Starter #4:
Share your
annotations from chapter 6 with your table mate.
Social Darwinism – mind set of
1930’s
Dehumanizing Native American’s
Use of the term "savages" is
an example of categorizing the original human beings in a manner that regards
them as less than human, and attempts to justify treating them as less than
human. Historical narratives written from a European viewpoint are inherently
dehumanizing, and privilege those who referred to themselves as fully human
because they were historically “white” and “Christian.”
Racism and segregation are ways of
controlling and separating masses of people. Aldous Huxley is easy to dislike.
The offspring of a formidable
intellectual dynasty, Huxley inherited a position in society from which he
was able to view the world with an often disapproving but never uncomfortable
detachment. If, like his friend T S Eliot, he saw nothing untoward
in the casual anti-Semitism conveyed in such attitudes, he also shared the
racist phobias of his day.
Brave New World is a satire of the dystopian
“civilized” society where “savage reservations” are the only remaining oases of
sanity and humanity. Much of Brave New World is drawn from the work of Plato's republic
which covers much of the design that Huxley was to use. Eugenics was part of
that and I would have thought that Huxley was playing and/or exaggerating that
theme to show where it lead.
Video:
Discussion Norms:
1.
Discuss, don’t just answer the questions
2.
Answer every answer fully and give examples when
you can (reference the text)
3.
Everyone on the page in the text you are
discussing
4.
Redirect side conversations
5.
Balance who speaks
6.
Ask questions if needed
7.
No talking to other groups
Three roles: facilitator,
question asker, and GO DEEP person
Discussion Questions: (ch. 1-7)
Ch 1.
Explain what you think the ideal US motto would be, and discuss what
dystopian elements might be in it. How
does this motto show up in your life?
Ch 1.
What is the relationship between knowledge and happiness? Does knowing too much about the world make
people unhappy?
Ch 2, 3. Even though the messages do not come in your
sleep and you have not had shock treatment conditioning, what forms of social
conditioning have you been exposed to that determine how you see the world?
Ch 3. P. 54 “Take a holiday from
reality whenever you like, and come back without so much as a headache or
mythology?” In your own life, what kinds
of holidays from reality do you take?
What do you do that engages you in the realities of our world?
Ch 4. In what ways is Soma used to
maintain society? What purpose does Soma serve? What is our Soma (in our
society today, explain)?
Ch 4. P. 66 Why do you think each
caste has a separate news source? How does it impact the caste structure?
Ch. 6. Page 96 – 98 Why does the
director attack Bernard in part 2?
In part 3, page 103, Why does Bernard
originally hope to endure some form of pain and suffering?
Is it good that we suffer, or would
it be better if we found a way to abolish all suffering?
Ch. 7 Why do you think Huxley chose
to include a Native American Reservation in his book? How do you think Native
Americans were perceived in the 1930’s? How are the savages portrayed in the
book?
Ch. 7. P 121 Do you think ending is
better than mending? Or is mending better than ending? How has mass consumption
impacted our society? How does mindless consumption condition who we are?
Chapter 8 –
1. Reading time
2. Activities
Homework: Finish Chapter 8 with activities
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