Brave New World

Brave New WorldAldous Huxley

Christine Wells

The AuthorAldous Leonard Huxley (26 July 1894 – 22 November 1963) was an English writer and one of the most prominent members of the famous Huxley family. Best known for his novels including Brave New World and a wide-ranging output of essays, Huxley also edited the magazine Oxford Poetry, and published short stories, poetry, travel writing, film stories and scripts. Huxley spent the later part of his life in the United States, living in Los Angeles from 1937 until his death.

Aldous Huxley was a humanist, pacifist, and satirist, and he was latterly interested in spiritual subjects such as parapsychology and philosophical mysticism. He is also well known for advocating and taking psychedelics.

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The Context

1. In what ways did Huxley's education influence his writing?

2. How did Huxley's eye disease influence his writing?

3. List 3 themes that Huxley deals with in his writing.

4. Identify the band that was influenced by Huxley in the 1960s. Which book influenced them?

5. Define Utopia.

6. Define Dystopia.

7. Predict which term will most likely describe Brave New World.

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Plot QuizProcessing

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Setting

Time· 2540 a.d.; referred to in the novel as 632 years “After Ford,” meaning 632 years after the production of the first Model T car.

Places· London, England; The lighthouse; Savage Reservation in New Mexico.

Gathering

1. Where is the savage reservation?

2. Describe the reservation and its inhabitants.

3. Describe what happens in the 'quaint native ceremony'.

4. Create a chart which shows the different levels of society in London. Explain what each level is responsible for.

5. In pairs, design a poster which lists the laws of the 'new world'. Include at least 5. Make your poster colourful and well presented.

6. In pairs, design a webpage which advertises the lighthouse and John the savage as a tourist destination. Include images and a description of what can be seen and experienced.

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Characters

CharactersGathering

Characters: John the savage

1. Create a profile for John. Include name, age, interests, adjectives to describe his personality and his family situation.

2. Explain why John is the ultimate outsider. Include a quote to support your explanation.

3. Explain where John gets his values from.

4. Identify 3 ways that John's knowledge of Shakespeare is helpful to him.

5. In what way is it a hindrance?

6. Create a chart that shows the differences between John's values and the values of London society. Include quotes.

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Characters: Bernard Marx

1. In what way is Bernard's entry into the novel ironic?

2. Explain why he is interesting to the reader.

3. Create a flowchart that shows the changes in Bernard's fortunes. Include detailed explanations and quotes for each change.

4. Explain why he is a hypocrite. Include examples.

5. Describe John, Helmholtz and Lenina's attitudes to Bernard. Include a quote for each character.

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Characters: Helmholtz Watson

1. Helmholtz is what Bernard wishes to be like. List his positive characteristics.

2. Explain why Helmholtz criticises the World State. What is the difference between his reasons and Bernard's reasons.

3. Create a compare/contrast chart to show the similarities and differences between Helmholtz and John.

4. Explain what the conversations between Helmholtz and John demonstrate. Include an example from the novel.

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Minor characters

1. In groups of 2-3, choose 2 of the minor characters and complete the following:

2. Create a profile for each character. Include name, age, social status, occupation, interests, an image to represent their character.

3. Complete a compare/contrast chart for your chosen characters.

4. Identify a conflict that each character faces in the novel and explain how they dealt with it.

5. Record a 'signature' quote for each character.

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Essay 1: Choose one of the questions and write at least 400

words.

1.Analyse how a main character OR individual matures and takes action in a text you have studied.

2.Analyse how the growth OR breakdown of a relationship(s) affects the climax in a text you have studied.

3.Analyse how the writer has influenced your opinion of a choice made by a character OR individual in a text you have studied.

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Themes: the use of technology to control society

1. What warning is Huxley giving the reader?

2. List 3 examples of the technologies that BNW criticises.

3. List examples from real life that are similar to these.

4. Explain what the World State means by science?

5. Explain what the State uses science for. Why does it limit real science?

6. Identify 2 characters that you would link with this theme and describe an event from the text which links them with this theme. Include at least 1 quote for each character.

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Themes: The incompatibility of happiness and truth

1. Explain how soma acts as a tool for promoting social stability. Locate a quote to support your answer.

2. Do we have tools to promote social stability in our society? What examples can you think of?

3. Why does the World State prioritise happiness at the expense of truth?

4. Explain what Mond believes happiness is. Locate a quote to support your answer.

5. Identify the 2 types of truth that the State wants to cover up. Explain the difference between each one.

6. Identify 2 characters that can be linked with this theme. Include examples from the text.

7. Explain what the search for truth involves. Why does the State want to stop it?

8. In pairs, write an advert or create a storyboard that could be used in the World State to promote happiness.


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Themes: The consumer society

1. BNW is a satire of the society that we live in. Define satire.

2. In what way is BTW satirical? Include quotes.

3. Do you agree that the World State is an extreme but logically developed version of our society? Explain why and include examples.

4. Explain what happiness means to you.

5. Complete a compare/contrast chart to show the similarities and differences between your definition of happiness and the definition of happiness in the World State.




Essay 2:Choose one of the questions and write at least 400

words.

1. Analyse how the setting of a text you have studied influenced your understanding of the ideas in the text.

2. Analyse how an idea is developed in a text you have studied.

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Narrative Style: motifs

Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, and literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes.

Adjective: PNEUMATIC

1.Define the word according to the dictionary.

2.What is Huxley's meaning for the word?

3.Explain why this adjective is used in BNW.

4.Include a quote.

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FORD

1.Explain the reason for this term in the novel. Include a quote.

ALIENATION

1.Identify 3 characters that are linked to this motif.

2.Explain why each one is linked. Include quotes.

3.Why is this motif important in the novel?

SEX

1.Describe what the State does to control sex and produce babies. Include a quote.

2.Explain why John and Lenina can never be together.

SHAKESPEARE

1.Explain why Huxley has includes references to Shakespeare throughout the novel. Include quotes.

Narrative Style: symbols

Symbols are objects, characters, figures, and colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.

SOMA

1.Identify the 3 things that soma represents. Include quotes.

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Narrative Style: Narrative point of view

Third-person omniscient; the narrator frequently makes passages of “objective” description sound like the speech or thought patterns of a particular character, using a technique usually called “free indirect quotation.”

1.Locate and record a short passage of the text as an example.

Point of view · Narrated in the third person, primarily from the point of view of Bernard or John but also from the point of view of Lenina, Helmholtz Watson, and Mustapha Mond.

1.Record 3 examples of 3 characters points of view.

2.Explain the benefits and drawbacks of this style of narration.

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Narrative style: Tone

Satirical, ironic, silly, tragic, juvenile, pedantic.

1.Choose 3 of the above adjectives and record events from the text which relate to each adjective.

2.Include a quote for each event.

3.Explain the author’s purpose – why does he use this tone?

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Common Test

1. Analyse how a main character OR individual matures and takes action in a text (or texts) you have studied.

2. Analyse how the growth OR breakdown of a relationship(s) affects the climax in a text (or texts) you have studied.

3. Analyse how the writer(s) has influenced your opinion of a choice made by a character OR individual in a text (or texts) you have studied.

4. Analyse how the setting of a text (or texts) you have studied influenced your understanding of the ideas in the text (or texts). (Note: Setting may include reference to time, place, historical or social context, or atmosphere.)

5. Analyse how an idea is developed in a text (or texts) you have studied.

6. Analyse how symbols are used to develop an idea in a text (or texts) you have studied.

7. Analyse how techniques of a genre or text type make a text(s) particularly effective for you. (Note: Genres and text types may include short story, novel, types of poetry and song, drama script, print or non-fiction texts.)

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Bibliography

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/bravenew/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brave_New_World

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/bravenew/



Brave New World

Education

Transcript of Brave New World