Theme in Brave New World

There are a significant number of people who completely dismiss dystopian literature because it "wouldn't really happen". Well of course it wouldn't really happen. That's the point. Just because there may not be laws against the ownership of books, it doesn't stop Fahrenheit 451 from being relevant to censorship in our own society. And  although there are no omnipresent telescreens watching our every move, 1984 is still relevant in our current condition of government surveillance. In the same way, Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley plays upon a single theme to create an interesting story of a society that wants to be controlled by their government. Each character individually may not have the same depth as realistic novels, but put together, they are a small version of the society itself.

Fortunately, it doesn't take a detective to figure out the theme in Brave  New World. It's omnipresent, right from the first page. In their pursuit for a perfect society, this fictional government has made indoctrination through propaganda their way of staying in power. Huxley wants us to be aware that we should think for ourselves and reason even when an authority says otherwise. He wants us to be able to filter the information that we are fed to make a world that is better for everyone.

Just think about all of the mass advertising in the media that you encounter on a daily basis. When people are told something enough times, they start to believe there might just be some truth to that statement. We constantly consume media that spoon feeds us with the messages that will be beneficial to certain companies or political groups. You may wonder why nobody says a word against the government in Brave New World.  After all, wouldn't someone have some sense within this society of chaos? Well, it's for the same reason that nobody says a word when we are being fed consumerist messages on a daily basis. It seems like everything is already perfect. Why disturb the order of society when everyone is happy with their situation?

This kind of fake happiness has engulfed the people of Brave New World. They love their easy  life in which they do what they are told to artificially make themselves seem happy.

We tend to complain a lot about everything we have to do. But if everything was decided for us, life would be much, much worse.