The above map shows Aldous Huxley's birthplace in Godalming, Surrey, England, in 1894.
The Search story
After having read Brave New World and working collaboratively in a group to create a presentation with eight other boys, I felt impelled from the get-go to write my I-search using a feminist lens, if for no other reason than to exert my own femininity and avoid repetition since I thought it highly unlikely for any of my other group members to pursue their project using this lens. I have never associated myself much with feminism, however, so I thought this would give me the opportunity to conduct considerable research on the topic and find out much more information that I ever would have learned without an impetus such as the I-search.
Looking back on my reading of the novel, I noticed something interesting - that men and women occupy similar social spheres in that they are capable of performing the same tasks without discriminating against one or the other - yet men still seem to have a slight upper hand. For instance, on page 26 when Henry Foster is delivering a tour of The Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre, he gives her "two or three little pats, receiv[ing] in exchange a rather deferential smile for himself." Huxley's use of the word "deferential" here has a relatively negative connotation, to the extent that Lenina (the recipient of the "pats") appears submissive to this male figure of authority. Since I had a hunch that this depiction of women may have related to society's perception of females during a particular time period, I was brought to my first research question: women are portrayed as relatively equal to men in social status within the context of Brave New World; however, no women occupy positions of authority in the novel. How does this relate to the evolution of women's roles in the workplace in the real world, especially considering the time period during which Aldous Huxley wrote?
As the novel progressed, an in-depth explanation of the child-rearing (or rather, child manufacturing) process was described, very mechanically and devoid of feeling, since humans in this "utopian" world play essentially no role in reproduction. Nonetheless, women must supplement themselves with "Pregnancy Substitutes," "Malthusian Belts," and the like to prevent against accidental pregnancy yet be able to retain normal hormonal function. As such, I pondered: women, the bearers of children, have the ultimate authority on decisions regarding childbirth and pregnancy. How has society's perception of the various means of contraception, such as those portrayed in Brave New World, morphed over time since the ethical implications of such methods have been of increasing concern? I was told Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, played a key role in the evolution of reproductive technologies, so I was eager to conduct some research on her role in this process and the moral dilemmas that has arisen because of it.
Although female characters in Brave New World are not lacking, the primary characters in the novel are mostly men, with the exception of Lenina Crowne and Linda. I would like to analyze how the female characters in Huxley's novel are portrayed. Do parallels exist between society's reception of women in the novel and current societal values of and toward women? Since Linda was ostracized from society due to the physical disparities between her own appearance and that of every other woman in the society in which Huxley describes, I would like to focus my research efforts on Lenina.
Lenina interacts with many of the main characters throughout the novel, but her relationship with John the Savage is unique, in that he is one of the only men in Brave New World to refrain from objectifying and taking advantage of women, yet he becomes a social pariah. I therefore wonder: How might this irony provide a social commentary on the interactions between men and women both in the novel and in the real world, as well as on the inclusion of new members into society?
As a whole, technology seems to have played a role in molding the society in Brave New World. And, as technology has progressed, so too has women's quest for equality in all aspects of their lives. So I ask: How has technology influenced women and their respective roles in society?
As I research each of these questions, I will focus on the notion that the technologically adept society depicted in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World reflects the advancement of women's rights and their increasing presence as members of the working class.
Looking back on my reading of the novel, I noticed something interesting - that men and women occupy similar social spheres in that they are capable of performing the same tasks without discriminating against one or the other - yet men still seem to have a slight upper hand. For instance, on page 26 when Henry Foster is delivering a tour of The Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre, he gives her "two or three little pats, receiv[ing] in exchange a rather deferential smile for himself." Huxley's use of the word "deferential" here has a relatively negative connotation, to the extent that Lenina (the recipient of the "pats") appears submissive to this male figure of authority. Since I had a hunch that this depiction of women may have related to society's perception of females during a particular time period, I was brought to my first research question: women are portrayed as relatively equal to men in social status within the context of Brave New World; however, no women occupy positions of authority in the novel. How does this relate to the evolution of women's roles in the workplace in the real world, especially considering the time period during which Aldous Huxley wrote?
As the novel progressed, an in-depth explanation of the child-rearing (or rather, child manufacturing) process was described, very mechanically and devoid of feeling, since humans in this "utopian" world play essentially no role in reproduction. Nonetheless, women must supplement themselves with "Pregnancy Substitutes," "Malthusian Belts," and the like to prevent against accidental pregnancy yet be able to retain normal hormonal function. As such, I pondered: women, the bearers of children, have the ultimate authority on decisions regarding childbirth and pregnancy. How has society's perception of the various means of contraception, such as those portrayed in Brave New World, morphed over time since the ethical implications of such methods have been of increasing concern? I was told Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, played a key role in the evolution of reproductive technologies, so I was eager to conduct some research on her role in this process and the moral dilemmas that has arisen because of it.
Although female characters in Brave New World are not lacking, the primary characters in the novel are mostly men, with the exception of Lenina Crowne and Linda. I would like to analyze how the female characters in Huxley's novel are portrayed. Do parallels exist between society's reception of women in the novel and current societal values of and toward women? Since Linda was ostracized from society due to the physical disparities between her own appearance and that of every other woman in the society in which Huxley describes, I would like to focus my research efforts on Lenina.
Lenina interacts with many of the main characters throughout the novel, but her relationship with John the Savage is unique, in that he is one of the only men in Brave New World to refrain from objectifying and taking advantage of women, yet he becomes a social pariah. I therefore wonder: How might this irony provide a social commentary on the interactions between men and women both in the novel and in the real world, as well as on the inclusion of new members into society?
As a whole, technology seems to have played a role in molding the society in Brave New World. And, as technology has progressed, so too has women's quest for equality in all aspects of their lives. So I ask: How has technology influenced women and their respective roles in society?
As I research each of these questions, I will focus on the notion that the technologically adept society depicted in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World reflects the advancement of women's rights and their increasing presence as members of the working class.