As children grow up, they learn from basic life skills to complex ideologies that carry them across adulthood. Environmental factors play a crucial role in the development of one's self and their life skills. Through adolescence, many teens are beginning to discover who they are and what their purpose is in the world. That period of learning is sought through peers, experiences, and education. It is crucial for high schools to assign reading so there can be an in-depth analysis that broadens the students' minds. That way, they can further their academic journey and create a better, well-rounded understanding of the world with "COMMUNITY, IDENTITY, [and] STABILITY" (Huxley 1).
"Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley is the perfect example of a book that portrays the importance of God, helps challenge the reader, and further broadens the readers' insight into the world.
As one of my English professors once said, "good writing comes from reading from those who are good writers." Aldous Huxley creatively writes a "Brave New World" utilizing literary devices such as allusion and point of view to display how writing skills can help effectively portray important messages, especially messages about God. Huxley plays with religion through the book with the Solidarity Service that alludes to Christianity with the "T" sign and the prayers to Ford, their "God" in order to illustrate a devastating world without Him. Drugs and meaningless sex symbolize the kind of fulfillment people seek within other things that place priority over God.
Once other things take priority over God, our paths become blinded and we end up steering away from Him. It is important for younger generations to see how broken and lost the world becomes without Him. That in itself represents how a part of people's freedom is taken away with their own "religion," since they are not educated about God. Most people within society are lost and unable to think for themselves because they have always succumbed to society's views without a second thought. Through this theme in the book, it is important for young generations to understand that without the word of God, there is no proper guidance for people in the world. It causes the readers to think more about their values.
Reading this book helps students understand the importance of education and finding fulfillment through the right means. These ideas are explored by students in a classroom and discussed not only for academic purposes, such as comprehension and answering multiple choice problems but more importantly, to be shown how easily the world may become brainwashed without proper guidance from religion.
Challenging, critical thinking skills are imposed upon students when given a book that digs through extreme fantasies in order for them to take away important lessons in education. Huxley reminds readers that power is within emotions. When people are suffering, they often turn to anything to reduce their negative emotions. People within the society in the book are given the opportunity to escape from their issues to a paradise that lies with soma, a drug that everyone seeks to suppress any unpleasant feeling. John sees how enslaved everyone is by soma once his mother passes away and asks, "Don't you want to be free...?" (Huxley 213). Huxley illustrates, just like in the real world, happiness from drugs seems to embody a sense of freedom and fulfillment. It is important for students to be educated in understanding the differences between being free versus running away from difficulties. Huxley does a great job of representing how people may often think they are free when they are happy in their own paradise, but the consequence is that they are actually more confined.
To them, by being happy, there is no reason to think otherwise. It is important for the young generations to understand that nothing is learned or gained from blindly following society's expectations. The reader can further understand that personal development through facing hardship will ultimately develop important characteristics that will help guide them through the rest of their lives. That way, they can be more prepared in facing obstacles down the road. In the book, people take soma instead of facing their hardship. Although it may eliminate negative feelings temporarily, teens may lose their sense of individualism and opportunity for growth by blindly following society and seeking out drugs as the wrong type of fulfillment. That is why it is important when reading books, for the content to challenge readers with abstract ideas and help them relate to the real world as they develop their own values.
Readers are taught how to read between the lines not only in literature but in the real world. Although both John and Bernard live in two different worlds, they live in parallel situations. Huxley writes through these two characters to present how well they balance one another out as foils. John's resilient nature against societal pressures highlights Bernard's cowardliness in his character. In highlighting their differences, the readers are better able to understand the consequences of certain characteristics through a third person point of view.
Through analyzing other characters, students end up developing a skill more self-evaluation. Being reflective and self-aware are important characteristics to have in the real world. How you portray yourself to your family, friends and through work is essential for social and self-development. In addition, Huxley writes his book in a comparing and contrasting manner. In that way, Huxley helps the readers understand that Bernard wanted to stand with the crowd rather than against it. Therefore, through the contrasting point of views, Huxley proves how even the smallest differences within maintaining personal values helps develop a sense of individualism. Properly comparing and contrasting yourself to other people for the purpose of learning is crucial to improving one's self. For growing teenagers, outside influences are constantly being absorbed into their daily lives. It is important for them to understand how to develop their own identity without constant outside influences, otherwise, they may fall with the wrong crowds and obtain values that are harmful to them. Through reading "A Brave New World," teens can further develop their sense of self with the world around them. By being exposed to a book that has an in-depth analysis between two opposing characters and their characteristics, it is inevitable that students will pick up important pieces of knowledge and develop themselves.
Through analyzing and reading Aldous Huxley's a "Brave New World", people will better understand that they cannot simply just "settle" within a society, there is no "just right" in it when developing their own character and their own sense of identity. Through exposure in analyzation of other people's actions and values, how corruption can taint a society and its effects on individuals, a "Brave New World" offers important themes that can be derived from the book's content.
Furthermore, it connects in relation to a reader's personal experience and offers lessons that can be applied down the road in their lifetime. Books are not only important for English and literature courses, but it is also a place where students can finally understand where other subjects connect. Therefore, it is important to assign books that offer insight to young teens to gain a greater influential continuation in aiding academic progression and personal development.
