Contrast-comparison essay. Arseniy Fedosiuk

"Fahrenheit 451" and "Brave New World"

The theme of totalitarianism had spread largely among the science fiction genre in the XX^th century. In general that can be characterized as a cycle process of changing preferences and attentions from utopia to dystopia considering the increasing decadence and disillusionment amongst the intellectual community. Like a result a wide-ranging output of novels and essays were produced involving these ideas. Such works as Ray Bradbury’s "Fahrenheit 451" and Aldous Huxley’s "Brave New World" can be considered as the most prominent examples of such disillusionment framed in an artistic shell.

Both "Fahrenheit 451" and "Brave New World" describe a futuristic totalitarian state where the highest aim of all humanity’s history is now solved – everyone is happy. The plot of these stories unfolds in similar ways: central characters – ‘fireman’ Guy Montag and sleep-learning specialist Bernard Marx serve for the regime and do their work conscientiously thereby providing further existence of that regime like hundreds and thousands of other like them. But there comes a time when they start to open their eyes, analyze and rethink their life position and become outlaw. Both works use the image of a rebel mixed with the images of the Messiah and sacrifice.

From the point of view of the society described by Bradbury and Huxley the large output of similarities can be found easily. Like it was said, the declared aim of these totalitarian states is to make a human happy. There’s no wars, no negative emotions, no frustrations and human happiness is controlled by the regime. Brainwashing and mass culture became the most powerful controls of society; consumerism represented a religion of these new worlds. The very need to think critically has been done away along with ability to fully express emotions. Both stories are the direct appellation to free-thinking like to an essential part of human being without which an individual no longer exist.

At the same time Bradbury and Huxley provides two fundamentally opposite models of totalitarianism (but both of which were to exist in XX^th century). In "Fahrenheit 451" the total control of humanity is achieved by violence. Free-thinking is prohibited, emotions are controlled, and any sources of critical thoughts are outlaw and must be destroyed. People are raised in fear and that’s only emotion that is genuine. On the other hand the "Brave New World" society is controlled through pleasure and enjoyment. People are voluntary taking a special drug called soma to dispel any anxieties or negative emotions. Mass culture and consumerism has replaced religion and art. There is simply no need to think. So, in one story free-thinking is under strict censorship, in another – it is completely forgotten.

"Fahrenheit 451" and "Brave New World" being two avowed masterpieces of dystopia present a situation which is if not a hyperbolized metaphor of our present society, but very familiar to it.