Stare At The Sun

The society in "brave new world", if so, what class? And why?

Or the society in "1984" Also, what do you guys think of each of these societys? Could they ever happen, etc, just discuss

Of the two, i personally would prefer being an alpha or beta in brave new world, as the whole sex thing w/ lots of drugs wouldnt be to bad, as "ignorance is bliss", and 1984 seems to make its citizens lead quite the shithole existance, atleast in BNW, you're lead to believe you have a purpose, and still partake in good times, and dont have the kind of big brother monitoring. however, i still <3 free will and choice, so id still ofcourse rather live in todays time.

Have at it!

Fallon

Whoops, I wrote that late last night when I really shouldn't have been up, sorry.

MacGnG

i read brave new world and the alpha/beta outlook on life is blazé, so i'd go with that. they simply do whatever they want cause they can and everyone is fine with it. it is "utopian" but not really. but still it seems better than other choices.

Stare At The Sun

Fallon, i dont think you read what i wrote about...

joesmith

1984 - simply becasue it seemed to be a system more liable to corruption and possible downfall. The world of BNW seemed so locked in that there was no real chance of changing anything..

Of course, its been 5+ years since i've read, and my memory of the book may be quite different from the book itself.

lurkette

I'll have to go re-read them to refresh my memory, but on first recall I think I'd rather live in a 1984 world. Unless I were an alpha or a beta in Brave New World, there wouldn't be much point. Then again, you wouldn't really mind being one of the lower orders since it's just the accepted social order, and you probably wouldn't have the mental capacity to question your station. Maybe ignorance is bliss.

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joecool333

Although I have never read BNW, I have heard enough about it to know that I would prefer its living sytle compared to the 1984 way of life. Just look at life right now under Ashcroft, and this new Patriot Act. We are sliding on a very slipperly slope and I for one would like to climb back up it. I'd much rather exist in a world where I did not know I was being opressed then in constant fear of big brother watching my every move.

wlcm

I wouldn't mind being a director in brave new world either. 1984 is just too much of a psychological nightmare. 1984 has a endless war that may or may not exist with neighboring supercountries that may or may not exist. Every thing you hold for fact can be twisted into false abusrdities, and thats not even to mention the big brother complex.

Ah yes, much rather be a director in brave new world. its been a long time since i read the book, but weren't there grungy lowest class gammas as well? I don't know if you can choose your specific class, but somehow i think brave new world would still be better than 1984.

Pennington

I'd also like to be a director in BNW. I have a feelling that even the highest of the higher ups in 1984 wouldn't be able to change the system. They are locked into it, there is nothing that can save that society. In BNW, I still have hope for change. Some uprising or genetic disaster could happen and I could be aapart of it. In 1984, life is pointless. In BNW there is still hope.

Jay Francis

I'm a big fan of a benevolent dictatorship, in which limits are placed on the number of children, crimes a punished quickly, and classes in rational thinking are mandatory at all grade levels.

TawG

i havent read any of the books, but i think i see what you are asking by the replies of people here, you are asking if you would rather be one of the ones left behind in "Plato's cave" or if you wanted to be Socrates(knowing/finding out the truth about his existance). Hmmm, a though one i dont want to answer that one.

more fire

brave new world. It's a less plausible prediction of a culture than 1984, but I would prefer to have sex all day in a job I loved whilst taking copious amounts of drugs with absolutely no side affects as oppose to living in fear through an endless three way war.

YourNeverThere

oh man, 1984 world is my worst fear, and we are falling into it as joecool333 says, that world is just as locked up and unchanging as the BNW one, thats what the end of the book is all about. Man 1984 is such a good book.

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lumpenprole

I don't think it's much of a choice. The whole point of 1984 was to point out that totalinarianism is inherently degrading to the individual. Nobody was supposed to be happy.
BNW, on the other hand, was the whole 'is a velvet cage still a cage?' question. Part of the point of the social order was that people were instilled with comfort in it from the get go. If you had to make what is an obviously terrible choice, you'd likely choose the one where people are more or less happy than the one where you're watched, threatened and tortured.

Or, to put it another way:
Free sex, drugs, and a sense of comfort, or rats on your face. You choose.

Stare At The Sun

^^ Good way to sum it up, BNW does seem to be a much better place, however, i really hope it never comes to that, i want to have the freedom to be a round peg in a square hole!

kjtomson3

I'll be mustapha mond thanks very much

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Moonduck

BNW, deinfitely, though sex all day plus drugs sounds monotonous. 1984 is simply terrifying.

guy2003

BNW, doesn't realy matter which class cause their all happy.