To me, the central theme seems to be society’s goal of universal happiness pitted against an individual’s freedom to make choices that may make them or others unhappy. It’s too easy.” – Aldous Huxley, Brave New World Happiness vs. Whether ’tis better in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows or outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing end them…But you don’t do either. Getting rid of everything unpleasant instead of learning to put up with it.
Similarly, although censorship is only a small part of Brave New World, expanding on the concept of removing all literature containing upsetting concepts basically gives you the plot of Fahrenheit 451. Coincidentally, sexuality is also a major theme of The Forever War! For instance, the consumerism aspect, where everyone is encouraged (essentially required) to frequently buy new clothes and play expensive communal sports to conform, made me think of The Forever War by Joe Haldeman where the “shore leave economy” concept is similar and more integral to the story. freedom, censorship, individuality, and state control, but maybe a few too many to reach the depth I would have preferred. There are certainly a lot of cool elements touched on, like consumerism, sexuality, happiness vs. Bernard’s return to London brings new ideas and becomes a social experiment in the stability of the World State versus the conformity of individuals. When the central character, Bernard Marx, goes on vacation to a Savage Reservation in New Mexico where people still reproduce and live off the land, the World State society is quickly thrown into stark contrast.
Furthermore, should anyone’s desires be delayed, they’re provided a soothing, happiness-inducing drug called Soma. Happiness and stability are paramount to the World State where consumerism, expensive sports, and sexual promiscuity are socially mandated, leading to a common saying “everyone belongs to everyone else” intended to prevent anyone from being denied what they want. Each citizen has a predetermined class and job based on their designed level of intelligence and behavioral conditioning to maintain social order.
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