The Everlasting Admonishment

Among the western Dystopian novels in the twentieth century, Aldous Huxley's Brave New World (1932) and George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) are the representative works. Due to the vivid depiction of the dehumanization and man's alienation in the future society with the extremely developed science and technology, these two novels together with Yevgeni Zamyatin's We (1924) are regarded as "Dystopian Trilogy" in the contemporary western society. In Brave New World Huxley fuses his scientific fantasy into the social satire and amplifies man's alienation caused by the negative effects of industrialization. Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four portrays a horrible dehumanized dystopian society where power tears the lines of humane defence; science and technology serves as a ruling tool for power; and humanity, freedom, and even man himself fall into the dark abyss. Since publication, these two novels have attracted wide attention because of their astonishing description of the future. Up to now, many critics have heatedly discussed them from the approach of the dystopian theme. Most critics regard Brave New World as literary text to analyze how its plot deconstructs the Utopian myths step by step and eventually realizes its dystopian theme. Meanwhile, many critics have analyzed Nineteen Eighty-Four from the political dimension.In my thesis, I will apply the Frankfurt School's critical theory of society to analyzing these two novels to demonstrate their common theme— man is alienated from his humanity by science and technology. This thesis is divided into four chapters besides introduction and conclusion.In introduction, it points out that the great influence of science and technology on humanity has been discussed for a long time.Chapter One gives a general plot summary of Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four. In Brave New World the young man Bernard meetsJohn the Savage and his mother Linda in the Indian Reservation. Thereafter, Bernard takes them to the brave new world. Linda soon dies of the overdose of soma, and John's attitude towards this new world is shifted from admiration to repulsion. In the end, he commits suicide because he is incompatible with this "civilized" society. In Nineteen Eighty-Four Orwell portrays the whole process of Winston's rebelling, surrendering and completely succumbing to the overwhelming power.Chapter Two is devoted to a detailed study of Huxley's Brave New World in the light of the Frankfurt School's critical theory. In this world, nature is replaced by the artificial world; man's natural attributes disappear; moreover, man's reason is damaged. Among the alienated citizens who are standardized and "one-dimensional", there are three rebels challenging the authorities by different means.Chapter Three focuses on the dehumanization caused by science and technology in Nineteen Eighty-Four. With the support of the advanced science and technology, the government in Nineteen Eighty-Four has exerted the incomparable power. Man's words and deeds are strictly surveilled by the telescreen and mike; and the applications of the versificators, speakwrite machines, and novel-writing machines have deprived individuals of their creativity and innovative spirits. Winston Smith—the last humanist is defeated by the authorities.Chapter Four offers a comparative study of these two novels from the angles of their origins, plots, heroes, and theme.In conclusion, it compares these two fantastic worlds with our contemporary world. Man's alienation is not only the simple prophecy of the future in Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four, but also the serious admonishment for human beings and contemporary society.