Fahrenhiet 451 and Brave New World?

Question

I read both books and watched Logans Run. I had the feeling that the general population in each book was happy with the way they were, so my question is, if they were happy as a society in general, why mess it up? We are going down this road in the U.S. and people seem content. Why not let the goverment run the show?

Answer 1

If you recall, near the end of Brave New World, the Savage confronts Mustapha Mond. He wants to put on a production of Othello, and the Controller won't let him. The Controller says that the emotions would disturb the people and make them uncomfortable. At this point, the Savage says (forgive me; I can't remember the exact quote)

"I don't want comfort, I want God; I want poetry, I want real danger: I want sin." (Or words to that effect).

The point he's making is that the Controller's perfect world is a world without anything human. How does the thought strike you that we were never meant for paradise?

Without obstacles there's no real growth in life, and we (as well as our culture) deteriorate. Do you want poetry? you must face real danger. Do you want God? you must confront sin. In other words, if there are no weights to lift, the muscles inevitably atrophy. It is our struggles that make us human. It is the risks we run and the obstacles we overcome that make us strong, creative and alive.

Without the negatives of life, we would degenerate to a vapid and meaningless existence. The worlds you describe provide physical sensations devoid of any emotional affect.

The worlds you mention aren't creative. They aren't alive; and the people in them aren't free. They are managed and cared for like pets. No. I stand with the Savage.

Hope this answer helps. Cheers, mate.

Answer 2

Now I'll be honest and say I haven't read the books, so I'm basing my answer on the movies.
I thinkg the real question is, were they really happy? I think that each society was missing something, they may not have been able to name what it was, but they felt they needed something that wasn't available to them. That thing being "choice" or "free will". Being content with the status quo and happy are not the same thing. Not having to worry about decisions or being kept in "blissful ignorance" may sound like a nice change but I think it's human nature to want to know, to want to choose what we know. You should try reading "A Handmaid's Tale". Like all aspects of society, not everyone is happy all the time. Even if on the surface they show it.

Answer 3

Soylent Green or V for Vendetta?