Moshe Henderson. April 6, 2012. Humanity and Religion.
(Chapter 5-7, pages 72-122.)
It is interesting that no matter how much a society has
control over its people it can never completely erase a certain degree of
humanity. Although many people in Brave
New World believe terrible philosophies, the ones that were built with the
power to think still manage to feel emotions. When the D.H.C describes how he
had lost his female partner on a savage reservation, he becomes distraught. He
realizes that he had built an emotional relationship with her, and it greatly upset
him because it went against his society’s beliefs. It makes him human and a
little like Bernard.
This sense of humanity that can never be completely erased
reminds me of the Khmer Rouge leaders in When
Broken Glass Floats. Not all of the leaders are truly cruel; however, they are
forced to fight for the Khmer Rouge and teach its philosophies. Nonetheless,
they will sometimes show generosity and kindness towards others due to
their instinctive humanity.
You also gain a sense of passion between Lenina and Bernard.
They might just have a chemical attraction to each other, but something is
keeping them together. Bernard feels sympathy for Lenina, and Lenina enjoys a
sense of adventure with him. It sort of reminds me of “Indiana Jones”
relationship, a kind of hate-love relationship.
I also find it intriguing that there is still a need for
some type of religion in this society. Although it is not acknowledged as a
religious ceremony, the Solidarity Services are very much like Quaker services.
In man, there is always some desire to worship or appreciate some greater being
or thing. The society in Brave New World has
met these needs by creating a new god for its people to worship.
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