"Literature is my utopia."

The World State Government is all-powerful and because it controls every facet of life, it creates a productive, self-sufficient, and “perfect” society.  Individuals do not naturally form and mature, rather they are pre-natally programmed and conditioned to behave exactly like the next embryo that passes down the assembly line. 

The Government controls the likes and dislikes of each caste. Some babies are trained to hate flowers and books, by associating a shrill sound and electric shock with the two items.  Individuals shrink away from the horror of botany and academics all their lives.  In fact, this conditioning technique was inspired by Pavlov’s experiment, in which dogs salivated at the sound of a bell because the sound was usually associated with food.  However, the Government was not programming humans for superficial reasons.  The dislike of flowers actually encourages workers to stay busy in factories and the dislike of books eliminates people’s tendencies to waste time reading and gain heretic knowledge. Therefore, society is always productive because citizens have been psychologically altered: to work hard and efficiently is the status quo.

The Government creates a self-sufficient society because the workers are the consumers and the consumers are the workers.  For citizens, all leisure activities are commodities and commercialized.  Citizens drive the capitalist economic system even when they are not working, by readily consuming expensive sports equipment and elaborate transportation vehicles.  Indeed, it is extremely odd for any person to not play “Obstacle or Electro-magnetic” during his/her free time (Ch5).  The World State ensures a prosperous economy and the status quo by conditioning people to want and always want more of whatever the economy produces.  To act otherwise, to act as an individual would be idiosyncratic.  Thus, the economy continues to thrive. 

Finally, the Government creates a society full of happy people, happy jobs, and happy fun.  First, the government controls the behavior of its citizens to obey without question.  People exhibit child-like obedience and adhere to the World State morals because of peer pressure and government laws.  Bernard faces ridicule and criticism because he has not reached the promiscuity standards and people are watched constantly by everyone else.  The elimination of a private life and the belief that this elimination is the norm provides the Government with limitless control.  Second, through one of Mustapha Mond’s speech, readers realize that citizens have no idea about any ideas before Ford, such as culture, marriage, parenthood, and emotions, especially love.  Obviously, these institutions have been, literally, erased from memory in order to achieve social stability: “History is bunk.”  If people understand no history and do not have access to any records, they cannot envision an alternate way of life and therefore will not rebel or seek change.  Third, since people never meaningful connect with others and create lasting bonds, they are solely loyal to the state. 

In the World State, there is never a need to question the Government’s decisions.  If the people only know happiness, and they are prevented from ever learning about or wanting a different life, they will always be content. (509) 

Sources (JStor):

“Oedipus in Dystopia: Freud and Lawrence in Alduous Huxley’s “Brae New World”

“The Two Future Worlds of Aldous Huxley”

“Science and Conscience in Huxley’s ‘Brave New World’”