The motto of the World State depicted on the “Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre” is “Community, Identity, Stability.” This is a statement of values. Mustapha Mond says that sacrificing real feelings and emotional attachments is the price the society has to pay for stability. Mond himself has made sacrifices for the sake of social stability and uses his power to place limits and controls on science and the arts if instability might result. Individuals who threaten this stability are sent away to live on an island. What is the significance of “community” and “identity” in this motto? And how are these related to the stability of the individual? Of society?
Do you think that the sacrifices that the World State requires of its citizens are a price worth paying to maintain social stability? To answer this question, go through your reading notebook to find as much evidence as you can that the World State ensures that individuals are happy, productive, and compliant. Analyze the positive and negative aspects of each of these practices. Then write an essay arguing whether or not such social stability is worth the price the World State is paying. Support your arguments with details from the book and examples from our own world.
Gathering Relevant Ideas and Materials – Evidence to Support Your Claims
Consider the following questions as you identify the evidence to support your claims:
What is your position on the issue of the writing prompt? Can you state it in one sentence?
Why do you think this? What evidence do you have for this position? Go through your notes, annotations, and other materials for Brave New World. What can you use to support your argument? Do you need to go beyond the novel itself? Do you need to do some research?
What would people who disagree with you say? What evidence supports their position? How can you argue against them?
Is the issue too complex to be stated as a black-and-white, right-or-wrong, yes-or-no position? Are there degrees of probability or certainty? For example, no one can know for certain that our society is becoming like the World State or even that such a development would be bad. Is there enough evidence to suggest that the possibility is strong enough that we should take some action to prevent it? How will you handle a nuanced argument like this?
Negotiating Voices – Using the Words of Others (and Avoiding Plagiarism)
As you use the material from your notes, ask yourself the following questions:
Don’t forget page numbers for quotations and paraphrases.
Make sure you have a good balance between quotations and paraphrases. Don’t over quote in an attempt to fill space. Make sure you quote only when you have a good reason to (i.e., that the language from the text itself is important)?
If you want “frame” quotations, especially block quotations, introduce them first and then respond to them afterward. For example,
Mustapha Mond, the World Controller argues that society has to give up old books like Shakespeare to achieve social stability. He says,
You’ve got to choose between happiness and what people used to call high art. We’ve sacrificed the high art. We have the feelies and scent organ instead. (220)
However, what Mond doesn’t say is that when he says “you” have got to choose, the individual doesn’t actually choose. Mond chooses for him.