Throughout the dystopian novel Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, the author reveals his true feelings about the application of science and technology in the future. He uses ironic dialogue and descriptions to convey the feeling that if we rely and rest our weight as a people in technology and science that we will soon lose ourselves. The Brave New World is set as a perfect society. It points toward what society is capable of, including controlling society through technology. It produces a futuristic vision in what could be real one day. Throughout the novel the author uses John (The Savage), and Bernard, as well as Hemholtz as a vehicle to express his true point of view, and uses other characters’ ironic dialect throughout the novel to enhance it.
As the novel begins Aldous uses irony first to reveal his contrasting feelings towards this “perfect society”. In the hatchery and conditioning center a student, serving as a vehicle for the reader as well as for the author to express confusion in the act of creating below-par embryos, asks “But why do you want to keep the embryo below par?” (14) Later, with the view point to contrast the author and reader it is said “But in Epsilons,”…”We don’t need human intelligence.” (15) Using technology to make humans into man-machines is seen immoral and serves as the first noticed flaw in this utopian society.
Slowly gaining insight into the depth of the dystopia, the use of technology to control is apparent. Through hypnopaedia, or sleep-teaching, children were taught unconsciously which was soon as set stone in their minds. As Lenina remarks “‘I’m glad I’m not an Epsilon,’” (74) The author, expressing through Henry, replys “‘And if you were an Epsilon,’…’your conditioning would have made you no less thankful that you weren’t a Beta or an Alpha.’” (74) He is challenging what is being taught and understood as matter-of-fact. The author believes that such sleep-teachings, although seemingly successful through the...