Values in Brave New World

                Mond’s quote explains why the people in Brave New World are created. They are organized into the five different castes: Alphas, Betas, Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons. The Alphas are bred as the most intellectually inclined group, and the Epsilons are the least developed. These Epsilons are bred only for the purpose of manual labor, and they have no objection to it. They are manipulated in the fetal stage to be born dumb and be content with their lower grade of work. This ties into how Mund describes the men that watch the wheels. They don’t know any better than what they were bred for.

                Mond addresses the students on the topic of stability by relating it to water in a pipe. He explains that strong emotion inspired by old views of families, sex, and delayed gratification of desires contradicts stability in society. In their world, words relating to family are dirty (e.g. mother, father). The people have no need for family structures since they are all test tube babies. Only the savages still retain their family structures. Their society also lacks the basic family structures because the people are supposed to adhere to promiscuous lifestyles, thus eliminating monogamy. Children are introduced to it at a young age, as two children discover “a rudimentary sexual game” (31). This follows through into adulthood as Lenina is urged by her peers to not stay with Henry Foster because long-term relationships are not favorable. Happiness is key in their society’s stability, and it is kept intact by these non-marital relationships. Without long-term relationships, people are free to fulfill their sexual desires and calm their impulses so they can remain productive citizens. The society they live in allows people to live without inhibitions so they only need to worry about the economy and their own consumerism.

Tempest Prep Write

Aime Cesaire’s A Tempest highlights the imperialist notions found in The Tempest. In discussions of postcolonial undertones, a controversial issue has been about how these messages should be interpreted. On one hand, political commentator George Will argues that works of literature should be enjoyed for its aesthetic value rather than the context that they were written in. On the other hand, professor Stephen Greenblatt disagrees because of the plethora of evidence that spells out an author’s intended purpose. Others even maintain that only the authors can tell us the real meanings of their works. However, this is impossible in Shakespeare’s case, and I believe that people need to be able to draw their own conclusions on The Tempest based on prior knowledge of the political undertones in the play.

George Will wants readers to enjoy and understand literature for what they think it is, not what the MLA says is right. To him, people should be able to interpret works the way they understand them, and political messages in readings are becoming all too apparent thanks to the educated elite. But Stephen Greenblatt defends his views and argues that it’s impossible to not take note of the imperialist messages in The Tempest. He stresses the value of the cultural heritage found in the play. In order to fully understand Shakespeare and other writers, it is important for the student to understand that Shakespeare drew upon the politics of his time to write.

I have to agree with Greenblatt on the issue. Writers are influenced by their surroundings and culture, and we should acknowledge the fact. Our interpretations just can’t be so far reaching that they alienate the reader with their ambiguity.  Nevertheless, people need to be able to base their conclusions of a work on what they understand, not what they are told to understand, like Will wants.