BNW

15 December 2015

Work and Technology

Expo 1213 - What is Work?

Maddy Payne

The society of Brave New World (BNW), in addition to being a contradiction within itself, also warns the American society of technology and the power that comes with it. Technology effects most aspects within the BNW society - birth, life and death. Individual, intellectual, and spiritual growth is limited by technology and work in BNW.

"In the Bottling Room all was harmonious bustle and ordered activity. Flaps of fresh sow's peritoneum ready cut to the proper size came shooting up in little lifts from the Organ Store in the sub-basement. Whizz and then, click! the lift-hatches hew open; the bottle-liner had only to reach out a hand, take the flap, insert, smooth-down, and before the lined bottle had had time to travel out of reach along the endless band, whizz, click! another flap of peritoneum had shot up from the depths, ready to be slipped into yet another bottle, the next of that slow interminable procession on the band. (1.32)"

The quote above shows how so humans are not even reproducing anymore; instead, they are reproducing through work. Babies are made through test tubes, technology, and science. They are conditioned with technology to act and think a certain way. And, put simply, they act as a commodity rather than an individual. In this society technology and advancements contain all the things these people need to live their lives. They are entirely depend upon it. Technology has replaced child birth, family, love, reading, philosophy, thinking, and religion.


The danger of working with technology is that it is consuming. Even today we can see technology taking over people's lives. Work itself is consuming and can alienate people from their lives and themselves. And, working with technology, the individual is already alienating him or herself from others and thus, alienating themselves faster.