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Mind Control In Brave New World

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In the dystopian world things are not always as they appear. The goal of the community is generally unity and to some degree happiness. It is the process of attaining the unity and happiness that is questionable. There's always a controlling body who holds complete power over the society. Many people have tried to create a perfect life, but find it impossible. As hard as the authors of these books tried knowing historical successes and failures they could not achieve the goal of creating a perfect society. Man is intended to feel the emotions put into us by our Creator. The perfect society cannot even be created with a pen and paper, much less in reality. Dystopian literature has a common characteristic of controlling the people in Brave …show more content…

Mind control in Brave New World took on a different purpose yet extremely powerful. Each life was conditioned to reach specific brain performances through behavior modification or enhanced performances. Huxley states, “you’re so conditioned that can’t help[…] that’s what soma is”(238). Their society was created for happiness and pleasure for each other, therefore, they were mentally programed to turn to the soma drug to put them to sleep so they never had to face unpleasant feelings. Even death was not feared because they were conditioned to accept death not having any knowledge about an afterlife. Just as we have televangelists today, in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? the author offers Buster Friendly and Wilbur Mercer, who preaches to the masses spreading their form of truth and striking fear in the hearts of the people. Isidore strongly states “I think Buster Friendly and Mercerism are fighting for control of our psychic souls”(Dick 136). The natural search for answers about an afterlife can lead people to follow a person they find believable. Belief in a deity with the power to live forever is what was being preached. The need to know along with the celebrity of being the one telling produces a battle over the minds of the followers. Songs, chants and yelling slogans will alter the mind of those who do them. But the one thing that can make the greatest difference in altering the mind is experiencing tremendous pain. Yet, all were designed to assure loyalty to the Party. The author states, “Exactly. By making him suffer. Obedience […] new shapes of your own choosing” (Orwell 266). In a society where individual peace, freedom and strength are never going to happen, it is obvious obedience to the Party is the only option. When a person feels electric shocks pierce through their body over and over, their mind will tell their body to either conform or die. We

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