A Familiar “Brave New World”: Huxley And The European Literary Tradition, Ethical Dilemma And Political Practice

Huxley's Brave New Word is one of the dystopian classics of the twentieth century. The nature of the novel remains controversial: most critics consider it Huxley's prophecy of the future industrial civilization; some believe it is the satire against the social and political environment of Huxley's time; others take it as merely the portrait of disillusioned intellectuals after the War. Before and after the publication of the novel, Huxley mentioned several times his intention of composition, but his ambivalent and sometimes contradictory attitudes only complicated the interpretation of the novel. Moreover, the comparative study of Brave New World and other dystopian classics and their interaction with modern society remain the focus of academic study.However, examining the novel's reflection of and influence over contemporary society and its future scenarios only in the dystopian context is an enormous simplification of the novel. Its inheritance to the European literary tradition has been neglected and its intertextuality of European literary classics lends us new perspectives on the interpretation of the novel. Addicts of the hallucinogen “soma” in Brave New World mirror the images of “Lotus-eaters” in several masterpieces of European literature. “Lotus-eaters” first appeared in Homer's Odyssey, and it inspired Tennyson and Maugham in their “The Lotos-eaters” and “The Lotus Eater” adapted from the classic story. Examining Brave New World in terms of the “soma” – “lotus” parallel reveals its high degree of resemblance to the three literary works in terms of settings, plot, theme, tone and characters. And Huxley's re-creation of the modern counterpart to “Lotus-eaters” in advanced industrial civilization enriches its connotation.The novel's similarity to European literary classics on different levels is no coincidence, and behind it lurk the ethical dilemma and the moral predicament that haunt the European civilization. The conflict between the obsession with and the repugnance to “soma” and “lotus” is the embodiment of the ethical dilemma inherited from hedonism and utilitarianism followed by many. Huxley's keen perception of the conflicted humanity portrayed in European literary works in terms of its vulnerability and intrinsic inclination to pleasures inspires his conception of the dramatically magical “soma”, which magnifies the paradox of hedonism and the predicament of utilitarianism veneered by the European morality.The ethical predicaments in the traditional literary works are reflected upon unconsciously, whereas the moral discussion in Brave New World is conducted intentionally in political discourse, which echoes the political practice in Plato's Republic, the origin of utopian tradition. The division of soul and the prohibition of poetry in Republic is the blueprint of caste segregation and high art eradication in Brave New World. Introducing modern(future) technologies into political practice, Huxley pushes Platonic principles of politics into extremity and uncovers the similar ethical dilemmas cloaked by primitive technological details. By thoroughly practicing the ideas and principles of Republic with utilitarian thinking in the novel, Huxley exposes Plato's sway between the utilitarian logic and categorical moral principles, which embodies the very nature of the ethical dilemma and moral predicament of Western civilization.