Brave New World Essay

Everybody likes to blame society for the cruelness in the world, but the harsh reality is that we are society. Without our opinions and biases, there would be no standard of perfection. The sad part is that all of us crave, on some level, to be accepted by the society we have all created and deeply resent. What's even worse is that people will go to any extent to receive this admission of the societal elites. Brave New World is centered around society and the fact that it is easier to be a part of society and sacrifice your individuality in the pursuit of social acceptance, instead of being labeled as an outcast. Aldous Huxley was very successful in demonstrating this through Bernard Marx's outward conformity while questioning himself inwardly, in order to maintain some of his original characteristics that made him who he was. 

In order to be an outcast, one must first identify the social perfections they should be striving for. The World State has attempted to take the human out of all their citizens, especially their emotions. Bernard Marx actually represented everything that they tried to remove when creating the humans, as seen through his relationship with Lenina as well as his encounters with jealousy and lovesickness. Even though he is an alpha plus, he does not act like one because he was essentially a mistake. As a result of his smaller frame, he is extremely shy and suffers from the fact that he is seen as less than ideal by society simply because of his height. He lacks self-esteem because he cannot get women as easy as the other alphas and their mockery of his failures make him feel like a complete outsider. Bernard was granted a gift through his status as an alpha plus, but his lack of height compared to those with an identical status, paved a path full of obstacles for him. He accepted the fact that he was not created the same as the other alphas, but always seemed to question why. As a result of his individuality, jokes were generated about him and he was socially exiled, making life much more difficult for him.

Fortunately for Bernard, everything changed for him after he visited the Reservation and discovered John. After this, he took advantage of his newly attained status to indulge in the activities previously impossible for him. He publicly criticized things such as sex, but craved them personally, which is apparent after his new found fame. It was easier for him to despise such activities because they were unachievable to him and this view was expected of him because of his outsider status, but he longed for them inwardly. He essentially wanted to be the very thing that he criticized. Hemoltz and John pity him because they know that Bernard is trapped in a body inadequate for their society but reject giving him respect as he refuses to recognize his own errors. It is just more simple for Bernard to go along with the new and perfect lifestyle he now lives than to question his participation in the very activities he once castigated. He plainly exhibits that he is in fact a hypocrite by maintaining his harsh critiques of the World State while being an active participant in its optimal society. Once Bernard was finally accepted by others, his life simplified as he became one of them. His days of being an outsider disappeared, along with his unique identity, but his judgments remained.

Bernard's exclusive position allowed him to both criticize and acknowledge the blemishes of the World State's supposed perfect complexion. He was able to learn that human emotions only allotted space for tragedy in the world he was living in, which is why they tried to suppress them and Bernard was dealt a difficult life because he was able to access them. Growing up as an outcast only made the elitists appear more despicable to Bernard, but when granted an invitation to their lavish lifestyle, he did not refuse because it was the clearest thing to do. While living in their own world, Bernard was able to maintain his negative thoughts about them while engaging in their activities because his originality separated him from the majority and he was not going to risk exile again. Even though Bernard was able to conform to the society he was living in, he still questioned his actions because it was simpler for him to be a part of their world than embrace his individuality if he wished to be granted social acceptance.