Karl Marx Brave New World Analysis

Power vs. Powerless Aldous Huxley connects his book, Brave New World, to Karl Marx’s principles. Karl Marx is a German philosopher that the class differences in society. He studied most specifically class differences, economic differences, cultural differences. Marx states that “The separate individuals form a class only insofar as they have to carry on a common battle against another class; otherwise they are on hostile terms with each other as competitors.”(Karl Marx) Marx believes that class conflict and difference is inevitable. However, in Brave New World, the class are separated to Alphas, Deltas, Gammas, and Epsilons. In this society, each class is conditioned differently. They are socially conditioned to be a functional society, where

Epsilons are the working class. They usually work as a sewage worker, liftmen, and semi-morons. Epsilons have accepted that they need to work hard because they have to. Alphas are the ones who are in control. They are the intellectuals of the society. They have more power than everybody else. Alphas have gained this power by their jobs and clothing. However, those who are part of this society don’t know that. The Epsilons are conditioned to work harder than everybody else. However, for them, it is normal. Alphas help the Epsilons to convince the Gammas and Epsilons to accept their status. Brave New World exemplifies the attempt to control society by diminishing class struggle.

Huxley makes class differences clear; however, everybody in the society has to conditioned to feel that he/she is fine-that Epsilons need to work harder than the Alphas. In this state, nobody can feel jealousy of those in the higher classes. Epsilons do not need to feel wrath or jealousy over those in the higher levels. They believe that their level in the class strata is fair, due to social conditioning. Since birth,

In Brave New World, Huxley shows how the society is being controlled when he writes, “‘...We condition them to love all country sports. At the same time, we see to it that all country sports shall entail the use of elaborate apparatus. So that they consume manufacture articles of transport. Hence these electric shocks”(Huxley 129). Everybody is being conditioned. They are being controlled. They have been controlled to the point that they can’t think for themselves. The Director makes sure that everyone that is lower than him need to conditioned the same. The society needs to be proud of the position in the society. Their position has to be fair. Everybody has a part in the society. Their part has been chosen since birth. And for those who try to think differently, they will be sent to Bernard Marx, who is a Alpha plus psychologist. Bernard will correct their mind by performing sleep therapy. Henry Ford wants everybody’s thoughts to be the same. To connect this idea to Marxism, social control limits their ideas. Their ideas can be a problem. If everybody starts thinking, they can create bad ideas, such as creating as revolting against the government. That is why the government has limited their thoughts, since birth.With everybody thinking the same, it will make everybody happy and create a stable environment. Hence, Huxley creates the society’s motto, “Community, Identity, Stability”(Huxley 1). They need