Brave new world is a novel best described as dystopian fiction. It is one of the cult classic books that are recommended reads for everyone. I read it first when I was in college but decided to read it again. Like many other futuristic novels written in the twentieth century, this one is also replete with ideas that seem to have become realities now. The book continues to have a strong impact. The possibilities point to a bleak future and I wonder if witnessing these processes and practices becoming social realities is an eye opener for world leaders and people at large. Like 1984, I was also left wondering how long it will be before this book is banned.
I found the caste system in this book close approximation of the caste system prevalent in south Asia. The difference exists in processes of indoctrination and socialisation. For people who believe in creating and perpetuating social hierarchies, indoctrination in the way Huxley has described seems like an easy alternative to the high probability of rebellion that existing socialisation practices lead to.
As a mental health practitioner, I was amazed at the idea of happiness that the book propounds and I wonder if ignorance is indeed blissful. Will such indoctrinated individuals be called happy as they do not know what else they can be?
Overall, it is a must read for anyone who has the slightest interest in social realities, future world order and the potential of science.