Intimacy in Brave New World vs. 1984
It’s interesting to look at the stark differences these societies have in this semi-compliant universe. However, one thing that differs completely is sex. In Brave New World it is encouraged to have multiple partners, you don’t want to be tied down to one person and sleeping with many keeps you young. Marriage disgusts the characters in Brave New World, it’s laughable and erotic. However, marriage isn’t frowned upon in 1984, rather it’s an uncommon choice. A choice made not for love or intimacy but strictly to bear children. Whilst, celibacy is more common in 1984 with the “junior anti-sex league” being a prominent voice in most children’s lives, marriage is still acceptable. What’ strictly forbidden and considered thought crime is lusting your partner. Marriage in the eyes of society is simply marrying someone you enjoy and would provide children, eventually they would become a person you are slightly closer with but nothing more. Sex is routine, not for pleasure.
Comparing
the two has it’s similarities as well. The act of prostitution in 1984 is more similar
to the encouraged sleeping around in Brave New World. In both cases it is an
escape but in one society it is allowed and in the other it is frowned upon,
and punishable. This may be because in Brave New World, contraception is very accessible an it has yet to be mentioned in 1984. My question is, why did the authors see this so differently,
and which provides a better structure for society?
Great question about a really stark difference between these books. Maybe what's even more significant than the differences, though, is the fact that in both dystopias, there is in fact control over sex, love, and marriage. These are not individual choices; they are socially and governmentally instituted. Lenina feels like she HAS to be promiscuous. Winston's wife feels like she HAS to have sex with him as a duty to the Party. It's not natural or individual.
ReplyDeleteMaybe because contraception was more widely accepted by the time 1984 was written in 1949? I'm not exactly sure about the history, but I think contraception took a while to become more well-accepted in society. Orwell also wrote this book during the time when the Baby Boom was at its height, and also based the society off of Soviet Russia, which actively tried to undermine family values to instill loyalty to the state instead.
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