Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

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Brave New WorldbyAldous Huxley
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Plan for class

• Day 1 (Friday)
• BNW Analytical Writing Practice (PPT Slide 3)
  3 highlighted passages (return the sheet)
• HW Re-read Foster Ch. 17 Except Sex and write
  a brief summary of key points to share AND read
  and annotate Future Shock
• Day 2 (Monday)
• 1. Review Fosters main points from Ch. 17
• 2. PPT Slides 4-12 Orgy Porgy questions, sex in
  BNW, pneumatic slides writing
• 3. Start in class/finish as HW hypnopaedia
  worksheet (odds or evens only on the front all
  questions on the back dont write on the sheet
  return it)
• Day 3 (Tuesday)
• Discussion and philosophical chairs

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Novel Review

• Brave New World is considered a Juvenalian satire
  of the systematic dehumanization inherent in
  contemporary consumer societies.
• The goal is stability, and it is achieved through
  happiness (conditioning, soma, and no
  self-denial) and lack of emotional ties (sexual
  promiscuity is encouraged no families no
  viviparous reproduction instead, babies are
  decanted)

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Novel Review

• Total govt. control (using science and
  technology) from birth to death
• Social caste system (alphas, betas, etc.) mirrors
  the social distinctions in Huxleys 19th century
  England.
• Mass production and mass consumption

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Novel Review

• The cost of happiness? Art, science, religion,
  nobility, heroism, intelligence, and free will.
  Sound good?
• God isnt compatible with machinery and
  scientific medicine and universal happiness. You
  must make your choice (234). Mustapha Mond

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Analytical Paragraph Directions

• Carefully read the highlighted quotations and
  develop an analytical paragraph for each that
  does the following
• 1. provides context for the quotation
• 2. addresses the theme(s) that Huxley is
  developing and
• 3. includes your opinion regarding whether the
  idea presented in this quotation is visible in
  our world today. In what way? Are we headed
  toward the brave new world in society today?
• Be sure to back up your answers with evidence
  from the text.
• HW due Monday Re-Read/take notes Foster Ch. 17
  and read/annotate Future Shock article

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Opening Activity Day 2

• Take out your notes of Fosters points in the
  chapter Except Sex
• Briefly share your key notes with your group to
  develop common ground for todays discussion.

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Orgy-Porgy (Ch. 5)

• Ford, we are twelve oh, make us one,
• Like drops within the Social River
• Oh, make us now together run
• As swiftly as thy shining Flivver.
• Come, Greater Being, Social Friend,
• Annihilating Twelve-in-One!
• We long to die, for when we end,
• Our larger life has but begun.
• Feel how the Greater being comes!
• Rejoice and, in rejoicing die!
• Melt in the music of the drums!
• For I am you and you are I.
• Orgy-porgy, Ford and fun,
• Kiss the girls and make them One.
• Boys at one with girls at peace
• Orgy-porgy gives release.

• Aside from all of the blasphemy in this song,
  what similarities can you see between this ritual
  and elements of Christianity?
• Why do you think Huxley combined Christianity
  with something so unchristian?
• What is the purpose of the sex in this scene? Why
  is promiscuity so imperative to this society?

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Sex in Brave New World

• Children conditioned with Ordinary Erotic Play
• Everyone belongs to every one else
• Feelies
• Malthusian drills (77)
• Sex-hormone chewing gum (60)
• She was a popular girl and, at one time or
  another, had spent a night with almost all of
  them (57).
• Other examples?

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Put it all together

• Write an 8-minute analytical paragraph that
  explains the significance of sex in Brave New
  World?

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Pneumatic?

• Perhaps you noticed that the word pneumatic
  appears frequently in the novel. Turn to your
  neighbor and see if the two of you can figure out
  what it means and what things are described in
  that way.

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Examples of pneumatic in the text. What does
it mean?

• Lenina Crowne? said Henry Foster Oh,
  shes a splendid girl. Wonderfully pneumatic.
  Im surprised you havent had her (44).
• Fanny Crownes a nice girl too Not nearly
  so pneumatic as Lenina (48-49).
• When they had arrived and were comfortably
  stretched out on the pneumatic sofas in Bernards
  room, Helmholtz began again (69).
• Everyone says Im awfully pneumatic, said
  Lenina reflectively, patting her own legs (93).
  

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Here is the definition

• Pneumatic
• adjective
• 1. of or pertaining to air, gases, or wind.
• 2. of or pertaining to pneumatics.
• 3. operated by air or by the pressure or
  exhaustion of air a pneumatic drill.
• 4. filled with or containing compressed air, as a
  tire.
• 5. equipped with pneumatic tires.
• 6. Theology . of or pertaining to the spirit
  spiritual.
• 7. Zoology . containing air or air cavities.

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Synthesis

• With all of this being said, what is the
  significance of referring to women in the novel
  as pneumatic and how does it relate to the
  sex that Foster talks about?

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Homework

• Finish the handout on hypnopaedia you will be
  assigned the odds or the evens everyone
  should complete the back of the sheet.