Utopia_and_Dystopia

Dystopia... This essay will outline the ideas and values connecting to both Utopia and Distopia in the four novels Utopia, The brave New World, 451 and 1984. Utopia is supposed to be an ideal perfect place especially its moral, social and political aspects whereas a Dystopian society is opposite it represents a world with great oppression especially towards women. Its not an ideal world nor is it a carefree world as a utopian society is. In Utopia they live in a perfectly ordered society, luxury and ostentation do not exist, everyone can live a high moral code no one has more individual status over another.In Utopia family is important and considered the high social unit. Utopia is a communist society and is one for the following reasons, money and competitive capitalism have such a negative influence on society and then becomes very focused on those aspects by making it communist. Everyone is equal and society is not run by those negative influences. It has had an influence on both Russia and China for both countries became communist and adopted alot of the influences and concepts that were Utopian. There can be both good sides of a Utopian society and a bad sides. The Brave New World by Aldous Huxleys is a example of a bad Utopian society. It is both a novel and science-fiction. It is an ordered society but in some ways also at times is depicted as an oppressed one. They completely disgard being natural or being human, instead they breed individuals in a way that they will fit into the natural order of the Utopian society and accept the ways of that society. Babies are genetically engineered, they are human embryos which grow in bottles, chemicals are added and the bottles are spun to try and prepare embryos for levels of strength, intelligence, and aptitude towards the jobs that they are issued. They are then decanted from the bottles, they are not born in a natural manner instead monogamy, family and marriage do not exist and the words mother and father are very rarely ever used. They endure psychological conditioning which is done in their sleep (hypnopaedia), they learn fact and analysis, though this seems to be a form of brainwashing as its purpose is to try and make the individuals act a certain way. Sex is seen as a source of happiness and it is the naturalorder of society to have as many sexual partners as you wish. Fallimg in love is seen as a sin which is why Lenina Crowne does not want to fall in love with Bernard Max, she wants to be the right citizen of the Utopian society. The society focuses on making sure every individual is happy which is why they focus solely on the embryos, if everyones is not happy they cannot reach stability in the society. People are not suppossed to show emotions, particularly painful ones, blind happiness is neccessary for stability, even when someone passes away they are not aloud to show emotion as death is treated as a pleasant and natural process.Community, identity and stability is the motto of this society. In the novel, Brave New World the motto is Community, Identity and stability though they truely do not have an individual identity. They are expected to act the same and perform the same, and are created the same giving them no sense of individuality.How can they have a unique identity,which is why stability is achieved because no one acts different, no one rebels, everyone is created in a non-natural way which means there level of strength, intelligence and altitude will be somewhat identical. Comparing this society to Utopia they are completely different kinds of a Utopian society. Utopia wishes to have a ordered society which does not focus and fall to the influence of money andcompetitive capitalism instead focuses on the idea that all individuals should be equal and obtain equal status not creating a social hierachy. Though The brave new world just takes individuality away, people cannot form there own unique identity because they cant experience things, they dont have the choice to show emotion, family is not ideal, parents are not ideal, without family, without experiences they cannot form an identity. Another key example of why they cannot form an identity is the aspect of them not being aloud to think back to history its non-existant they completely disregard history, for most individuals your history plays a large part of what you are though they are unable to share any form of connection to it. Utopia does not do that, it focuses on creating a well ordered society but does not expect society to forget their individual values. Also the fact that they have a psychological conditioning technique referred to as hypnopaedia does not even give then peace whilst they sleep they are taught while sleeping facts and analysis, the purpose is for then to act a certain way and perform the tasks which they are assigned. This shows they are practically brainshwashed, they are created scientifically not naturally and from the moment they are decanted are constantly brainwashed. To be happy they must take a drug referred to as Soma, this drug guarantees them happiness and also gets them high leaving them without any form of a hangover, Utopia achieves a Utopian society not based on drugs, brainwashing and genetic engineering which is why it is a good example of a Utopian society, Brave New World is the opposite, everything is un-natural, forced, expected and accepted, and if people need to take drugs to form a level of happiness for a split second that suggest the society only reaches stability on a scientific level. Brave New World does have small points which can show a good side, there is no war, no poverty and little disease or illness, theres no old age or visible senility, though still that is not focused on, the good points are not they key factors the bad points such as genetic engineering, brainwashing, no sense of emotion or individuality over-ride the few good points this Utopian society has. Farenheit 451 is a Dystopian society. Government is the high, individuals follow that and do not think for themselves the televsions and Government do the thinking for them. Literature is illegal to posses due to the evolution of society. Books were not aloud to be read for they causes discomfort, raised questions, led to revolutions and anarchy. The intellectual thinking which arised from reading books was seen as dangerous and the government feared such danger. 451 Shows how the benefits of knowledge were ingored and thinking was solely based on one group, the government, they were superior and all others were inferior. People were weak-minded, afraid of themselves and thinking for themselves so instead let the government do all the thinking which exposes identity is not need for they didnt listen to themselves as if they did not have any faith in themselves and instead listened and did what the government told them to do which shows they really had no individuality just as seen in the Brave New World. Knowledge is important but in 451 it was not seen this way. Books were not treated as the specialty they truely are, they give insight on the past, referring to politics or history and religion and by reading such things you gain much more knowledge. By reading about the past it prevents man from making the same mistakes in the present and future. This society is completely different the Utopia for utopia does everything at the best interest of society whereas 451 does no want society to be able to have their individual say, this is made sure by not allowing peopel to expand there knowledge, leaving them only one option which is to listen to who they believe knows what is right, the "trustworthy" government. Utopia does whats best for its people, Brave New world takes there indivuality away and 451 gives them no chance to challenge the governments decisions. 1984 this just as Farenheit 451 is a dystopian society thought its far worse then 451. People cannot be themselves, they are constantly watched by the Telescreens, not allowing them any privacy. Though they also targeted by Crimestop and doublethink. Crimestop does not even allow you privacy in your own mind, they monitor your thoughs to make sure nothing dangerous is being thought of.Doublethink more surrouds the area of what you know and what you dont know and how to act on regards to what you know and what you dont. This is a good example of a dystopian society as it gives groups more power over the others, individuals are not aloud to do as they wish or even think as they wish for " big brother is watching you " constantly. Julia and Winston fall in love but just to be together they must find a place where there are no telescreens or speakwrite, fall you are not aloud to feel as they wish no have that sort of connection with another. Though later when entering the party they are expected to forget eachother. This dystopian society allows people no freedom at all and they must watch there every move and though at all times, even at night when going to sleep they still are taregted. 451 and 1984 are believable for the time they were set. Also its quite easy for people to not believe in themselves if small changes occur yet larger ones such as literature becoming band, they dont obtain further language so it leads to them doubting themselves. Dystopian societies are not the ideal world an individual would want to live in but if you found youself in one you you would have no choice but to obide by there rules and after a while it becomes that societs norm, its value and you dont question it you just make sure you dont get yourself into any trouble and follow the rules. Today most people have the luxury of living a normal lifestyle but it is powered by money and greed of those in charge so i believe Utopia was a pretty fair way of living for the influence of greed and money and capitalism did not exist yes there may have been a few downfalls but comparing that to the other Utopian society Brave new world it was much better for it did not make people lose there sense of identity as brave new world did. Also the fact that each novel had different ideas when it came to aspects of love and birth is interesting. They tended to connect in the sense that love was not seen as ideal and not treated a a high butit still happened secretly even in a controlled world if two people love eachother they will no matter how many telescreens they need to hide from. Today people can see eachother when they like, where they like but not in these novels they did not have such a luxury. Overall these texts differ from eachother if the society is similiar they have different values and differeny key factors in running it. Utopia wishes to do the best for society, Brave new world intends to but does opposite, 451 does not want people to think for themselves which is why they burn history so people lose all confidence and rely solely on the government and 1984 does not want people to be themselves they isolate every aspect of privacy leading people to accept societies values. These societies are believable for they show how much influence a person or group can have over others when self-belief and identity is taken away.