I am currently on chapter eleven of Brave New World, and I find it very interesting how Bernard's view on society has completely changed. At first Bernard felt like an outcast in his society because of his abnormal physical features for his caste level. The feeling of being an outcast made him bitter and angry all the time, but it also made him think about how controlled everyone else was by the conditioning they all received since they were babies. Therefore this made Bernard feel like it was unnatural, and he began living an alternative lifestyle that was more antisocial, which was looked at as weird. However since Bernard brought John the savage into their society and became famous, he no longer hides from society, in fact he believes he is the best. Therefore this shows that before Bernard didn't think society was unnatural he just didn't embrace it because it didn't embrace him. I liked Bernard's character at first because he was different and seemed less controlled, but now he's worse than the rest of them.
At first the concept of "conditioning" the mind seemed weird, but then I realized the same thing happens in modern times just not as organized. What if their conditioning has the same effects television, Internet, and social media have on us? The conditioning the people in the book received determined how they worked, thought, and acted in society, and television, Internet, and media does the same thing to us because it heavily influences who or what looks acceptable in our eyes. Moreover what if the Bernards, or outcasts, in our society are the only ones that see the entire damage of our modern "conditioning"?
I like your point of view on this Monique. I have no doubt that today's version of mind conditioning is in the form of the television, internet, and smartphone. Although i wish I had the privilege of saying that I'm a Bernard of our society, I can't. I will openly admit that my mind has been condition by our technology just like the majority of our civilization.
ReplyDeleteMonique,
ReplyDeleteI agree very strongly with your idea, today in society we may not be "brain washed" but we are influenced a lot by what our friends or others do as well as what we see on social media. Also how we are willing to change ourselves just to be like celebrities on television like the real Ken doll, it's just crazy!