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Inside This Issue
Theory vs. Reality Page 1
April 27 Is National Babe Ruth Day! Our Clients Say It Best Page 2 Am I Spending Too Much on My Car? Roasted Radishes With Radish Greens Page 3
The Appeal of Dystopia Page 4
‘Brave NewWorld’ by Aldous Huxley A Page FromMatt’s Bookshelf
“Brave NewWorld” by Aldous Huxley is the kind of book that feels like it came out last year. It’s a work of dystopian fiction that deals with genetically modified people, the suppression of negative emotions, and the banning of knowledge. The book feels like an eerie prediction of the not-so-distant future; it’s crazy to think that it was published in 1932!
everything perfect. This always sounds great in theory, but the reality is horrifying. The world the characters live in is sanitized to the point of being lifeless, colorless, and emotionless. It’s a terrible place, and the story follows one man’s struggle to break free of it. Like with many dystopian books, “Brave NewWorld” doesn’t have what you’d call a happy ending. But that’s part of what makes it so powerful. One thing that really sticks with me when reading “Brave NewWorld” is how intent the society is to ban the knowledge of history in particular. They basically lock up all the information to keep people from learning anything about the past. There’s a trend in our culture to do the same, whether it’s forced, encouraged, or just the product of neglect. We view the past as being less important than what we’re dealing with today. But the past shaped everything our world is right now. If you can’t look at what came before, at the mistakes and triumphs of history, how can you fully judge whether a course of action is good or bad? Without the context of our history, we’ll make the same mistakes society has made before, following plans that sound good in theory without realizing how terrible they would be in practice.
I like dystopian novels in general. They’re an artist’s take on politics, society, and culture, and the impact of this kind story is incredible.
The way George Orwell’s “1984” changed the whole democracy versus communism debate was incalculable. “Brave NewWorld” had the same effect in terms of scientific study and societal norms. It’s no surprise that this book has been named one of the top 100 greatest novels of all time. “Brave NewWorld” is set in a future where the powers that be have gained control and tried to make
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