Brave New Essay

Prompt: Does stability really equate to happiness in individuals as well as in society?


In Brave New World by Aldous Huxley happiness is one of the ultimate sacrifices society has made for the supreme cause: stability. The very motto of the World State (the sci-fi universe meant to represent the "perfect" modern world) is "Community. Identity. Stability." Not individuality, not relationships, not free will. Huxley creates a world where individuals, some willingly and some unknowingly, give up the very entities that are now seen as inherent to the modern citizen and world.  This world creates the idea that the quest for individual happiness is somehow less important than the well being of a whole group and is less important than a virtually error free society. Happiness is something people strive for on a daily basis and is different to each individual person. Happiness is not something that can be easily sacrificed even in the name of "perfection" or stability.

The character Bernard Marx is introduced as an anomaly. He isn't the typical Alpha male that the World State strives to create and also doesn't always desire to be one. In this world where people are conditioned to think and desire certain things Bernard is more being dragged with the current than a part of it. His desires and what he wants do not correlate with the desires of the World State. Does that make him wrong? Does it mean his desires and thoughts are unworthy? Bernard's seemingly rare ability to think for himself leaves him nearly tangibly unhappy on more than one occasion. He has to constantly feel less than stellar when compared to others of his kind like Henry and is struggling over how to make his feelings for Lenina clear. During his constant internal battles the World State is still stable and still moving along. His feelings of inferiority not even merely acknowledged. It is never even questioned whether his lackluster attitude and outlook is really worth the wheel turning at a constant rate.

Somewhere along the road to this new world it was determined that happiness or the lack thereof in individuals was a necessary sacrifice in the name of stability. However, a world where individuals can make their own choices and pursue their passions has a way of stabilizing itself. This has been shown again and again throughout history. The fire a craftsman gets in his eyes when he is creating something he truly cares about is contributing to a better society. The endless nights spent in labs and offices trying to find pivotal cures are benefiting and striving for a more stable society. A group of lifeless drones performing a task can get the job done, but a group of impassioned  people striving for individual and societal can do it better and with purpose.

 Happiness in individuals has a natural way of bleeding in to happiness for a whole lot of people.
When elements like free will and individuality are removed from the world those who do not fit the mold of the "perfect person" are left behind. A stable society is decidedly not worth the quality of lives and therefore the happiness of individuals.