Sara+M.

In an explanation of the new world to John, Mustapha Mond describes the “perfection” of people in that they are no longer without youth and prosperity, so they can be “independent of God.” In its situation and reasoning, the passage is obviously meant as satire, which ridicules human weakness and accepted beliefs in order to improve the subject through its reprimands. Knowing the background of the characters helps the reader understand the purpose of the passage. Mond once tried to move against the stream of his government, deviating from the expected behavior and values. Since he ended up as a World Controller, now trying to enforce the rules and attitudes upon people in roles similar to his previous persona – completely contradicting his prior beliefs of exhibiting individuality – the reader can assume that anything Mond does to try to inflict the society’s beliefs upon others stems from false roots and not from his psyche or ethics. The assumption that the principles were nearly forced upon Mond proves the corruption of the new world, trying to bring others down for its benefit. Society today would find the imposed opinions abnormal and manufactured, particularly in a world where freedom is an obligatory fraction of life, an essential right on which many people rely. To suggest of removing or inhibiting freedom suggests eradicating a fundamental part of life. Interpreting the passage as literal would cause people to disregard the passage as a whole rather than using the satire, as it is meant to be, to improve current situations. John, the savage, relates to the reader and the society for which Huxley writes. He represents the traditional man, who believes in human rights and God. Not only does he exemplify the Christian man, but men of other religions, such as Muslims or Jews, who also believe in a higher power, or a god. When someone tells John that a society operates on the basis that they can be independent of God, he cannot understand; his life is grounded by the fact that it is only natural to believe in God, who rules over the earth – a God who has revealed to him, by experience, life and death. By the final part of the novel, the society in which John attempted to exist laid a burden upon his mind and feelings so heavy that he was not able to overcome it. Because Mond’s words, suggesting that anyone can survive without God, harm John’s morals of believing in God, the satire in this situation is invective, abusive language against anyone believing in God. If current society endeavored to exist in a world similar to the brave new world, if it were to interpret and implement the novel or passage as literal, people would be overloaded by the drastic change that would contrast their normal way of life; society would collapse, just as John gave in to the overbearing culture. In relating John to today’s and 1930’s civilization, he suggests that we cannot interpret his work as literal, so we must understand it as satirical to influence change and thought, but not to turn it in a completely opposite direction. The context within the conversation of Mustapha Mond and John hints at the author’s intent of satire. Referring to forbidden books, Mond quotes that men inevitably turn to God as they grow old because they have lost the passions in life and need something firm on which to rely. Christians would tend to agree with the quotes from the books; however, Mond proceeds to ridicule the material by declaring that society has overcome everything that would have made man turn to God. Because of the stark opposition to something with which the reader would agree, the conversation is shocking and imposing on the reader’s opinions. The brave new world does not need a surrogate for any of the young amusements because they can enjoy the “fooleries to the very last,” mocking accepted beliefs that one must have purpose in his or her life. In real life, it is nearly impossible for anyone to survive by ignoring work ethic or by disregarding improving the mind, aside from inheritances. To be able to accept a place in society without having to work for it as the people continually participate in activities that would be seen as irresponsibly superfluous creates a doubly effective means of derision, nearly insulting the systems and values of current society. Due to the high content of material conflicting with the reader’s, or society’s, customs, the passage must be satirical. The connections provide the basis for reactions of the reader and of John, which could not be possible if understood literally. Mond possesses a bias that blinds him of the true gods that he and other controllers establish for people. He reveals to John that all religion books are prohibited, that the promiscuous literature provides the words available to society. Mond’s beliefs, representing the acquired ideals of the brave new worldians, harm others in that they are barred from knowing anything about a God. Although current people may read and provide literature about God, the promiscuous text is not absolutely hidden from sight, even though some disagree with it. Humans are able to choose the path they walk, the ideas they believe in, and are not “conditioned” to believe communally in one theory. To restrain the availability of any type of literature will be of harm to someone; if someone produced it, someone believes in it. To prevent such a large category of material – material about God – from being of use to an entire society would cause a considerable rebellion. Huxley does not want current civilization to prohibit literature, but to ponder the idea that maybe some people impress their ideas upon others so much that the affected people are not able to form their own opinions. The satirical interpretation can apply even to individuals so that people may be able to function in an even more free society that does not force ideas upon others. Mond and the other new world controllers work against this freedom so much that they become the gods themselves in whom people believe; the people have no other option, no other knowledge of any God. Mond’s quote – that man can exist independent of God because he has youth and prosperity until death – initiates from the basis that people turn to God as they grow old. Since he carries the logical conclusion to an extreme, satire is evident in Huxley’s use of reductio ad absurdum. The radical explanation pokes fun at the accepted belief that God is alive. However, Mond nearly mocks his own society by saying that humans, who are known to make mistakes (such as “human error”), are now perfect, so they do not need a God to fill the holes. Huxley’s juvenalian satire provides biting words to John, who relies on the knowledge that there is a God. The conversation questions John’s beliefs, asking the how and why about people believing in God in the reservation. Mond’s perception suggests the corruption of even the residents of the Indian reservation, who may have been unknowingly conditioned to believe in God. Since current society can connect to John, each person can question their own values – why and what does he or she really believe? Provided the knowledge to recognize satire, one can begin to influence society with the presented ideas to create a more successful and purposeful world.