Dystopian World
Is Our World Becoming A Dystopia Without Anybody Noticing?
"Every one works for every one else. We can’t do without any one."
Lenina remembers hearing this every night as a girl during a conversation with Henry Foster.
This relates to a dystopian society because even in dystopias, they rulers understand that without the consent of the people, it is impossible to survive in a society. In today's world we all work together to live in harmony. Everyone has different occupations and in order for our world to function we must work in unison.
Modern Day Dystopia
In today's society, while some might believe that we are freer than ever, I believe that we live in a dystopia now more than ever. We are expected to dress, act, and look a certain way and if we don’t, we are judged for being different. Many people will argue that “it’s not like that anymore” and “we live in a different society nowadays”. However there is still bullying and inequality all over the world. Megan Meier, a 13 year old girl, made the mistake of befriending a stranger online and because of this, never got to see her 14th birthday. She believed that a 16 year old that lived close by was interested in her and continued to get close to him until the mean comments began. Megan received comments like “Megan Meier is a slut. Megan Meier is fat”. Megan had suffered from depression all her life and this took her over the edge. She hung herself in October of 2006 because of some crazy adult who thought it would be entertaining to bully a teenager ("Parents: Cyber Bullying Led to Teen's Suicide"). Sadly there are cases like this every day and that is why our world is a dystopia. People are discriminated because of things they have no control over, things they are born with, like race, religion, disabilities, looks, financial status, and much more. Another reason why our world is a dystopia like the one in “Brave New World” is because of all of the technological advancements. We survive of off our technology these days and probably can’t go a single day without our phones, computers, televisions, etc., myself included. Our world is becoming what our forefathers feared it would become and unless we make major changes, technology will consume us. We rely more on technology than we do on each other and in our near future, I can envision us becoming like the humans in the movie “Wall-E”. Unless we make major changes in our society, dystopian societies will become our future and we will lose our ability to love, to believe in religions, to be compassionate, and everything else that makes us human.
"All By Myself"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgNFpOYSOVg
The song "All By Myself" by Eric Carmen fits with the theme of the dystopian novel Brave New World beautifully because in the novel they are in a constant imprisonment. The characters that live under the rule of the Controllers have no problem with their imprisonment because they are programmed to live thusly, but any outsider can see something wrong with their society. They have no close friends they can confide with, no parents they can rely, and no love that the engulf themselves in. The people of the new world are truly alone. The saddest part of all this is the citizens of the new think that everything that makes us human is disgusting. Being with someone for long periods of time repulses them, the idea of childbirth disgusts them, and they don’t believe in religions. These people live meaningless and purposeless lives. They are all by themselves. The novel reminds me of a particular line from the song. In the beginning, Carmen sings “When I was young, I never needed anyone, And makin' love was just for fun”. Everyone in the novel believes in mindless sex and are taught that from an early age. They act like children and never truly grow up. These people have no humanity.
Works Cited
Carmer, Eric. Eric Carmen. Jimmy Ienner, 1975. YouTube. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.
Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York: Harper & Bros., 1946. Print.
"Parents: Cyber Bullying Led to Teen's Suicide." ABC News. ABC News Network, 19 Nov. 2007. Web. 20 Apr. 2015.
Wall-E. Dir. Andrew Stanton. Perf. Ben Burtt and Elissa Knight. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2008. Film.