The Conclusion: 1984 and Brave New World

In reading Conclusion: The Two Futures: A.F. 632 and 1984, one can note the similarities between 1984 and Brave New World. This is expressed simply and accurately through examples from the texts, the opinion of the author, and outside sources. As a lay reader, one can draw comparisons while reading these two books. This article scrapes deeper into the crust of thinking and enlightens the reader about truth.

I appreciate the analogies of Beethoven and The Beatles, and Shakespeare and Noel Coward. The reference to two contrasting, well-known artists provides insight into the text that will follow. This description also provides an easy way to understand the author's analysis of a whole truth. He quotes Huxley's Music at Night, expressing that all contemporary authors 'of significance... prefer to state the Whole Truth' (118). This whole truth is expressed to be present in both Brave New World and 1984 (although the author contests that "Brave New World is too small in compass to sate satisfactorily the whole truth") (118).

I found it interesting that Huxley was moved by Orwell's novel, 1984. Huxley comments on the novel's ruling minority as possessing 'sadism which has been carried to its logical conclusion' in removing sex from the equation (119). It is comforting to see Huxley extend his opinion on 1984
because of the similar nature of the novels. This communication shows that Huxley was not entirely sure of himself and his assertions. The most interesting part about this is that no letters written by Orwell are found. One is left wondering if Orwell shared the ambitions to discover these truths as Huxley.

This article also discusses Zamyatin's novel, We, and how it most likely influenced Huxley. One notices the affect that works have on other authors. Zamyatin has most likely influenced Huxley, as Huxley has influenced Orwell. This process of gaining influence from the talents or ideas of others is a constant and cyclical process. When one responds to the ideas of another, the original person has the opportunity to rebuttal or concur. Huxley, however, defies the misconception that he was influenced by Zamyatin, in saying that he had not read We (122). This point shows that similar ideas may float through the heads of people. Orwell looks foolish in accusing Huxley of plagiarism. He opens the doors for catapults of rotten vegetables with his idea that he did not plagiarize, but another did.

Although both Brave New World and 1984 contain biblical allusions, the difference in the endings of the novels present the most striking comparison. John, The Savage, dies a sacrificial death (alluding to Christ), while Winston dies emotionally by giving into The Party (or the Satanic O'Brien) (127). These two contrasting fates show different opinions on religion, but more importantly, express the possible outcomes of people who try and be individuals in a cut and dry, one way, society. Regardless of whether or not the authors gained insight from others, the message is powerful. Through different characters and situations, one can witness the potential of similarly deadly, but not identical, worlds.

WORDs.

WORD. No, I am not agreeing with a dawg. I am drawing attention to the nature of "word" and words: the complexities, connotations, multiple meanings. I am picking up my green highlighter and coloring the importance of a paragraph. I am circling, underlining, scribbling, crossing out, writing, writing, writing for its sake (not just mine). If it has not been made apparent yet, I am a lover. My significant other? Language.

Reading is boring. My shoulders tense as I hear this. They must not know what it is like to be swallowed whole by the swirling smoke of a book. I hate English. I wonder how one can say that. Do you hate every syllable that comes out of your mouth? What about foreign languages? Are they just as despicable? Nein, нет, Não, Geen, Non, いいえ, Ingen, 沒有, No! Language is the source of all understanding. Without it, we would be struggling to coexist and communicate.

Language plays an essential role in self expression. Whether the pen chooses a poem, a rant, a novella, or just a few lines, it is all a part of the endless growing process. It is through writing and discovering new ideas through words that one gains a better understanding of oneself. As one can witness while reading A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, writing has the potential to relieve one from inner frustrations. Writing offers an outlet in which to act freely and discover emotion. The reader witnesses, throughout the novel, how Stephen becomes closer to language. It is clear, as seen through his speech, that he enjoys words. The power of writing is exemplified when Stephen decides that his desire to be a writer is worth abandoning his current life. One sees the affect that language holds when Stephen decides that he will choose that over Ireland. It is also wanting of freedom that leads Stephen away from Ireland. This theme of freedom is reinforced with the free act of writing.

If it were not for words, appearing on white lines, coming out of mouths, the thoughts of people would be severely limited. It is for this reason that one should be grateful for words. The world of 1984 presents the potential of "Newspeak". This form of speech makes expression limited because of what the author can say. "Newspeak" shortens the extent of expression by destroying words. It is with the destruction of words that free ideas are lessened.

It is through communicating that one interacts with others. Facial gestures can provide some form of understanding, however, do not match the power of a sentence. Words are what enable us to voice different opinions. If it were not for words, one may just accept everything as it was. Thoughts would be halted due to the fact that they could not be expressed. The beauty in language is that there can be dozens of outlooks on one subject. There is no "right answer" in expressing an idea. Everything is open for discussion.

I would lay my body on the line in defense of words. This may appear trivial to some, but, when one realizes the key role that language plays in society, one may think differently. Without language, there would be no blog. There would be no laughing. No questioning. No... Life's limitations would be far greater if one did not have the opportunity to express oneself with language. I am ready to stand up and lessen the limitations.

We the People

Welcome to Good Baby, home of the Good Baby, may I take your order? Welcome to Baby King, where you can have it your way. Ba-da da da baby--I'm loving it. Envision the savory, juicy, flame-grilled...Wait! Babies are far from Big Macs or Whoppers. Right? Think again. Genetic design presents the capability to produce fast-food style, assembly line, babies. This efficient system allows one to create a custom-made baby. While genetically designing babies appears to be an innovative proposal, for the purpose of conception or eliminating hereditary diseases, the rights to the parents should be limited with restrictions.

Supporters of Darwinism may agree with the argument of only the strong survive, following the concept of natural selection. However, to directly connect Darwin to genetic engineering is not an adequate proposition. Evolution has morphed animals into the beings that inhabit the earth today. Following a primate beginning, evolution brought "homo" or "human" life about. According to Hooper Museum of California, mankind went through the trials of natural selection, from homo habilis (the ape-like, stone-tool creator) to Neanderthals (limping weapon makers, discovered to bury their dead), to homo homo sapiens (the name given to humans today). This inexorable change in the development of man is a result of adaptation. Mankind sought ways to survive and thus evolved. It should be noted that this was a natural process. No test tubes or laboratories were involved in the creation of the homo homo sapien. Genetically designing human beings should be monitored and controlled. The efforts should not be aimed at producing a superior race free of hereditary diseases and imperfections. Natural selection occurs over an extended period of time without facing rubber gloves. Technology has significantly prospered since the time of the Neanderthals, however, there is still concern over how it should be used. Darwin did not wish to create a superior race. He attested that the ones who could not survive would thus vanish. Using genetic engineering, primarily, in order to aid conception, presents the safest route. While religious people may be disheartened by unused embryos, this form of genetic design is most logical. A married couple who innocently desires to share a genetic child, but is unable to conceive through traditional means, can find this opportunity very appealing. Invitro fertilisation offers the chance for such individuals to conceive. If the number of embryos created is limited, this process does not pose a great threat. Eliminating harmful diseases is a reasonable initiative because it can present severe limitations for the child. Using genetic engineering for the purpose of picking the right eyes, hair color, intelligence, etcetera, etcetera, is where the line in the sand becomes thick. This idea of assembling babies (in less than 20 seconds! No, sorry. That is a Double Cheeseburger.) for the satisfaction of superficial desires is frightening.

The literary scholar is likely to draw comparisons to copious dystopian novels. One novel that comes to mind is Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley. Published in the early thirties, and set in the year 2540 AD, Huxley foresaw a future not far from the reality of today. Although this date is over 500 years away, the similarities are profound. It presents a world in which babies are produced according to set standards. All beings come to exist as a result of the manipulation of hatcheries. There are different classes, castes, that determine the tasks of each individual upon creation. Psychological conditioning convinces each infant, teen, and young adult that he/she is happy in his/her designated position. It is dangerous to use the word individual. In OneState, everyone grasps tightly to the motto: "COMMUNITY, IDENTITY, STABILITY" (Huxley 1). Marriage does not exist. No serious emotional connections are allowed. Each person belongs to the other. With the use of genetically engineering every aspect of a soon-to-be-baby, individualism is lost. People become equal, in the sense that there is nothing different. However, achieving equality in this manner is not plausible. The creation of different social classes, upon the birth of a test tube, limits the opportunities of others. Is this the direction that today's society is headed? Is the United States of America, home to diversity and prospect, on a downward slope to the land of limitations? The cost, alone, presents a concern for those who hold a tight budget. According to one clinic, Nova INF, the cost can vary (depending on the number of cycles needed) from 9,000 to 32,000! This seems outrageous to have to pay such an astronomical amount. Imagine the cost if a person is choosing sex, hair and eye color, or other hereditary traits! The acceptance of this practice would create a serious social divide between those able to afford the treatment and those incapable. This could lead to a threatening creation of super humans. Madison Grant, graduate of Yale and author of an eugenic book, speaks about a "rigid system of selection through the elimination of those who are weak or unfit" (Grant, The Competition of Races). To believe in the the elimination of those who are less than perfect defies the foundation in which the Constitution upholds. Where is the equality here?

Nancy Gibbs, writer for Time Magazine, expresses the necessity of making "sure that we weigh the risks before we embrace the promise." This statement should be valued by doctors, potential parents, the government, and citizens. The idea of artificially inducing embryos with hormones and genes seems futuristic. It is time for everyone to realize that this idea is no longer just a dream. It is real. It is here. It is now. What is being done to protect the future?

Danke. Gracias. Thanks.

It's the day before the fourth Thursday in November, and I have been asked to tell what I am thankful for. I could submit my thanks on Thursday at 11:59:52, which would be cutting it dangerously close. I could try and submit it on Friday at 12:01, under the assumption of "better late than never," though I know that is not the best idea. Yet, I am choosing to publicize my thankfulness, on the eve of this Thursday, at a decent hour. I am ready to let the world know now.

This past summer, I encountered an interesting situation. It happened when I was sitting high in the white, wooden stand of superiority, guarding the lives of those who swim in the quarry. It was not a busy day, a muggy Monday. There were three people wading and washing away beads of sweat. The water was a tempting sparkle of relief which lured me and the other lifeguard to take turns diving in, experiencing a sort of baptismal tranquility. I had just finished a deli sandwich: turkey, lettuce, tomato, honey mustard, and pickles on a kaiser roll. My stomach was slightly full, but I had an urge to stand at least waist deep in the water. I looked down at the view, three middle aged adults still wading. I looked on the beach.

A bronze colored child in a shiny turquoise one-piece came hurriedly hobbling towards the stand. I scrambled down the stand, as quickly as my arms and legs would allow, and met the hobbling child halfway. Her dark eyes were wide and almost saddened as I tried to figure out the problem. She's conscious. She's breathing. Breathing means a pulse. She's not bleeding. She's not crying. She's just staring. "Are you okay? What's wrong honey?" She stares, but begins
to move her arms, which move her hands to her throat. Hands clenched around throat.
Universal sign for choking. Oh god. Our father who art in heaven... No. Stop. Check for an obstructed airway. God. Oh please. DAMNIT! My first month, week, of life guarding and a little girl is choking.
"Are you choking?"
"No hablo... no hablo.."
She doesn't speak English. Oh. Well. This could complicate things.
"¿Qué pasa?!" I collect from my head.
"Yo necesito agua."
"Oh, good! Bueno. Bueno. Bueno."
"Yo tengo agua." I have water. I have water!

It was as simple as that. She was thirsty. She needed water. I climbed up the stand, more slowly this time, and came back down with a water bottle. She grasped the plastic gift and gulped down the water.

Patience is something that is required of a lifeguard. There is a lot of time to fill, and this is where an overexcited mind can go to work. I have plenty of time to think. Later that day, sitting in my place of waterfront hierarchy, I came to a realization. Communication is one of the most valuable things. This is why I strive to be tri-lingual, perhaps quad-lingual some day. I do not want language to keep me from communicating with and understanding others.

I am thankful for language and the act of communicating.

The Cycle of Poverty: Mind-set v. Inability

Poverty is defined by the individual.  One in the social upper class, attending ritzy functions uptown, in Manhattan, might consider a blue collar worker close to poverty.  A hardworking, single mother of four, working fifty hour weeks (struggling to find a can of soup for dinner), might feel bad for those living two blocks down, without a cardboard box to call their own.  One on the streets, digging through waste receptacles and eyeing potential treasures, might pray for the poverty stricken children of Africa.  According to Merriam Webster's Dictionary, poverty is defined as "the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possession."  This statement is general and not slanted.  It is not placing ignorant blame or pointing a lard containing finger.  No, this definition leaves the rest up to the critics.

There is an awful Cycle of Poverty which many people fall into.  A socially-economic struggling mother gives birth to two children.  These children grow up and live through the horrors of poverty.  Education is lacking--children are bullied because of poverty and do not look forward to school.  Nutrition is not necessary--the next night's dinner is of more concern.  Health care is hard to afford. Everything essential for development is scarce, causing traumatic effects on the neurological development of children.  This includes: reduction in cognitive control, memory, working memory, and language.  This does not include: psychological effects.  This makes a successful future a difficult destination.  Mortality increases.  Life expectancy decreases.  

If a child grows up poor, he or she is far more likely to fall into the evil Cycle of Poverty. 
It is not hard to follow the mistakes of a parent, or live with the result of those mistakes.  The 
outcome is often a result of mind-set or inability.  This should be carefully analyzed.

In many cases, mind-set is what keeps a person from digging out of the treacherously deep hole of poverty.  As seen in The Glass Castle, a memoir written by Jeannette Walls, some choose to stay in poverty.  Jeannette's parents did not strive to get their children out of poverty.  It was an adventure to move nomadically from state to state, in search of work or food or alcohol or patrons of art.  Rex and Rosemary Walls did not do much to change their way of living.

Inability results primarily from a disorder, disease, or disability.  Physical handi-caps often prevent a person from finding a decent job.  A sickness in a family can sweep funds out of a bank account.  Psychological disorders, such as Rosemary's depression and assumed bi-polar disorder, can dramatically inable a person.  Addiction, such as Rex's alcoholism disease, slows down any
process of escaping poverty.  

Although both inabilty and mind-set are immensely debatable, it is easy to make a distinction between the two.  If one does not have physical or psychological issues, it is because of mind-set that one remains in poverty.  Those people who are collecting welfare, leisurely awaiting a check and doing nothing else (not all do so), are at fault.  One, with no inabilities, is capable of avoiding the Cycle of Poverty if the effort is put forth.  Many children understand that there is a better world.  It is the motivation to live in this world that helps many of them succeed, possibly granting an entrance into college on a full scholarship.  Others do not have the means to escape, such as children in Darfur, and are trapped.  If the resources to eliminate poverty for a person are available and there is no inability, mind-set is the only factor holding them back.

Jeannette Walls

I thoroughly enjoyed the Glass Castle, however strange or disturbing it was at times.  It touched on many issues prevalent to society.  The biggest issue, that was carefully crafted through Walls' experiences, shows a family suffering the repercussions of an alcoholic.  She takes the reader on an incredible journey of three strong children.  It is through her story that one understands the power of perseverence, no matter how farfetched a goal may seem.

After watching the video of Jeannette Walls and her mother, I felt even closer to her story.  It was different than seeing an author of a novel for the first time.  It was seeing an author and a two characters for the first time, simultaneously.  As I watched her gestures, listened to her voice, I kept imagining young Jeannette.  Seeing the mother made the video even more powerful.  It was comforting to 
see that she was a talented artist, and I am glad that the paintings were included in the video.  
I worried throughout the story that maybe she was not talented at all.  This video reassured some details of the memoir.      
  
Walls spoke about the Glass Castle that her father wanted to build, giving the options of "another one of my father's drunk promises, or as hope for the future."  I like that she included that it was hope for the future.  Her optimistic attitude clearly shines through in this video.


Here is the link:
http://blog.turnhere.com/bookvideos/2007/06/jeannette_walls.html

Go watch it.  If you didn't read the book, I suggest doing so.  The comments of readers show how her mastery with words has influenced many. It is interesting to read the responses of people who feel that they have had similar life experiences. 
Regardless of a person's childhood, the reader should appreciate Jeannette's struggle and will to go on.

Brian Turner and Tim O'Brien: Comrades?

Brian Turner is a poet and former soldier of Iraq who expresses a feeling of connectivity towards Tim O'Brien, author of The Things They Carried. Although Turner and O'Brien fought in different wars, different decades, and different countries, it is not uncommon that Turner feels a sense of comradeship towards O'Brien. For these men, there is an incomprehensible communion that common citizens do not understand. The fact that both men are authors can bring them even closer.

Having met Brian Turner, listening to him read his poetry, I was able to glance through my imagination into his experience as a soldier. After reading Tim O'Brien's novel, I have a better sense of a soldier's perception of war. Currently, I am unable to understand what life on the front of war is like, but perhaps (one day) I will. I have no anticipation to join the military (and am quite a pacifist), but one never knows where life may lead.

I
don't.

It is through writers such as Turner and O'Brien that one begins to comprehend the things that seem out of reach.

The following is taken from an interview with Brian Turner performed by Alice James Books:

AJB: Having earned an MFA in poetry from the University of Oregon, you enlisted in the army and spent seven years as a soldier. What was the impetus for that decision?

Brian Turner: Hmmm…If we could drink a bottle of vodka and talk about this until dawn, I might be able to answer that particular question.

This response seems very much like a response that one would receive from O'Brien. Throughout the entirety of The Things They Carried, the reader witnesses his attempt to explain the inexplicable.

This draws my attention to “On the Rainy River.” In this chapter, O’Brien talks about choices. He delves into the struggle of one’s feelings and other people’s expectations. He says, “It was a kind of schizophrenia. A moral split. I couldn’t make up my mind. I feared the war, yes, but I also feared exile” (44). This use of language is incredibly honest and powerful. It is very effective that he used the word “schizophrenia”, as opposed to insanity or craziness. This use of diction is more specific than other words. Schizophrenia effects the emotions of a person, often involving hallucinations, delusions, disorder in thoughts, or muteness and a loss of normal traits. The reader can better understand how the character was feeling with this understanding of the word. There were outcomes to fear on both ends, and for this reason there is no easy answer.

Turner says later in the interview:
"While in Iraq, I felt very isolated from the relevance of what felt like a prior life. All that existed was the here and now. That said, the novels of Tim O’Brien probably held the most resonance for me."

The “here and now” that Turner speaks of was a very prevalent idea in The Things They Carried. Death was something that the men experienced all the time. As graphic, disturbing, or sentimental as death made them want to feel, they put it out of their everyday thought. It was always there, but they made light of it with jokes in order to distract themselves. If they let their thoughts of death consume them, they would not be able to function. This feeling was emphasized by the casual remark of, “there it is” (14).

The following is a poem by Brian Turner:

Click below to watch/listen to him read it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LguxNDdyky8

Here, Bullet

If a body is what you want,
then here is bone and gristle and flesh.
Here is the clavicle-snapped wish,
the aorta’s opened valves, the leap
thought makes at the synaptic gap.
Here is the adrenaline rush you crave,
that inexorable flight, that insane puncture
into heat and blood. And I dare you to finish
what you’ve started. Because here, Bullet,
here is where I complete the word you bring
hissing through the air, here is where I moan
the barrel’s cold esophagus, triggering
my tongue’s explosives for the rifling I have
inside of me, each twist of the round
spun deeper, because here, Bullet,
here is where the world ends, every time.

This poem emphasizes how many soldiers felt or feel. There is a common belief held that soldiers are playing a game with death. "Here, Bullet," the title, is a taunting phrase. It is a way of conveying, through personification, that he wants to bullet to come to him (much like a dog). He does not wish for death, but knows that it is inevitable.

He speaks of the adrenaline rush that the bullet craves, which also represents his rush. There is a constant rush that surges through him as a soldier. Even after death, this rush remains. He emphasizes in the first line that he is only giving up a body. Just as the men in O'Brien's novel, a body was not a being. A body was just a body.

Speaking of this poem, in an article from the NY Foundation for the Arts, he says:

"Had I been killed, someone would have found a handwritten copy of “Here, Bullet” neatly folded and sealed in a Ziploc bag located in the left chest pocket of my uniform. I still don’t know if it felt more like a shield or an invitation. But that’s where the poem lived for most of the year I was in Iraq."

When I heard Turner speak at a reading, he shared this piece of information with the intrigued audience. One could view this in a morbidly depressed way, but I choose not to see it in that manner. The fact that he wrote this poem while in Iraq and kept it in his chest pocket, makes him more real and humanized to the reader. O'Brien, in comparison, used his novel to try and humanize the men of war. There is no way to humanize war, but there is a way to make those who fought in it feel closer to humanity. Both used empathy to draw the reader closer.