Neil Postman s Assertions And Today s Society - 990 Words

Christina Contreras Mr. Limon ERWC 01 March 2017 Neil Postman’s Assertions and Today’s Society: Huxley’s Brave New World could be considered almost prophetic by many people today. It is alarmingly obvious how modern society is eerily similar to Huxley’s novel with the constant demand for instant gratification encouraging laziness, greed, and entitlement. Neil Postman, a contemporary social critic, seems to have noticed this similarity, as he has made bold, valid statements regarding the text and its relevance to our world today. This response is strongly in support of those statements and will prove both their accuracy in clarifying Huxley’s intentions and how Postman’s assertions compare to society today. One of Postman’s assertions†¦show more content†¦It comes as a justified fear considering everyone is coaxed into using social media by companies making it overall more convenient to do everything online. Not only does this lead to laziness--which is terrible for physical health--but selfishness in that what is most important is how the consumer fairs, not others. In the novel, Linda sleeps with the husbands of other women in an effort to achieve sexual stimulation. As a result, women â€Å"[began] hitting her with a whip...and each time Linda screamed† (134). Chasing what she loved led to a negative outcome. Kyle Smith, author of the article â€Å"Brave New World (is Here!)†, explains how a world prioritizing nothing but pleasure is nowhere near the heaven people imagine. He explains how â€Å"...a happyland free of intimate bonds and arduous challenges is actually a dystopia†. Basically, and more familiarly, too much of anything is not a good thing, and that includes pleasure. Lastly, at one point John tries to defend morals like being chaste. He is rebuked by Mustapha Mond, who says, â€Å"...[chastity, passion, and neurasthenia]...lead to instability...and [thus] the end of civilization† (239). As he begi ns whipping himself in an act of self-discipline, he is encouraged to continue by a crowd of desensitized people saying, â€Å"Do the whipping stunt. Let’s see [it]† (257). These quotes supportShow MoreRelatedBrave New World By Aldous Huxley1150 Words   |  5 Pagesreviewed over time by many different people. Neil Postman is a man who has read Huxley’s novel and came to conclusions himself. Postman has made many relevant assertions as to how our modern society is similar to what Huxley had wrote about. Three main points I agree on with Postman is that people will begin to love their oppression, people would have no reason to fear books, and that the truth will be drowned by irrelevance. 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