Comparison between The Chrysalids and Brave New World free essay sample

In this essay I will compare two novels which deal with similar themes but in significantly different ways: â€Å"The Chrysalids†, a science fiction novel by John Wyndham published in 1955 and â€Å"Brave New World†, a novel by Aldous Huxley published in 1932. The story in â€Å"The Chrysalids† takes place thousands of years in the future in a rural society similar to our world before the invention of modern technology such as telephones, cars, etc. The people in the novel have vague memories of the Old People, a civilization which existed long ago and seems to be similar to our current technologically advanced world. The people in â€Å"The Chrysalids† practice a strict Christian religion with many constraints on what is considered acceptable behaviour. They believe that their ancestors’ civilization was destroyed by God as a punishment, and they must strictly apply God’s laws in order to avoid a similar punishment. The exact nature of God’s â€Å"punishment† is not explained, but there are indications that it was some kind of nuclear war. There are stories told by sailors of blackened, glassy wastes and the remains of faintly glowing cities. The people in the Chrysalids believe that deviations from what is considered â€Å"normal† (i. e. in plants, animals or humans) are the work of the Devil and must be destroyed. This means that human beings who are in any way different to the â€Å"norm† are either killed or sterilised and exiled to the â€Å"Fringes† – a wild area full of animal and plant mutations. The people in this society have little freedom, but there are cases where parents hide abnormalities in their children to protect them, thus reflecting what we would consider â€Å"normal† human feelings. The main character in the storey is David Strorm, a 10 year old boy whose father is a fanatical religious patriarch. David has frequent and vivid dreams of cities and â€Å"horseless carts† which are completely different to his experiences in his world. It soon becomes clear that David (and a few other children) have telepathic powers. They try to conceal their abilities because they know that such unusual abilities would be punished by their community, but eventually some of them are discovered. Like the Chrysalids, â€Å"Brave New World† is a science fiction novel set in the future (AD 2540 or 632 After Ford) and also provides a frightening vision of the future. However, unlike the Chrysalids, the world depicted in â€Å"Brave New World† is technologically advanced. The knowledge of reproductive technology, sleep-learning and psychological manipulation in the society portrayed by the novel greatly exceed current technology and scientific knowledge. Although the novel is set in the future it deals with issues which were relevant in the early 20th century and many of the novels characters are named after famous people (For example, the â€Å"god† in â€Å"Brave New World† is called Ford, and is easily recognized as being named after Henry Ford the inventor of the assembly line). These two novels are quite different, but they address similar themes – i. e. lack of personal freedoms that in our world we take for granted, authoritarian societies and frightening philosophies with the potential to dehumanize us. The society in the Chrysalids is frightening: punishments are violent and brutal and people who are â€Å"different† live in fear of being discovered. In contrast to this, the society in â€Å"Brae New World† appears relatively benign: the people are happy, and there is no need to control the population through violent means. However, in both books the central theme is a lack of freedom. In the Chrysalids (like the novel â€Å"1984† by George Orwell) the authorities enforce compliance with the rules of their society through repressive and sometimes violent means. However, in â€Å"Brave New World† the authorities have no need to enforce the rules (violently or otherwise) because in their society no-one questions the rules. The methods used in â€Å"the Chrysalids† to enforce compliance with the restrictive norms of society are familiar as there have been many repressive governments that have used these methods throughout human history. However, in â€Å"Brave New World† the society presented is more frightening in many ways because people are â€Å"designed† to be passive, content, and unquestioning. In â€Å"the Chrysalids†, people retain â€Å"internal† freedom (to think independently, question the norms of society and dream of a different reality if they are so inclined), but their behaviour is controlled by external forces (i. e. the power of the authorities). In contrast to this, in â€Å"Brave New World†, the people had been deprived of the â€Å"internal† freedom to question whether their society is the best possible. In The Chrysalids people are controlled by fear and violence which inflicts pain. In Brave New World people are controlled by an absence of pain or struggle, and an excess of pleasure and distractions. The primary themes in the Chrysalids are conflict and struggle, while in Brave New World; the main themes are conformity and complacency (with the exception of a few characters whose life experiences, or some mistake in their â€Å"creation†, makes them â€Å"different†). However, both novels warn us of the dangers of society attempting to restrict human ideas and freedom, and seeking to create a â€Å"perfect† society. The nature of human beings is to change and evolve. This is what gives humanity its creativity and endless capacity to rethink old problems and find new solutions.