Tool Text
The first half of Brave New World by Aldous Huxley depicts a socially programmed society in which advances in science and technology have created a world full of people who are biologically human but may not be fully human in other ways. This lesson sequence can be done after a few days of initial work on the early chapters of the book: how the text is structured, the major characters, the features of the World State etc. It may also be helpful, but not essential, to have had some preliminary discussions about the concept of free will.
Class Period 1
Journal. Have students begin class by journaling for about ten minutes on what it means to be human. What is a human being? What defines a human being as fully human? Is being human merely a biological definition? Or something more?
Share/Discuss. Students are urged to share and discuss what they wrote.
Pair up. Then send the students in pairs into the text to find passages that link to, connect to, corroborate etc. their claims about humanity and the limitations of humanity. Of particular interest are passages that suggest that humanity has in some way been mediated or limited.
CLASS 1 DISCUSSION GOES HERE (see discussion questions below)
Class Period 2
It might be helpful to plan 10 to 20 minutes of context about Aldous Huxley and technology (1910s30s), or send students to collect some information. Contexts that might be of interest.
WWI and chemical warfare.
- Huxley’s own experience working in a chemical factory as a young man.
- The rise of multinational capitalism, consumerism, advertising.
- The rise of the modern city.
- Mechanization automobiles, trains etc.
- Mass communication technology.
As part of establishing context, watch this clip from Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times (approximately four minutes).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANXGJe6i3G8
Watch this second very short film, “I Forgot My Phone” (approximately two minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OINa46HeWg8
CLASS 2 DISCUSSION GOES HERE (see discussion questions below)
