Sunday, September 13, 2015

Can you see any parallel bewteen Fahrenheit 451, Lord of the Flies and Brave New World?

All three novels are expressions of the literary form of dystopia, or anti-utopia. In these worlds, the mob is supreme over the individual, and as the stories develop, those in political power in each of these cultures continue to expand their influence to the detriment of any who might oppose them. All three were written around the time of World War II, which witnessed the wholesale destruction of governments, cultures, countries, and the rise and fall of political systems, so these novels reflect their time, and continue to be read as allegories of our history over the last 70 years. BNW and F451 belong more specifically to the literary genre of science fiction, as they imagine a future culture which perverts technology for the benefit of the mob or state, and increasingly marginalizes the individual. LotF goes the other way -- it imagines a primitive culture, but retains the element of mob rule.

No comments:

Post a Comment

What is the main function of the fool in "King Lear"? What is the secondly function?

The fool as a character is confusing, but part of this is the difference between the 1600s and today, as well as the difference in place. If...