Novels based around dystopian societies have become increasingly popular throughout the twenty-first century. People indulge in societies that are so outrageous, it makes their mediocre lives appear marvelous. One of the first blockbuster dystopian societies was the World State in Brave New World.This novel, written in 1931, was influenced by the greatly changing world that Huxley saw around him. The dystopian society and characters of Brave New World were influenced by the cultural and scientific developments after World War I, as well as the rise in new political ideologies.
As the twentieth century progressed, scientific advancement happened rapidly, to the point where no one could keep up with the current pace. One of the most important inventions during this time period was the assembly line. The assembly line, invented by Henry Ford, revolutionized factories as it created a system where each worker was in charge of a specific item. This resulted in a mass production of identical parts to a bigger machine, in Ford’s situation, an automobile. This new way to manufacture items was a genius invention, as it resulted in an economic boom: one that was never seen before. Many people thought Ford was a savior for bringing about this new economy, and Huxley played on this fact in Brave New World. Huxley saw Ford as a brilliant man, and “chose to make Ford not just a hero to the characters in his novels but an actual god” (Gale). The idea that Henry Ford is elevated to the level of a god allows Huxley to compare his novel to the real world. People were in awe of Henry Ford as he brought about an economic boom that helped everyone in the United States of America, and the world. People love when they economy is booming, and will do anything to stay in that state of prosperity. Huxley takes this urge and exaggerates it in Brave New World where the “future workers do their duty and buy more and more material goods to keep the economy rolling, even to the point of throwing away clothes rather than mending them” (Gale). Corporation, and the World Controllers, want efficiency and prosperity, and they will do anything to make sure that continues to happen.
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To keep the economy flourishing, people had to be willing to spend money. One of the places people were willing to spend money was the cinema. These silent movies allowed people an escape from their everyday lives, which was needed as the entire world was involved in a deadly war. However, the development of sound in movies changed the face of cinema forever. These “talkies” as they were eventually coined, invoked a new range of feelings that was never felt before. Huxley manipulated these “talkies” into Brave New World by exaggerating the feelings they brought about. Huxley chose to call them “feelies,” which was a clear play on the “talkies.” These “feelies” were “three-dimensional and scented, with tactile sensations produced by metal knobs embedded in the cinema chairs” (Winter). These “feelies” were clearly Huxley’s view of how the movies and cinema would evolve over time. In Brave New World, one of the “feelies,” Three Weeks in a Helicopter, was highlighted to reflect the immersion of the cinema. This movie, was shown in the Alhambra, which was a popular building in Great Britain that carried a certain connotation relating to the arts and entertainment. However, the Alhambra was changed from a museum to a cinema in response to the booming cinema industry. Many people did not support this radical change, including, Huxley and others who saw it as a form of, “cultural degeneration, and hence is a fitting forum for the feelies” (Winter). Going from a thoughtful museum to a cinema reflects that people strived to be easily entertained, and did not want to have to think about what they were looking at. The “feelies” and the “talkies” distracted people from what was going on around them and allowed them to escape from the harsh reality.
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