How are the people of the world state treated?
Brave New World is a notable literary work by Aldous Huxley. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of Brave New World.
Answer
How are the people of the world state treated? [2015]
The World State in “Brave New World” (1932) is a future government that controls the whole world. In the World State, human beings are treated like machines. They are produced, trained, and controlled to serve society’s need for “Community, Identity, Stability” without any absolute freedom.
Created and Conditioned by Science: People of the World State are not naturally born. They are made in bottles inside the “Central London Hatchery.” The Director proudly says,
“We also predestine and condition. We decant our babies as socialized human beings.”
Every person is planned by caste: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, or Epsilon. Even before birth, oxygen and heat control decide their brain and body.
Controlled through Sleep-Learning: From early childhood, citizens are taught ideas through hypnopaedia, also known as sleep-teaching. The Director calls it “the greatest moralizing and socializing force of all time.” They repeat words like “Everyone belongs to everyone else” until it becomes truth. People learn to love pleasure and hate loneliness.
Deprived of Feelings and Freedom: Real emotions like love, pain, and sorrow are forbidden. People are encouraged to take soma whenever they feel sad. Mustapha Mond explains,
“Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the overcompensation for misery.”
This drug gives fake peace and hides the emptiness of life. Thus, citizens never feel grief, guilt, or passion. They only live in artificial comfort.
In short, each person works, enjoys pleasure, and obeys rules like a part of a machine. From “Synthetic Music” to “Feelies,” everything is designed for control. No art, religion, or family exists. People think they are free, but they are slaves to comfort.