Context Flashcards
influences in his life
education
an eye disease which left him almost blind - blindness and vision are motifs in lots of his writing
conflict of interests
much of his writing deals with conflict between the interests of the individual and society, often focusing on the problem of self-realisation
reduce individuality
Huxley links science, technology and politics and argues that such a combination will likely reduce human individuality
themes similar to 1984
Orwell wrote his novel in 1949 after seeing the dangers of totalitarian governments in WW2, and during the struggle of the cold war and arms race which so powerfully underlined the role of technology in the modern world
major themes
Huxley’s novel seems to prophesize the major themes and struggles that dominated life in the 2nd half of the 20th century
written
in the early 1930s
the world had recently had undergone a war, totalitarian states had sprung up and Fascist parties were gaining power
in the 1930s
huge strides had been made in both science and the application of science through technology and the world was industrializing
BNW is a totalitarian dystopia that uses technology to trick their citizens to love their slavery
literary period
late modernism
setting
london and new mexico, as they exist under the rule of an imagined future one-world government called the World State
point of view
third person omniscient
published
1932
BNW is a
satire on California in the early 20th century and reflects Huxley’s concern with the increasing Americanisation
Lenina Crowne
is the typical Californian girl “hug me till you drug me, honey” - honey is emphatically Californian
BNW’s revelance today
our society is increasingly preoccupied with how we begin and end our lives - stem cell research, clones etc…
prophetic book
the increasing reliance on technology and vehicles and the human tendency to cover land with golf courses
