BRAVE NEW ESSAY

This is a prompt I found from Allyson!  I thought that I could write the best essay off of this prompt.

Here is one of the AP essay topics from 2012 that could apply to the first few chapters ofBrave New World:

"And after all, our surroundings influence our lives and characters as much as fate, destiny, or any supernatural agency."

- Pauline Hopkins, Contending Forces

Choose a novel or play in which cultural, physical, or geographical surroundings shape psychological or moral traits in a character. Then write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how surroundings affect this character and illuminate the meaning of the work as a whole.  Do not merely summarize the plot.

"Community, Identity, Stability" are all great principles for a society to embody.  Despite that Brave New World's mantra, they embody the complete opposite in their dystopian world.  Aldous Huxley creates a world which de-sensualizes sex and prohibits monogamy.  Individuality is frowned upon, as is any philosophical thought.  Lenina lives her life as another 'wheel' in the 'machine' of her utopian society because she knows nothing else and doesn't think to question her surroundings.  The cultural values present in the society in Brave New World causes a complete lack of emotion in it's citizens which serves as a warning to our own world.  Lenina serves as the perfect example of this.

From their 'hatching', people are psychologically and biologically tampered with in order to create a more perfect utopian society.  Babies are given traits of their predetermined classes.  For example, Episloms are the lowest class and are trained with shock therapy to hate nature and knowledge.  Anyone who grows up in this class will lack intelligence and will work the lowest but most necessary.  Lenina has been taught to look down upon them since her birth.  This causes a certain degree of racism which is an underlying theme and contrast to their idea of "community".  Lenina wouldn't have had this pre-determined notion looking down on the lowest classes if it was not for her society.  People are also taught that sexually exploration and arousal is normal and acceptable at a young age so long as love and monogamy are not involved.  Lenina was dating a Henry for four months and this was considered scandalous.  Lust without love doesn't fulfill our needs as humans.  Lenina shows some type of capacity to love but then her societal standards and values causes her to think twice and engage in an orgy.  

Lack of emotion may cause us to be more efficient creatures but we would not be having more efficient and fulfilling lives.  Emotion fuels our decision making and thought process.  Without emotions, we cease to be individual human beings.  In Brave New World, emotions are regarded as messy and unnecessary to function with which causes the society as a whole to lose any type of individuality.  Lenina, although shows potential for a capacity to love or feel anything, goes about her life like she was meant to as Ford had intended.  If it were not for the world she was created in, Lenina would possess philosophical and individual thoughts as well as emotions.