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What is perception?
Perception can be defined as a way of regarding, understanding, or interpreting something.
Both 1984 and Brave New World contain characters who either view society with high regard or disapproval.
Pain is so close to Pleasure by QUEEN
Mustapha Mond controls the citizens with pleasure
..They're so conditioned that they practically can't help behaving as they ought to behave. And if anything should go wrong, there's soma." (199)
In comparing 1984 to Brave New World, readers come to realize that everything being done is in order to obtain a perfectly controlled world where society can progress. Where the author of 1984, George Orwell, uses pain, Adlous Huxley uses pleasure.
"A hideous ecstasy of fear and vindictiveness, a desire to kill, to torture, to smash faces in with a sledgehammer, seemed to flow through the whole group of people like an electric current, turning one even against one's will into grimacing, screaming lunatic." (1.1.16)
-Pain is so close to pleasure because they are both used for control
-"Then I grew up and got my imagination"
-"Looking for some good old satisfaction" In BNW there goal is to always be satisfied
By pain being able to control society, it is also "progressing" the society. In 1984, the fear of being tortured is so great that there is no room for the citizens of Oceana to question anything. By not allowing the citizens to question anything, INGSOC is creating a world where if they say "jump", the citizens say "how high". If they wanted a new technology to be created, citizens would be working around the clock to come up with something and so on.
A real world connection to BN would be soma and the legalization of marijuana in certain states such as: Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska.
Used for its euphoric effects, these states have legalized marijuana as a recreational drug.
As explained in an article on webMD, "Most people use marijuana because the high makes them feel happy, relaxed, or detached from reality." Much like how Soma is used in Brave New World.
1984's society utilizes pain for a means of control.
There are two primary groups with differing perception of the pain used to control:
The proles are the working class of oceana. The novel reveals the unwillingness and inability of the proles to organize any sort of political uprising or reform. It is also noted, that any prole suspected of independent thought is simply marked down by the Thought Police to be killed, further decreasing the possibility of revolution.
The proles view their society with very passive attitudes. As explained by O'Brien, "The proletarians will never revolt, not in a thousand years or a million. They cannot. I do not have to tell you the reason: you know it already." (3. 3. 7) O' Brien is referring to the fact that the Proles will remain content so long as they have enough to eat, and are distracted by meaningless hardships or recreation.
The Outsider of 1984 are those who disagree with the ideology of pain as a means to run society. Winston and Julia are two such characters who fit this category of thinkers. These people attract the most interest from thought-police, as they have potential to be the imitators of any sort of rebellion against the Party.
The outsiders perceive the society of 1984 as unfair, and inhumane. They feel the obligation to revolt, to free the masses from what they believe is a wrong approach to maintaining a functional society. One such example of revolt is noted with Julia, as explained by Winston, "You're only a rebel from the waist downwards" (2.5.163) Winston notes that Julia's attempts to revolt are through self-gratification, and he knows that a real change requires a revolt on a deeper level, one more intellectual.
In connection to today's society, one way in which we are constantly making progress is with new technologies. The government allows for all sorts of new advancements because it helps them as well as major corporations keep track of us. For example: Facebook stores all kind of information on us.
These new technologies are controlling us as a society and like in 1984, we are becoming more like the society INGSOC envisioned. For example; we see something interesting, we take a photo of it on our phone and before you know it a million people know what happened.
The Alphas are the most intellectual of the society in BNW. They are intellectually advanced to the point of developing a distaste for the mindless society of pleasure they live in, and begin to desire more meaningful experiences
One Alpha + named Bernard Marx is exiled for his way of thought, but reacts as a coward and begs to stay. Mond say "If he had the smallest sense, he'd understand that his punishment is really a reward. He's being sent to an island where he'll meet the most interesting set of men and women to be found anywhere in the world" (16.204)
Military machinery
-Used to maintain control over rebellious citizens in Oceania. For example, room 101 is there to torture those who did not follow the government laws. Therefore, the inner party uses pain which can involve technological weapons, to force its citizens into agreement.
Surveillance
- Telescreens are used to monitor the people. There is no privacy in 1984's thus, when one has committed crime and is caught by technological advancements like the telescreen, pain will be coming that persons way
"Winston kept his back turned to the telescreen. It was safe, though, as he well knew, even a back can be revealing" (Orwell 3)
-Those who are foreign to the Brave New World and misinterpret their pleasures as unethical and their suppressing of literature and historical beliefs wrong.
They view women of the BNW as whore. John Savage- a son of a beta female and Director of Hatchery who was raised in a savage reservation falls in love with Lenina- a vaccination worker. But he interprets her actions as being basest and unladylike while Lenina is accustomed to the belief that everyone belongs to each other.
Savages also disagree with the lack of pain, literature, beliefs and individualism. To them it is difficult to understand the danger of deep thoughts to the Brave New World.
"But I don't want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin" (17.215)
Big Brother controls the citizens and promotes conformity through systematic and brutal torture. By conditioning the minds of their victims with physical torture, the party is able to keep a handle on reality.
The ultimate goal of 1984's society, namely INGSOC is described by O'Brien, "Progress in our world will be progress towards more pain. The old civilizations claimed that they were founded on love or justice. Ours is founded upon hatred. In our world there will be no emotions except fear, rage, triumph, and self-abasement. Everything else we shall destroy everything... But in the future there will be no wives and no friends. Children will be taken from their mothers at birth, as one takes eggs from a hen. The sex instinct will be eradicated. Procreation will be an annual formality like the renewal of a ration card. We shall abolish the orgasm. Our neurologists are mat work upon it now. There will be no loyalty, except loyalty towards the Party. There will be no love, except the love of big brother" (3.3.34)
In today's society, cameras are located everywhere as a form of security
"I don't want to live in a society that does these sorts of things...I do not wan to live in a world where everything I do and say is recorded." -Snowden
Technology is beginning to take over without our approval and not everyone likes being monitored 24/7.
"Do anything to me! He yelled. "You've been starving me for weeks. Finish it off and let me die. Shoot me. Hang me. Sentence me to twenty-five years. Is there somebody else you want me to give away? Just say who it is an I'll tell you anything you want. I don't care who it is or what you do to them. I've got a wife and three children. The biggest of them isn't six years old. You can cut their throats in front of my eyes, and i'll stand by and watch it. But not Room 101!" (3.1.71)
The type of torture that the party uses is so intense that the people subjected to it are ready to betray anyone in order to avoid it.
The last part of the novel depicts in graphic detail Winston's torture ad conversion by O'Brien into an unconditional acceptance of the power of the party and Big Brother (Lawowski)
It is clear that the intended perception of the population is to hold Big Brother as an all-powerful figure and ensure all actions are done to advance the love for this figure.
The pain of 1984 and the perception of those who face it are similar to the society in current day North Korea, Like the novels society, the people of North Korea do not have incentive to initiate any sort of revolt, and any who do are caught and sent to labor camps where they meet their demise. As noted by Hannah Lee, "From the beginning, the North Korea government used prison camps as a means of ideological control and oppression. The North Korea State Security Department is the official agency in charge of investigating and punishing real and alleged political offenses within north Korea. The agency has full authority to employ secret police to locate those who slander and punish offenders, including by imprisonment"
Found in an article on effects of consumerism, like in BNW
"Our consumption of goods obviously is a function of our culture. Only by producing and selling things and services does capitalism in its present form work, and the more that is produced and the more that is purchased the more we have progress and prosperity. (Robbins 2005)
The society of A Brave New World uses pleasure as a means for control.
Like 1984, BNW contains two groups who have different perceptions of being controlled by pleasure
Like in BNW, today's society views sex more openly. Birth control is also very much a part of today's society.
According to Guttmacher institute, "62% of all women of reproductive age (15-44) are currently using a contraceptive method". Every day this 62% of females is consuming this pill most likely for the purpose of finding pleasure in sex and minimizing the risk of pregnancy like in the novel.
Mustapha Mond, a world leader explains, "You're so conditioned that you can't help doing what you ought to do. And what you ought to do is on the whole so pleasant, so many of the natural impulses are allowed free play, that there aren't any temptations to resist" (Huxley, 213) Mond makes it clear that pleasure is a powerful tool in maintaining society. The groups have a severe for any sort of pain as a result of their conditioning, and view worlds outside f their own as "terrible" and awful" (7.106)
These different groups on the social hierarchy were conditioned from birth for their specific duties in life. They do not desire any better or any worse for themselves; they are each convinced that their task assigned from birth is the greatest challenge they an possibly face.
These groups all share a love of their world of pleasure. They are content with their tasks, are preoccupied by mindless games, and-if faced with any sort of pain- can take a holiday through the effects of the soma drug. Additionally, everyone belongs to everyone, so there is never any sort of disagreement over a sex partner, and never quarrels over love for an individual.
Sex
-At the hatchery little kids running around naked. This shows how sex as a means of pleasure is viewed in A Brave New Worlds society. In BNW if you want something, you should be able to have it right then an there.
Birth Control
The technological advancement of birth control pills allows both the men and women in BNW the pleasures of having sex without the risk of creating life. Therefore, this technology bring pleasure and satisfaction.
Soma Drug
This technological advancement similar to modern day ecstasy is used in BNW to bring pleasure. It is used to make your mind go on some sort of "vacation". Because BNW wants everyone to be happy and not have to worry or think, Soma plays a great part in society.
"The more stitches the riches..." (Huxley, 51)
"But old clothes are beastly, 'continued the untiring whisper. 'We always throw away old clothes. Ending is better than mending, ending is better than mending, , ending is better than mending" (Huxley, 54)
Modern game Example
-Full body orgasm every time you win a point (you wear a body suit)
-Climate controlled court (snow one minute, sun the next)
"Feel the sensation of your win."
In BNW every person repeatedly hears this phrase from an early age. It is embedded so deeply into the consciousness of each person that they take its meaning to be truth.
Citizens in a Brave New World find pleasure in buying new thing, whatever they desire when they desire it. This progresses society because phrases such as the ones mentioned spark consumer behaviour.
Since the more a person repairs their consumer goods, the less they will buy, resulting in less money in the economic system of society. Creating consumption is one of the chief tasks of government because consumption keeps lower castes employed with no time on their hands for disruptive behaviour.