An Analysis of the Alienation in Brave New World

【Abstract】Based on the alienation phenomenon described in Brave New World ， like the embryonic cloning technology， we can see a fictitious society under totalitarianism and the rudiment of a world based on mechanism from the perspective of Marxs alienation theory. To analyze the social alienation phenomenon in Brave New World can help us understand the importance of the balance between the productive force of science and technology and humanity， of the fact that scientific and technological progress are likely to lead to dehumanization.

【Key words】alienation; embryonic cloning  dehumanization; mechanism

【作者简介】张月红（1977.5.6-），女，汉族，山东莒南人，华南农业大学外国语学院，讲师，硕士研究生，研究方向：英语语言文学。

Aldous Leonard Huxleys Brave New World， a typically anti-utopian novel in 1932， creates a fictitious society in the future London of AD 2540. Mechanism and totalitarianism are deeply embedded in the society construction while productivity boosts and every single person belongs to everyone else. Yet the fact is that science and technology develop along with the regression of social civilization and the effacement of human history. John， the hero， and the president can never accept the dehumanized notions of the so-called civilized society and as a result he spares no effort to escape from this brave new world. He can even hardly find a peaceful place to live alone because the citizens trace him to everywhere， and finally chooses to end his life.

Some scholars indicates that the dominated society in Brave New World is Huxleys prophecy about technology and mechanism which is led by totalitarianism， while others focus on its traits as a dystopian novel and tend to analyze its contributions to dystopian literature.

1. Comparative Study of Utopian and Dystopian Literature

Wang Shanshan （王珊珊，2007） discusses that in Brave New World the dictator conquers its test-tube citizens heart with comfort， whose essence is masked totalitarianism. Wang Yi （王 屹，2010） argues that in the 1920s， just before Brave New World was written， a number of bitterly satirical novel were written to describe the horrors of a planned or totalitarian society. The society they describe is called “dystopias”， a place where things are badly awry.

2. Foucaults Power and Discourse in Brave New World

Chen Zhuhua （陳祝华，2009） intends to apply Foucaults theory of power and discourse to the analysis of the powers operating mechanism and its discipline and punishment on humans so as to disclose a society devoid of humanity， spirit and traditional culture.

3. A World of Darkness Under the Throne of Totalitarianism

Scholars have also analyzed Brave New World from the perspective of totalitarianism advanced by Hannah Arendt. Li Zeng （李增，2010） held that the real intention of Huxley is not to give a prophecy of the world in future but to satirize existing society， targeting the people who hold blind worship to scientism and repression which totalitarianism imposes on humanity.

4. A Summary

Huxley himself pays great attention to embryo research which can account for the application of embryonic cloning technology in Brave New World. Such social phenomenon can be explained from the perspective from Karl Marxs alienation. Marx perceives that during the developing process， the object， as a product of the activities of  the subject， is always the opposite of it. With an external and alien power， the object in reverse reacts upon the subject and finally becomes an enslaving and dominant side.

1. The Foundation of the Alienation in Brave New World—the Embryonic Cloning Technology

It is a fantastic and brilliant world where everyone belongs to everyone else， and its motto in the first page of Brave New World is： community， identity， stability （A. L. Huxley， 2007： 1）. Science and rationality on which science is based contributes not only to the recent progressive historical view， but also to the historical law beyond the intervention of God：

One egg， one embryo， one adult - normality. But a bokanovskified egg will bud， will proliferate， will divide. From eight to ninety-six buds， and every bud will grow into a perfect formed embryo， and every embryo into a full-sized adult.（A. L. Huxley， 2007： 3）.

This “Bokanovskys Process”， named by Huxley， is actually what we call embryonic clone today. In the Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Center， the director shows the students how hatch production of human comes into being.

“Bokanovskys Process is one of the major instruments of social stability！”…Standard men and women; in uniform batches. The whole of a small factory and staffed with the products of a single bokanovskified egg. （A. L. Huxley， 2007： 5）.

Through the mass production of standard men and women， the high-level considers low-caste people as an instrument of production， like a component of machine rather than individuals. Embryonic cloning technology leads to this phenomena， a typical kind of alienation while the development of science in reverse impacts humans destiny instead of contributing to human progress. Blind belief in science makes citizens of World State neglect to see that their birth， personality， even  their future， have been set up earlier than they come to this world.

2. The Caste Differentiation in Brave New World

In Brave New World， people are divided into five levels. The highest level， Alpha， is the leading stratum， and the next is Beta， while the low castes are Gamma， Delta and Epsilon. The three low castes are endowed with lower intelligence and weaker skeleton; however， it is not inborn but imposed by human manipulation.

“Reducing the number of revolutions per minute，” Mr. Foster explained. ‘The surrogate goes round slower; therefore passes through the lung at longer intervals; therefore gives the embryo less oxygen … “The lower the caste， said Mr. Foster， ‘the shorter the oxygen.”（A. L. Huxley， 2007： 11）.

When the high-level citizens feel smug and consider themselves as the leader of human development and try to protect the principle and stability of the world， the doleful society will be full of alienation. However， they are not the philanthropists providing lower castes with suitable living environment and jobs， but the dehumanized slaves of science only producing the low-caste people.

3. The Dehumanized Education Imposed on the Low-castes in Brave New World

In addition， embryonic cloning technology leading to manipulation of populate lays the foundation for dehumanized education. Except Alpha and the second highest level， Beta， other three kinds of people will be compelled to receive abnormal education when they are young babies.

It was decided to abolish the love of nature， at any rate among the lower classes; to abolish the love of nature， but not the tendency to consume transport...The problem was to find an economically sounder reason for consuming transport than a mere affection for primroses and landscapes. （A. L. Huxley， 2007： 18）.

According to Marx， science and technology in turn control human beings， strangling natural humanity of the lower-caste people. And the low caste can never be aware of the fact that they are exploited and oppressed under the ruling class.

4. The Abolishment of Tradition in Brave New World

The embryonic cloning technology for the mass production of human beings lays the foundation of social upheaval in Brave New World. Specifically， some tradition， like parents in the relation of family， has been abolished in the new world where citizens even feel ashamed of.

‘the parents were the father and mother. The smut that was really science fell with a crash into the boys eye-avoiding silence. ‘Mother， he repeated loudly， rubbing in the science; … These， he said gravely， ‘are unpleasant facts; I know it. But， then， most historical facts are unpleasant （A. L. Huxley， 2007： 19）.

These citizens concepts have been totally warped from the very beginning because they have received a plenty of hypnopaedia in babyhood， a kind of brainwash indeed. Hence citizens are never aware of the loyalty to love or a determining relationship between lovers. Instead， they believe everyone belongs to everyone else and it is abnormal to maintain a relationship with a certain person.

5. The Prohibition of Ancient Literature and Religion in Brave New World

‘But why is it prohibited？ asked the Savage…Particularly when theyre beautiful. Beautys attractive， and we dont want people to be attracted by old things. We want them to like the new ones （A. L. Huxley， 2007： 192）.

The dialogue is made between the hero， the Savage named John， and the Controller. The controller believes old things are dangerous and harmful and all old conceptions such as the significance of family ties， of Shakespeare and of anything with the beauty should be kept away from the citizens. Moreover， Citizens of the new world should know nothing about God. The prohibition of religions aims to protect the new world without giving any chance for people to realize how dehumanized the society it is.

Aldous Huxley shows readers in Brave New World an imaginary world under  the control of science and technology as well as totalitarianism， which reflects a deal of alienation phenomenon profoundly. Embryo clothing technology is the arch-criminal; in other words， it is science and technology that lead to the alienation among people as well as the alienation in society. Based on the mass production of human beings and manipulation of population， humanity is under the hoof of science and technology， which can be proven by the dehumanized exploitations imposing on the low-casted we have discussed and analyzed above.

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