The Lives of the Authors in turbulent times:

More than the works, I became obsessed to understand the great writers who created these intricate worlds. As an aspiring writer myself, one thing I know to be painfully true is that any creative work is a product of the artists’ circumstances.

Orwellian is an established adjective for a reason, George Orwell was well-traveled, born in Colonial India in 1903, part of the imperial Burmese Police Force, lived in Paris and was wounded in his anti-totalitarian fight in the Spanish Civil war. An eventful life indeed, He like Huxley saw two World wars in his lifetime. Our chaotic world in 2019 might seems stable compared to the first half of the 20th century. 1984 was Orwell’s final work, written in an almost monastic solitude on the island of Jura and published in 1949 a few months before his death.

Orwell wore his disdain for totalitarianism on his sleeve and was chiefly concerned with external political factors controlling human life.

Huxley, on the other hand, was born at the end of the 19th century and had an interesting Huxley lineage, post a seemingly traumatic childhood and an eye infection nearly robbing him of his eyesight, had made his name a satirist of contemporary bourgeoisie culture in his earlier works. However, owing to his eyesight compared to Orwell he was more sheltered from active war. After his maiden visit to the US in 1929, the sheer materialism of America shook him and lead to the creation of Brave New World in 1932. He later found his way to California, worked in Hollywood, explored Vedanta, mysticism and even experimented with mescaline.

A pacifist at heart, Huxley seemed to be more concerned with the inner world as a source of control than the external world.

One can see how the lives and times of the authors have seeped into the books, another noticeable influence is H.G Wells one of the leading authors of this age.

Timelines and Characters:

1984 is set a mere 40 years in the future from when it was written and is, therefore, more direct commentary on the world in the 1940s than Brave New World which is more than 600 years in the future. The issues addressed by Huxley are more pertinent to the human condition than any recent political world events.1984 revolves around Winston, Julia, and O’Brien and a constant state of war in London watched over by the now infamous Big Brother.

Brave New World is more loosely structured with a more exploratory beginning and understanding of the world set in 632 After Ford, a seemingly biologically perfect ecosystem for humans to live at a metabolic age of 35. The story later evolves to show the chinks in the armor of this narrative with the likes of Bernard, Lenina, and Helmholtz. The story really picks up the pace with the entry of an outsider, a Shakespeare quoting Savage named John.

Dystopian Elements with an eerie resemblance to today :

1984 does not blow you away with the likes of future inventions like Back to the future, beyond telescreens that resemble the smartphones of today. The scariest element of 1984 is the single-minded purpose of technology to establish control over every human life. A raw control fed only by an insatiable thirst for power. A power not even for material gains, a dark power for power’s sake. We may not be that screwed up with our surveillance and privacy yet, but we have the foundation of the Ministry of Truth with the US Patriot Act, China and the Hongkong protests, Big tech, and weirdly self-imposed surveillance of Social Media.

The most jarring concept in 1984 for me is without a doubt, Newspeak.

Thoughts controls words, it can work the other way round.

How often have we realized a vague feeling of something being wrong without being able to put it in words until someone does it eloquently? The result is usually a consensus on the problem at least. That is the power of words. The culture of labels feeding an increasingly polarised world with its echo chambers of media attaches judgment on a label rather than the circumstance.

Labels eliminate nuance, that sneaky detail that sometimes tips the scale of judgment away from the seemingly obvious.

Without going into all details in the infographic, a constant sense of fear, shortage of supplies, always being watched even by your own kids, an enemy to hate eternally and having to prove your loyalty constantly may be an exaggeration in today’s world but not that stretched in some parts of the world. Proving that these are all very much in the realm of possibility.

Brave New World is set many centuries into the future, this washes over many of the violent struggles and revolts that had to be no doubt subdued to create this World Order. Apart from Drones, Feelies (Mixed Reality for all the senses) and the fact that Golf survives 600 years from now, Huxley offers a few more tech predictions.

Undoubtedly the key technical advancement making this world possible is biochemical.

Dependence on Soma as quoted ‘with all the benefits of Christianity and alcohol without the side effects’ is a glaring reflection of the opioid epidemic in the US.

The problem is so prevalent that the side effects of opioids are major pharma markets themselves.

Beyond the obvious, the Decanting and Hatcheries where humans are no longer born rather mass-produced and calibrated to fit the role with specific features are only a few philosophical steps away from CRISPR babies in China.

If it were possible, everyone would be an alpha with near perfect genetic features .

Socially, by eliminating families, fathers, mothers, and monogamy the world comes to depend on the unlimited indulgence of material consumption & sexual promiscuity for meaning. With an entire race well-fed, disease-free, jacked up and ever-youthful with state-commissioned orgies, it is no wonder that there are no wars in this world. There are no challenges in this world, invariably leading to an island of misfits who are exiled for non-conformance. The genetically enforced caste system coupled with hypnopaedia makes one’s social standing permanent and even desirable.

It is such a desirable but bad future that it takes an outsider with an outdated sense of chivalry in the form of a Savage to expose this world of its contradictions.

Both 1984 and Brave New World keep open the possibility of the dystopias being hopefully disrupted by outsiders, proles in the case of 1984 and savages in Brave New World.

Nothing underscores the need for Diversity not just of gender & race but also of thought in our world more.

Summary :

Both books are considered classics for a reason, They ask very relevant and uncomfortable questions on what we as a race are aspiring to become.

I would recommend those who are interested to read the books to make sense of their own personal dystopias. 1984 and Brave New World are not exclusive realities today, they are both existing simultaneously. They will continue to haunt us as long as we are subject to external forces trying to coerce and control, there will be a Winston Smith in us. As long as we keep to compliance by consumption there will be a Helmholtz seeing the vagrancy in our existence.

Two glaring omissions in the books compared to the world of today is the impact of Climate Change and the scope of Automation which underscores the uncertainty of the future. The job of these writers is not to give us the answers but to ask the right questions.

The biggest learning for me personally in innovation has been

The sustainable way to enforce change in the way humans live, for better or for worse, is to make the change desirable.

If you have made it through the entire article, I thank you for your patience. I am interested in your views on the two books and my arguments. Comment below.

What do you think? 1984 or Brave New World?

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Stay Safe & Happy Reading,

Puneeth Chaithanya

for The Saranga Project