Journal #1 - Brave New World

In Brave New World, there are varying motifs like the word pneumatic and sleep-taught phrases that define the society. Pneumatic is an adjective that is used to describe both women and furniture, meaning curvy in shape. The use of this word to describe these things shows that sex is placed at the same level as furniture, a product. This placement resembles the idea that this society is a whole, uniform being. The fact that everyone belongs to everyone else, as shown by turning sex into a commodity, means that there really is no individuality in this society. Sleep-taught phrases appear in every chapter as "common-sense". These phrases are repeated to the population as they are sleeping, to the point where the phrases become etched into everyone's memory, much like old nursery-rhymes, except much more significant. For example, children are taught in their sleep that "ending is better than mending," which is used to cause consumerism by giving them thee mindset of always buying new clothes (54). These phrases symbolize the way that the government dictates what society should be. Each phrase has a purpose, like keeping social classes apart and increasing consumption of products in the market. Through sleep-taught phrases, the government is able to carefully control every aspect of society.

The book takes place in the future, primarily Great Britain, but is not limited to just Great Britain. The continent or country is not very significant, but rather the actual building or area. The beginning takes place in a building that can be described as a hatchery, except for humans. This place by itself tells of the way that society is in the novel. In the Hatchery and Conditioning Centre, as it is called, one learns of the way a human is conceived and "born", from a test tube. One learns of the process of making batches of identical humans, up to 96 of the same baby, a processed way of having twins. One also learns of the steps taken place each of these groups into social classes. This whole process shows the predetermination of groups by the government, and also shows the lack of individuality the society has.

The language itself is not strange. But there are some peculiarities, like strange names that are given to new products. The most interesting peculiarities would be the taboo subjects that are in this society's language. For instance, father hold comical connotations, because babies are not born anymore, and anyone being a father or relying on a father is absurd. Mother is worse. The word mother holds connotations of absolute disgust, for the idea of having a baby is unimaginable in this society. This disgust is reflected by the Director explanation to children that "the parents [of children] were the father and the mother. [...] These are unpleasant facts, I know" (32). These new taboo subjects might contradict the idea of individuality, if one does not have parents to care for them and take care of themselves, but in this novel, the youth are all still cared for by government agents. These taboo subjects actually show the sacrifices that humanity must make in order to obtain happiness. To obtain happiness, society needed to dispel any obligations to anything, and therefore eliminate things like war. If one does not have anything to love and fight for, there need not be any war. This is also supported by the way in which every civilized person indulges in free love. With free love, there is no strong feeling to be with someone, and therefore that person has no significance. There is no obligation.