Allusions In Brave New World

Huxley’s References to the Modern World Through Brave New World
Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, published in 1932, depicts a futuristic dystopian society unlike the date it was published. However, despite this futuristic setting, plenty of historical allusions are seen throughout the novel, ranging from Shakespeare to the Bible, which seem to confuse whether the novel could be considered historical, contemporary, or futuristic. Despite the futuristic setting and numerous historical allusions featured in Brave New World, the novel is truly contemporary due to the references of today’s society that it contains, whether it’s people’s heavy reliance on technology, or the desire that people with authority have to control certain aspects of the

When John Savage is introduced in the novel, Huxley includes allusions such as “remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain” from Hamlet to help develop John as a character (Huxley 132). In doing so, readers are better able to understand John’s character. However, the reader’s ability to perceive John’s character is only because of the relevance that these historical allusions still have today. According to “Shakespeare in Today’s Literary World; Influences and Rereadings,” Shakespeare’s works prove to be “timeless,” as they provide themes that people today can identify with, such as “love vs. hate” (Ahlam and Lemmouchi 35). In that case, Huxley’s use of allusions from years before the publishing of his novel do not truly make it historical. Instead, these allusions only enhance the novel’s characterization if they are perceived by readers, as they still prove to be relevant

At the beginning of Brave New World, Huxley introduces the process of being “decanted” through technological means, as they cannot do that without technology (Huxley 9). In fact, one of the processes, “Bokanovsky’s Process,” proves to be “one of the major instruments of social stability,” showing that the people of London practically rely on technology to keep their society functioning in such a way that is satisfactory (Huxley 7). Not only this, but Mustapha Mond even claims later in the novel that “God isn’t compatible with machinery and scientific medicine and universal happines,” suggesting society’s movement towards reliance on technology, which would ultimately leave hard work and traditional values behind (Huxley 234). In fact, this idea of society represented by Huxley even appears to be true in today’s world. According to “Understanding Human Over-Reliance on Technology,” people have begun to rely on technology heavily for needs such as medications (Grissenger 2019). With that being the case, it is almost as if Huxley wrote Brave New World to warn society about what it may become. Although the novel doesn’t clearly state the issues of technology, it does clearly demonstrate how society will slowly be fueled by technology. In fact, according to “Be Careful What You Wish For: Unintended