Introduction
Dystopian novels have been one of the most celebrated pieces of literature among readers across the globe. Both George Orwell and Aldous Huxley’s works are celebrated worldwide for their dystopian themes and genius predictions for the future. Orwell’s 1984 and Huxley’s Brave New World contrast their understanding of humanity’s future based on the twentieth century’s living conditions.
Orwell’s 1984 takes quite an authoritarian approach regarding living standards, while Huxley predicts the future by people not caring about the truth any more. So today, here we are in the present to validate the predictions of both genius authors regarding the future of human freedom.
1984: An Orwell Classic
As the name suggests, 1984 takes place in the then future of humanity after years of endless wars. Readers can understand the book’s story by looking at modern North Korea, where the power lies in the hands of the state, and any single person who dares to raise their voice against the state is slaughtered or, even worse, subjected to his most feared situations. In 1984, the government had total control over everything, and they were pushing an agenda to substantiate their existence for the welfare of the general public. The surveillance was at an all-time high, and citizens were to play their given roles in the world without any obstruction and hunt for the truth.
Brave New World: Huxley Dystopian Future
Huxley’s Brave New World is a classic story that approaches the future of our race through the perspective of pleasure. In this book, the elites and intelligent minds have curated a secreted drug which activates the people’s minds to experience a state of highness and hedonistic pleasures. Because of this, people do not care about the truth. Instead, the book exposes the tendency of human minds to give up their freedoms just for short-term pleasures. What makes the book so fascinating is that it hits the point on several issues we face today in our societies, like the increasing drug use among the population. The elites in Huxley’s book do not care about control, as the people have already submitted their lives at the feet of evil forces.
A dystopian future is a certainty.
Some believe we are heading into a dystopian future, while others think we are already there. Still, the fact of the matter is that the dystopian future is a certainty no matter the approach of the human race. The advancements in science and technology will make us physically and mentally vulnerable and weak. And because of this, some people, especially the elite class, will try to control our lives in any way whatsoever. In 1984, fear was used to crush the spirits of people who wanted to speak the truth, while in Brave New World, the illusion of pleasure and leisure was used to make people forget that their rights were stripped. Both are excellent strategies for evil groups to control the population.
More Frightening Scenario
It is debatable whether we are heading towards a 1984-type world or a Brave New World, but there is one more inevitable scenario, and it is a hybrid of the two books. It is a world where people fear the government and, at the same time, depend on it for their mere survival. There may come a time when we are controlled by the elites and our heads by their fear and lust for what they provide us, whether healthcare or a standard supply box full of drugs and other hedonistic or consumer-oriented objects. It is only possible when both the government and the capitalistic corporations work hand in hand like we are seeing today.
Beyond Utopia, There Lies True Freedom
Every dystopian future is based on the vision of a utopian world, a world full of joy and happiness while all the bad things are kept at bay, but is it possible to usher the utopia on Earth? The answer is no because utopia is a never-ending urge to fulfil something beyond our perception: true freedom. Now, the idea of freedom is very debatable among people across the globe. Still, everyone clearly understands that freedom comes at a cost which has to be paid for by the people’s lives in political experimentation like Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union.
To get true freedom, the population needs to understand that we are individuals and, more importantly, we need to bond with others. The relationship between two people forms the fundamental of a society. In both 1984 and Brave New World, the basic fundamental of society, which is the individual, is attacked from the bottom up, leading to the formation of evil organisations. Therefore it is essential to preserve the inherited good inside us and to reveal its nature in the form of truth whenever there is corruption in front of our eyes.
Our Resistance to Authoritarian Control
So what can be our resistance to 1984 or Brave New World? The simple answer is to tell the truth whenever necessary. It is the only way which can set us free. Telling the truth is one of the most challenging tasks in our lives but think for a second about how many lives could have been saved if people decided to act with integrity and speak with truth while constricting the evil and resentment in their hearts. So, everyone needs to recognise each other as individuals struggling to find peace in a world with hints of goodness and evidence of evil.
Conclusion
Both 1984 and Brave New World are different in a lot of ways. A case can be made for each of the given titles for their predicting nature of our lives today, but what’s more important is that both these books are right about one thing, and that is there is a certainty of a dark future ahead, and thinking about it will make you insane while not thinking about it will enslave you, so choose wisely.
To know more about 1984
Check Out Brave New World
