Showing posts with label Mustapha Mond. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mustapha Mond. Show all posts

Monday, August 2, 2010

Quote from Brave New World August 2, 2010 Page 223


"The optimum population," said Mustapha Mond, "is modelled on the iceberg-eight-ninths below the water line, one-ninth above."
-Brave New World Page 223
Mustapha Mond explains the way that the society is shaped to the Savage. There can only be a very small percentage of Alphas in the whole population. There can only be a small percentage of Alphas because they share the closest resemblance to a free-thinker. They are conditioned and sleep taught, but not as severely as the rest of society. A large group of free-thinkers would become aware of their own oppression and stir up the masses in a revolution against the ruling powers. The government attempts to avoid these situations at all costs by creating a smaller amount of Alphas.
Picture:http://www.focusedperformance.com/iceberg.jpg

Quote from Brave New World August 2, 2010 Page 222


"...we have no wish to have our throats cut," he answered. "We believe in happiness and stability. A society of Alphas couldn't fail to be unstable and miserable."
-Brave New World Page 222
Mustapha Mond explains to the Savage why having a civilization of Alphas wouldn't work. A civilization of the best and brightest would not work because they would detest being assigned the menial jobs of society, such as a street sweeper or doorman. They would also protest against poor working conditions. These things have happened throughout history. In the 1880's and 1890's many protests began in the United States over working conditions in factories. The workers banded together and organized protests to demand better conditions and pay. These actions all disrupt the peace, which the society of Brave New World is trying to avoid.
Picture:http://www.newberry.org/outspoken/exhibitimages/1b06.jpg
Song: The Hand That Feeds - Nine Inch Nails
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwhBRJStz7w&playnext=1&videos=IL76pv5_PnE&feature=artistob

Brave New World August 2, 2010 Pages 210-235


The Savage snaps, seeing the government hand out the drug soma. He feels that soma is one of the controlling factors of the people's minds and limits the peoples freedom. The peoples need for soma can be compared to addictions to prescription drugs that we see today. The men and women of the future society use soma to escape the hardships of everyday life, just as the men and women of today use prescription painkillers to accomplish the same task. The difference between today and the imagined tomorrow is that in today's world the government attempts to stop drug abuse, while the fictional government attempts to increase drug use. During this section the Savage and Mustapha Mond also begin discussing ideologies. The Savage believes in freedom, even at the price of unhappiness, while Mond believes in peace and happiness at the price of freedom and freewill. Mustapha Mond believes his viewpoints quite logical. The Savage sees that even though these ideas are logical, they go against liberty and commonsense.
Picture:http://www.drugfreehomes.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/drug-abuse1.jpg