Aldous Huxley's dystopian novel Brave New World develops the theme of culture clash or cultural conflict, a theme that is extremely apparent in the relationships between John, Lenina, and Fanny.
Lenina and Fanny are both from the global, majority society in which Brave New World takes place. Their culture is built around luxury, simply pleasures, polyamory, sexual experimentation, and a severe aversion to complex emotions or commitments. On the other hand, John the Savage is from an indigenous reservation whose culture more closely resembles traditional cultures with which readers will be more familiar: an emphasis on family, monogamy, balancing good with bad, working hard, etc.
Lenina begins to fall in love with John, and Fanny is appalled. Lenina's actions, though welcome to John, completely contradict everything that the two women have been raised to believe is right and good.
No comments:
Post a Comment