were ground breaking. Women were not allowed to marry until they were 18. In the past this was highly unusual, since most women married at the age of around 14. Furthermore divorce is forbidden, which, at this point, mirrors the time More lived in. This clearly influenced all the following writers of dystopian novels. They imagine a world that is negatively silhouetted against their own world. And since love is a big part of every society it is also a big part in every dystopian society.
When looking for “the most famous dystopian novels” on Google, two that are immediately suggested are "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley and "1984" by George Orwell. Both have one thing in common: their rather negative and, for us, rather unusual attitude towards love, relationships and sex.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. LOVE AND SEX IN OUR SOCIETY
3. USAGE OF LOVE AND SEX
3.1 BRAVE NEW WORLD
3.2 NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR
4. CONCLUSION
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This paper examines the depiction and functional role of love and sexuality within the dystopian novels Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and 1984 by George Orwell, contrasting these fictional portrayals with contemporary societal norms and relationship dynamics.
- Analysis of love as a stabilizing or destabilizing force in totalitarian regimes.
- Examination of reproductive control and state-mandated social engineering.
- Comparison of "erotic love" versus state-sanctioned patriotic loyalty.
- Evaluation of Maslow's hierarchy of needs in the context of dystopian alienation.
- Investigation into the impact of conditioning, surveillance, and suppression on human intimacy.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 BRAVE NEW WORLD
There are a few controversial concepts in the Brave New World. One place in which a lot of these things happen is the “Hatchery and Conditioning Centre” (Huxley 1). The centre replaces what most of us could not imagine living without - a family. Dozens of identical embryos are produced in bottles on a conveyor belt. They call it the “Bokanovsky’s Process” (Huxley 3), making “eight to ninety-six” (Huxley 3) eggs out of one original egg. The way in which the embryos are treated in their bottles in the Hatchery determines to which castes they will belong. This process is only used for the lower castes. The Alphas and Betas are, in some way, individuals. At least they do not have up to 189 identical brothers and sisters (cf. Huxley 6).
The bottle within which the embryos grow replaces the body of a woman, offering the perfect conditions. No need for a real mother. Furthermore the centre undertakes all the basic tasks of a family: raising, educating and feeding the children.
But the people of the Brave New World would never compare their beloved centre to a family. To them the words “parent”, “mother”, “father” and “born” are something unpleasant (“In brief […] the parents were the father and the mother. […] These […] are unpleasant facts; I know it. But, then, most historical facts are unpleasant.” Huxley 19). At one point Mustapha Mond wants the students to overthink “[…] what ‘living with one’s family meant” (Huxley 30). To him family and home meant “No air, no space; an understerilized prison; darkness, disease, and smells.” (Huxley 31)
Chapter Summaries
1. INTRODUCTION: Outlines the premise that love is viewed as a threat to stability in dystopian literature, contrasting this with its central role in human society.
2. LOVE AND SEX IN OUR SOCIETY: Explores current psychological and sociological perspectives on relationships, marriage, and the human need for intimacy.
3. USAGE OF LOVE AND SEX: Investigates how the two novels manipulate, commodify, or prohibit emotional and physical intimacy to maintain social control.
3.1 BRAVE NEW WORLD: Analyzes the use of technology, conditioning, and the drug soma to replace authentic human connection with state-managed stability.
3.2 NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR: Examines the prohibition of private affection in Oceania, where loyalty is redirected toward Big Brother through surveillance and torture.
4. CONCLUSION: Synthesizes findings, suggesting that while dystopian worlds aim to eradicate deep individual bonds, the inherent human need for connection remains a source of conflict and potential resistance.
Keywords
Dystopia, Brave New World, 1984, Love, Sex, Stability, Conditioning, Surveillance, Totalitarianism, Relationships, Intimacy, Soma, Big Brother, Maslow, Alienation
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper explores how love and sex are depicted in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World and George Orwell's 1984, and how these portrayals compare to contemporary societal values.
What are the central themes discussed?
The core themes include the use of mind control, the function of sexuality as either a tool for stability or a catalyst for rebellion, and the biological necessity of human attachment.
What is the primary research objective?
The goal is to identify how dystopian societies manipulate emotional bonds to ensure state stability and whether these fictions offer a critique of our own social realities.
Which scientific methods are employed in the analysis?
The author utilizes a comparative literary analysis, incorporating sociological theories, psychological frameworks like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and historical context regarding social norms.
What topics are covered in the main body of the paper?
The body analyzes the technological production of humans and the drug-induced happiness in Brave New World, versus the state-enforced celibacy and surveillance-driven repression in 1984.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include Dystopia, Love, Conditioning, Surveillance, Stability, and Intimacy.
How does the author define the role of 'soma' in Brave New World?
Soma is depicted as a tool for social stability that fakes intimacy and warmth, effectively numbing the population to prevent the suffering inherent in natural human emotional experiences.
Why is the concept of 'arranged marriage' relevant to the analysis of 1984?
The author uses the arranged marriage in 1984 as a critique of historical and modern practices where the primary purpose is reproduction rather than emotional fulfillment, aligning with the Party’s goal of eliminating personal attachments.
What role does the character 'John the Savage' play in the overall argument?
John serves as a crucial point of contrast; his Shakespearean worldview highlights the inhumanity of the World State, ultimately leading to his tragic end because he cannot reconcile his values with the society he enters.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Lena Gräf (Autor:in), 2015, Love and Sexuality in Dystopian Fiction. An Analysis of "Brave New World" and "Nineteen Eighty-Four", München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/319788
