ISLAND: Huxley's Counterpart of His BRAVE NEW WORLD

 

ISLAND: Huxley’s counterpart of his BRAVE NEW WORLD

Abstract

                        Aldous Huxley, one of the prominent English writers of all time, whose Brave New World is a dystopian science fiction. The impacts of World War I and the tension of forthcoming World War II are clearly perceptible in this novel. Huxley disclosed the contemporary English society of his time through his novel Brave New World. But it was not the end. He countered his own novel Brave New World as he composed Island, the utopian counterpart of his dystopian Brave New World. This paper attempts to find how two novels of Huxley – Brave New World and Island counter each other.

Keywords: Utopia, Dystopia, Existentialism, Socialism, Marxism, Neo-Colonialism

Introduction

                           Aldous Huxley, one of the prominent English writers of all time, whose Brave New World is a dystopian science fiction. H.G. Wells’ The Invisible Man or George Orwell’s 1984 are similar to Huxley’s Brave New World. Especially, Orwell’s “1984” and Huxley’s Brave New World – both are closer to each other as both are dystopian social science fiction. Huxley’s novel was written in 1932. The impacts of World War I and the tension of forthcoming World War II – are clearly perceptible in this novel. Towards the end of his writing career Huxley countered his own novel Brave New World with Island, the utopian counterpart of his dystopian Brave New World. Island is the final work of Huxley in 1962 before his death in 1963. We have to analyse Brave New World at first to understand Island better. Brave New World is a novel of totalitarianism, rise of technology, science etc., which can be seen as destructive as we already have seen the invention and use of atomic bomb during the World War II. On other hand, Island is out of predicament situation as the fictional Pala island (the setting of the novel) is without military or any self-defensive method which reveals that the Pala isle is out of chaos, a utopian land.

                          Born on 26^th July, 1894 in Godalming, Surrey, England, Aldous Leonard Huxley was a renowned English novelist and critic. He was one of grandsons of renowned biologist Thomas Henry Huxley and the third son of Leonard Huxley, the editor of “The Cornhill Magazine”, and his first wife Julia Arnold, the founder of Prior’s Field School. Starting with Hillside School, he went to Eton College and then to Balliol College, Oxford in October 1913 to study English Literature. He tried to join British Army in 1916 for the Great War; but he was rejected due to his lack of enough eyesight as he was blinded partly. He started to write social satires at first like “Crome Yellow”(1921), “Antic Hay”(1923), “Those Barren Leaves”(1925) etc. But in 1932 he introduced “Brave New World” which was a dystopian social science fiction. He gathered much of his thoughts for writing his “Brave New World” from First World War and scientific approaches of that time.  In 1937, he moved to Hollywood with his family. He lived in California and also in Taos, New Mexico for a time. He wrote “Ends and Means” at that time. Latter Huxley provided an introduction to his friend Jiddu Krishnamurti’s ultimate statement “The First and Last Freedom” in 1954. Huxley wrote “The Perennial Philosophy” influenced by Vedanta. Huxley wrote his last work “Island”, the utopian counterpart of his dystopian “Brave New World” in 1962 before his death in 1963 due to laryngeal cancer.

Brave New World: Huxley’s Dystopian Vision of Society

                             Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World is a dystopian novel and set around six hundred years in the future. When capitalists are the God like characters in a society, that society must be chaotic and notorious or ‘dystopian’. Generally we use Christ’s birth to calculate centuries (and years). But, here, Henry Ford is that character. The novel set in 632A.F. where A.F. stands for After Ford or signifies ‘the year of Ford’.  Henry Ford was the inventor of Ford Automobiles and a reformer of Mass Production during the late nineteenth century to early twentieth century. In this novel he is worshiped like the gods which also indicates the capitalist’s position in Huxley’s contemporary society as they were beyond the common folk.

                           Huxley’s novel was published in 1932 during the traumatic circumstance as the impact of World War I and the tension of forthcoming World War II were at the top level. Nations were busy to invent new advanced weapons due to forthcoming Second World War. People’s demands were ignored. British governments were losing colonial controls and dominance facing the worldwide rebels against colonialism especially in India. Industrial Capitalism rose in European societies at that time and socialism was about to extinct. Thus, a chaotic imbalanced social condition enforced the authors like Aldous Huxley or George Orwell to compose their works to unmask the social flaws. Satyajit Ray’s “Hirak Rajar Deshe” is little bit similar to Huxley’s Brave New World as ‘magaj dholai’ in Ray’s film and ‘conditioning’ (along with ‘hypnopaedia’ ) in Huxley’s novel- both are a type of ‘Hypnotism’ . Both have a totalitarian society which signifies the dystopia.

                          Aldous Huxley’s novel Brave New World is set in A.F. 632, approximately seven centuries later the twentieth century. The society is divided by caste system as Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon- are the five castes in which Alphas and Betas are the superiors. Alphas and Betas are the higher intellectuals as they are politicians, scientists and other three castes are the lower classes that portray the industrial working classes of the author’s contemporary European societies.  A drug called ‘soma’ is used to get relief from all kind of pain and agony by the all castes as they get it as their daily ration.

                           At the very beginning of the novel, the Director of the Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre leads a group of young students to a tour to the learning center of ‘conditioning’ and ‘hypnopaedia’. An assembly line creates fetus. There are various techniques to create babies and to divide them into castes. There are two techniques which are ‘Neo-Pavlovian conditioning’ and ‘hypnopaedia’. In Neo-Pavlovian conditioning, babies enter in a room filled with books and roses. But, when babies approach very close to the books or the roses, alarm or siren starts and mild electrical shocks are given to the babies. Thus the babies are frightened to approach the same for a second time. Hypnopaedia is a method in which ethical phrases are played many times while the babies are in sleep; therefore the phrases become or will become a part of subconscious mind of every child or baby.

                            In Huxley’s novel, human existence, free will and social-human values are controlled by the World Controller, Mustapha Mond. Only Alpha and Beta have a minimal existence though it’s controlled by the World Controller. Thus the novel becomes an anti-existentialist novel. Introduced by Danish theologian Soren Kierkegoard in 1840; and then followed by German philosophers Martin Heidegger and Karl Jespers, Existentialism or existential philosophy is a philosophical approach based on human existence that signifies the existence of human being as a free and responsible envoy discerning the development(of human subjectivity) through acts of will. Other classes like Gamma, Delta and Epsilon are restricted from their acts of wills. Alphas are the top brains like scientists or politicians. Lower classes are not getting the opportunities to create their own values which are not inherent according to existential philosophy. The banning of biological birth and extinction of human relationship indicate the anti-existential nature of a society. Bernard and Helmholtz are banished by Mond as they try to bring out their existence by criticizing the social system build by the World Controller. John the Savage tries to disclose his existence by throwing away soma, the drug but ultimately he has been defunct. Killing himself, John extinguishes his own existence (of his acts of will). Thus the novel “Brave New Word” denies the existential philosophy indicating the denial of individual’s free will to determine their development through acts of will. So it’s a text of Anti-Existentialism.

                           Brave New World is an anti-Socialist novel as well. Huxley skillfully criticized the Post-World War I and Pre-World War II social systems of Europe in his novel Brave New World. Ethics are gone along with religion, history and philosophy as Mustapha Mond, the World Controller has banned this thoughts. The society is divided into five classes (or castes) in which Alphas and Betas are superiors; Gammas, Deltas and Epsilons are the lower working classes. All type of political and economic advantages belong to Alphas and Betas as they are the top brains like politicians or scientists. At the very beginning of the novel, A.F. (After Ford) shocks us as it portrays the worshipers of Industrial Capitalism and the denial of religion. Henry Ford is displayed as a god like characters so why his name is used for calculating centuries and years instead of Christ’s. Neo-Pavlovian conditioning reduces the natural aesthetics as babies are getting electrical shocks touching the roses. The banning of biological birth and books (babies get electrical shocks approaching the books) signifies the degeneration. The World War I brought the economic crisis in European countries along with industrial evolutions. Capitalists seized the control of European nations. The lower class workers were suppressed by the capitalists. Governments of European nations were busy in military advancements to create their own superiority. Two classes arose - one is ‘Dominator’ and another is ‘Dominated’. Money and properties were under control of Dominators; and the Dominated got nothing. This social discrimination destroyed the stability of Post-World War I European society. Socialism says that all individuals of a society are equal and economical assets should be distributed equally. It’s based on public ownership rather than private. But in  “Brave New World”, World Controller dominates the society economically and politically. So Huxley’s “Brave New World” is an example of Anti-Socialism.

                            Brave New World elicits the uprising Fascism (Emerged during the First World War in Italy) and Nazism (in Germany, 1930) led by Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler respectively in contemporary European society. Fascism is a dictatorial system of a totalitarian government (controlled by a dictator) who rules the territory with violations and military suppression over oppositions and controls political and economic affairs strictly prompting nationalism and racism. The horror stricken effect of Nazism during early twentieth century is known to us. As Mussolini or Hitler, Mustapha Mond, the World Controller rules over the individuals with authoritarian system which opposes democracy and liberalism. Mond establishes an authoritarian system prompting the caste system; those who oppose him are banished like Bernardo or Helmholtz. Henry Ford, a capitalist, has been worshipped instead of Christ. John, at the end of the novel, is compelled to kill himself. The social stability has been destroyed by the authoritarian rules of World Controller in Brave New World as the history, philosophy and religion have been banned along with the biological birth. So it’s clear that Huxley tactically composed his novel “Brave New World” to disclose the social instability due to fascism during his time.

                            Marxism, a term, closely related to “communism”, a similar term(of Marxism), first introduced in “Communist Manifesto” in 1848 by Karl Marx(German philosopher) and Friedrich Engels(German sociologist), criticizes the social class discrimination due to economic inconsistency and wants to establish social indiscrimination based on common ownership of means of production, distribution and bartering. In Brave New World, phallus is no more useful along with femininity; they are about to extinct. Individuals have been accustomed to advanced technical reproduction system rather than old fashioned biological one due to prohibition. So they accept it as normal as before and develop themselves based on caste system and industrial capitalism to stay exist. Believing the drug ‘soma’ as a medicine to get relief from pain or dejection, the all five castes (Alpha’ Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilons) receive it as their daily rations. They are unaware of it that they are oppressed politically and economically by the World Controller, Mustapha Mond. Introducing the belief that the ‘soma’ is the only medicine to get relief from all kinds of pain, Mond rules them in the same way the industrial capitalists convinced the lower working classes during 19^th and 20^th centuries; even in present time. Karl Marx termed this ‘ideology’ as “false consciousness”. It is also called ‘hegemony’, a term coined by Italian Marxist thinker Antonio Gramsci. The domination of a particular section of society (powerful class) not through violent act of law, rather by winning the lower class’ consent to be governed and dominated. The military suppression is never introduced in Huxley’s novel Brave New World Mond wins the consent of individuals except Bernard, Helmholtz and John. The beginning of the novel indicates the industrial capitalism by mentioning the phrase A.F.; the capitalist Henry Ford. At the end of the novel, social reformers like Bernard and Helmholtz are banished. John kills himself as he can’t adapt to this authoritarian society. Therefore, we can assume it that Brave New World opposes the Marxism.

                               The term ‘dystopia’, the opposite of ‘utopia’ (coined by Sir Thomas Moore in 1516), is a fictional social system controlled by an authoritarian or a totalitarian government. There must be a great tormenting injustice or post-apocalyptic portrayal. Generally, science fiction is related to dystopia where too much scientific advancement becomes disastrous for human race and humanism. In Brave New World, mechanical reproduction replaces the biological reproduction which elicits beyond naturalness. The use of drug soma, banishment of Bernard and Helmholtz also portrays the unstable condition of society. In Greek, ‘dystopia’ refers to ‘bad place’. H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine, George Orwell’s 1984 and Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 are the great examples of dystopian science fiction along with Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. Both the novels 1984 and Brave New World portray a totalitarian society where individuals are suppressed. When the society is dystopian, human values and ‘acts of will’ must be oppressed. Huxley’s Brave New World defines prohibition on ‘acts of will’ which means the individuals are restricted to do as they wish. There is the domination by Mustapha Mond, the World Controller. It’s a kind of suppression rather than dependency.  Bernard, Helmholtz and John are dominated by Mond as they try to do as their wishes. The novel elicits the authoritarian governments in European society like Mussolini or Hitler during Post-World War I where human values and demands were suppressed by the dictators.

                            Social or human relationships is trifle and valueless in Huxley’s Brave New World. Babies are born in scientific lab which means the relationship among father, mother and son is no more exist. The society has rejected homogamy; so there is no relationship between husband and wife. The only relationship is that the relationship between dominator and dominated. The drug ‘soma’ abolishes love and emotions which are the pillars of social relationship. Bernard and Lelina’s emotions for each other gain no fruit as there is no place for such emotions.

Island: Huxley’s Utopian Representation of Life

                             In 1962 Aldous Huxley wrote Island as the utopian counterpart to the dystopic Brave New World. It is Huxley’s final work before his death in 1963. All themes of Brave New World are countered by antithetical ideas in Island. A closer look into the novel Island will help us to make a comparative study of Huxley’s two novels (Brave New World and Island).

                              In this novel William Asquith Will Farnaby, an English agent of Joseph Joe Aldehyde (an oil baron), deliberately wrecks his boat on the shore of a forbidden island named Pala, halfway between Sumatra and Andaman Islands. Farnaby has been sent to convince the island’s current queen – Rani that it will be better for Pala to sell the island’s oil assets to Aldehyde. Awaking from a myna bird’s call ‘Attention’, Farnaby feels a leg injury. He is noticed by a local boy and girl who introduce him to their grandfather Dr. Robert MacPhail for medical treatment. Then, Farnaby is carried to Susila by the Dr. Robert and a young man named Murugan Mailendra for a successful hypnotherapy. Susila is the mother of two children; and the daughter in law of Dr. Robert and Lakshmi (wife of Dr. Robert). Her husband had died recently in a climbing accident. Later, Farnaby and Murugan recognize each other through a meeting with Colonel Dipa, the dictator of militarized country Rendang (a neighbor country of Pala) who also wants to capture the Palanese oil assets. Murugan reveals to Farnaby privately that he is Rani’s son and he will control Pala as becoming New Raja. Murugan wants industrialism in

                              Pala, which Palanese people avoid to stabilize their society. Both the Rani and Murugan are grown up outside of Palanese culture and heavily westernized. Pala is a demilitarized country and Palanese peoples believe in pacifism. They never try to dig out Pala’s oil assets as it will bring chaos in Pala; indicates capitalism. Palanese culture is blended one; the amalgamation of Western scientific technologies and Eastern Mahayana Buddhism; and the bilingual culture of English and Palanese. Pala builds ‘Mutual Adoption Club’ where parents and children adopt multiple children and parents respectively. ‘Moksha’ a medicine (drug) is used by Palanese people to enliven their consciences. ‘Maithuna’, the philosophical concept of sexual activity which signifies the restriction of ejaculation to continue sexual intercourse, is followed by Palanese people. The local myna bird’s screams ‘Attention’ and ‘karuna’ make people aware to stay focused on present action and to offer sympathy for each other respectively.   

                             Island of Huxley is a utopian novel which indicates the proportion of distribution and production of goods is in equally balanced condition. As we have seen, the Palanese people never dig out the oil assets for selling in outer markets. It definitely should help Pala to build a strong economy along with industry. But Palanese people don’t want this because they build a stabilized social system where all are equally justified and economical assets are like money or property should be equally distributed. Palanese people contribute to their nations equally as there is no any private ownership; everything is public or common. Mutual Adoption Club is the perfect example of it. At the very end of the novel, myna screams only “Attention”, but the “Karuna” is absent which signifies the absence of sympathy and harmony in the rule of the dictator, Colonel Dipa. But, if we consider post-invaded Pala, then it follows the rules of socialism with perfection.

                             Aldous Huxley’s novel Island was written in 1962; and the doctrine ‘Neo-Colonialism’ was first introduced by Jean-Paul-Satre, the famous existentialist, in 1956. It was first used by Kwame Nkrumah in the context of 1960’s decolonization of Africa. Generally, neo-colonialism refers to the control of a dominant (economically and politically developed) country over a dominated (less developed) country. It’s a kind of economic and cultural imperialism through political power rather than military power. Post- World War II European nations tried to convince the independent countries of Africa and Asia to be industrialized. It’s a kind of indirect-capitalism. In Huxley’s novel Island, Murugan invites Colonel Dipa to take control of Pala. Murugan also are equal.

                            Demilitarization is a testimony of it along with the stabilized society of Pala. Palanese people use to practice science, arts and spiritualism for self-development. There is no class discrimination. Palanese people avoid industrial evolution, which produces private ownerships, to continue their united distribution in social welfare. Therefore, they usually avoid Palanese oil assets to be dug out. Spiritualism and Pacifism are the two most important symbols declare that Palanese people must welcome Dipa as a reformer of Palanese society. Colonel Dipa should be the controller economic and political affairs of Pala and Murugan as his assistant. We are unaware of Pala’s future as it was known by Huxley only. Thus the ending of Island portrays the context of Neo-Colonialism.

                           Island is an utopian novel. Pre-invaded Palanese society displays the utopian concept. Utopia means an imaginary perfect society without power struggle among castes or classes. Derived from Sir Thomas Moore’s 1916 book Utopia, it refers to an ideal social condition where rights of individuals in every platform like economic or political of ‘utopia’ which are followed by Palanese people. In Huxley’s novel Island, Palanese people are boundless spiritually, philosophically and socially. They are devoid of superstitions. The use of ‘moksha’ increases their ethical conscience that helps Palanese people for self-improvement. Pre-invaded Pala portrays the free wills of Palanese people as they involve in ‘maithuna’ openly and control their society being united. If we consider pre-invaded Pala freedom was in every individual through their spiritual practices and concept of ‘moksha’. ‘Moksha’ is not just a drug or medicine, it indicates the utmost salvation from earthly bonds which helps Palanese people to get rid from the all kinds of fascinations; indicates greed for money, property or power.

Contradictory Note between Brave New World and Island

                                As already discussed, we have seen that Huxley’s novels Brave New World and Island are two contradictory novels oppose each other in every perspective. Brave New World delineates the dystopian society of dictatorial systems led by Mustapha Mond; contrariwise Island portrays the utopian society of Pala. The drug ‘soma’ decreases the human conscience; in contrary of it, ‘moksha’ enhances the human conscience respectively in Brave New World and Island. Discrimination between Brave New World and Island in Socio-Political platform is also seen as Brave New World demonstrates ‘anti-socialism’ or ‘industrial-capitalism’ and Island portrays ‘socialism’. Aggressive scientific evolution destabilizes the society destroying the humanism in Brave New World. On other hand, in Island, pacifism is followed by Palanese people which helps to stabilize their society. But it’s also the reason of labefaction of Pala as Pala has no military to resist outer invasions. At the end of the novel Island, we have seen that Colonel Dipa captures the control of Pala along with its natural resources. We have also seen the contrary theme of human relationships between Brave New World and Island as in Brave New World biological birth is replaced by advanced mechanical birth; but in Island, the natural birth is still exist.

               Thus, Huxley’s two novels Brave New World and Island are contrary to each other.

 

Conclusion

                            Ruminated this work on Huxley’s Brave New World and Island, we can conclude that both the novels oppose each other throughout every prospect. Huxley countered his dystopian novel Brave New World in his utopian novel Island. Huxley died in 1963, about a year later of his final work Island which was completed in 1962. We are unable to realize the future of Palanese people fully after the invasion of Colonel Dipa. The mystery was also died with death of the author, Aldous Huxley. Criticizing the both texts, we can conclude that Island is the utopian counterpart of Huxley’s dystopia Brave New World.