5-14-13
Brave New World Essay
In the novel Brave New World, Aldous Huxley portrays happiness as a more important value than freedom. Freedom is shown as a lesser importance; not as substantial as happiness. He presents this through actions and dialogue of the characters.
Losing freedom keeps happiness intact. Chapter 6, Bernard and Lenina are informed that there’s no escape from a Savage Reservation. The savages, being slightly different than the “normal” people, are isolated from everyone else in order to maintain happiness and stability in general. Resultantly, the savages loose freedom. This loss of freedom is one of the multiple crucial elements of preserving the set pathway directed towards happiness.
Ignorance, a second significant element for happiness, is presented in the novel. When John was discarding soma through a window telling the delta twins about becoming free, Mustafa Mond mentioned the deltas’ lack of knowing what freedom was. A Voice spoke, saying “…I want you to be happy,” and gave the deltas a ration of soma along with soma vapor released into the room for the deltas’ inhalation. The deltas were clueless of deprivation from freedom in the expense for happiness.
Freedom is best when not possessed. Bernard was speaking with Lenina during an airplane ride. When discussing the matter of being “free in a different way,” Lenina abruptly and unmannerly rejected Bernard’s question without much thought or consideration. In logical terms, Bernard, being an outcast, provides Lenina credibility in rejecting freedom in such