Social Media

“And yet, bottled as she was, and in spite of that second gramme of soma, Lenina did not forget to take all the contraceptive precautions prescribed by the regulations. Years of intensive hypnopaedia and, from twelve to seventeen, Malthusian drill three times a week had made the taking of these precautions almost as automatic and inevitable as blinking.” (BNW 77)

In the novel Brave New World Huxley focuses in the idea of conditioning via media. The media gives people in that society an idea of how to live their life not only happily but righteously as well. One of the most noticeable ways of this can be seen is in the aspect of sex. From the beginning children are taught that it is OK to be promiscuous. The music they listen to seems to put them in the right mood for intercourse and also they are given protection and told that it’s OK to do it as long as they use their protection. The the ideas of the society are openly shown through the media. This arises contrast and similarities amongst our society and the Brave new World society.
The similarities of these societies come through the fact that both influence their people to do certain things via the media. However, while Huxley’s world is open about it, our world is not. For example, when the topic about promiscuity and sex at a young age comes to the stage, most people look down on these things with a passion. However, there are commercials such as the Trojan condoms commercials that give the message to go do these things. Contrary to what parents teach their children, these ads tell teens that it is OK to go have sex as long as they are protected. In my opinion i believe this shows the hypocrisy of our world as opposed to Huxleys’s.

To Be Alien.

"Hence the laughter of the women to whom he made proposals, the practical joking of his equals among men. The mockery made him feel an outsider; and in feeling and outsider he behaved like one, which increased the prejudice against him and intensified the contempt and hostility aroused by his physical defects. Which in turn increased his sense of being alien and alone."(Huxley Pg. 65)
Throughout Brave New World Bernard Marx struggles with the conflict that he feels alone and alien, as if he does not belong in this society. He feels as if everyone around him criticizes him for who he is and because of this he acts more and more like an outsider. I too feel like an outsider at times. Although I'm sure that it is nowhere near as bad as what Bernard puts up with in the book. None the less I do find myself being alone and on my own most of the time.

What is expected of you

Huxley wrote,"Too little bone and brawn had isolated Bernard from his fellow men..." (Pg 67)

Bernard Marx is self conscious about his physical. He wonders if his fellow men look down on him even though he is in the higher rank. Bernard is different because for an Alpha Plus; he is suppose to have certain physical characteristics. For example, his shortness is viewed as a sign of a fault because he should actually be taller. The reason I relate to him is because I'm 18. Being 18 in the 11th grade is an assumption that I probably failed a grade, even though I didn't. People expect for me to be smarter because of the slight advantage I have to the rest of the class; but i really don't think my "advantage" would reflect that much in my grades but instead in other things. For example, I find myself thinking about things more and being more mature then other people in my grade. Bernard is also having
issues with what he is capable of doing and what people think about him since he is shorter than expected.