As I was reading Brave New World I saw myself constantly upset about things. For example, when the Director was talking to the children (students) about parents. The thought of living life without my parents especially my mom is just impossible and in the book, their existence of parents in non existent and the thought about this is absurd! Reading this book made me think a lot about my self and I didn’t really agree with their ways of life like the way they were raised to the way of their “unescapable social destiny” or how they showed no emotion or feeling toward one another besides being happy, and if they did, they would have to just wash it away.
In addition I didn’t like how they had no thoughts of their own because everything they were told was in their sleep, as the Director states, “…all these suggestions are our suggestions!” Truthfully I would dislike having someone to tell me what to think and then have me believe it was was my own thought. I would hate to live in a world where I didn’t have a say in anything because everything is being placed in my head and if this “utopian” world were to come about tomorrow, I would prefer to live in our world on it’s hardest day than live here where nothing is your own. At least here you have your own thoughts, opinions, feelings, and desires. I get this book has a world where everything’s the same, there’s no violence, issues, poverty, and depression, etc. but is all that worth having your identity removed from you where we all are the same instead of being unique and different?
Elaine, I agree with you about how horrific it would be to live in a world where everything they want you to believe or know is placed in your head during your sleep. The fact that it occurs during your sleep makes it all the more creepy because to me sleep is a very private thing and to have that intruded upon would truly suck. However, I don't believe our world is truly that much better because even though we aren't literally brainwashed like in the book, we aren't left completely alone to create our own ideas and opinions. We may feel as if we are, but our society also has a hold on us through media, Internet, and television. These items shape what we believe is acceptable, cool, weird, or whatever, but they do influence us more than we think.
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