[studies]

the fact that i got something out of english class, something i never pay attention in, is actually really incredible. after a reading and analysis of both brave new world by Aldous Huxley, and an unknown citizen by Auden, i found some similarities between the two, and really, it's quite interesting. in both literary works, it seems like the individual is surpressed by the government, and happiness is structured after what the government wants of you.

so really, what is happiness?

in brave new world, happiness is dictated through you. you are TOLD when you are happy. there is no such thing as anger or unhappiness, because any unpleasant truths or events would be covered by a drug called soma, which is also forced upon you from when you were but an unborn fetus. the fact of the matter is, there is no such thing as happiness in the novel. not any authentic, genuine happiness anyway.

but what about in our world?

how are we happy? how is it any different from the people in brave new world, who are enchanted and kept occupied by consumer needs? we are just like them; we find pleasure in shiny new things, in new clothes, in a status icon that is not dictated to us by our governments, but instead by the media. hypnopaedia (repetition of an ideal while you're asleep) is used to enforce the wants and desires that the government wants for the citizens, thousands of times a day. the media to us is not much different. we watch tv everyday, go on the internet everyday, and everyday, just like the residents of a brave new world, we too are bombarded by what we THINK is good for us; what we THINk would make us happy. it's rather sad really.

fortunately, that is the only similarity. we still have our own individual selves. we can still strive for our own emotions, not ones dictated to us by an upper power. we experience everything that is human. we experience love. we experience anger. we experience tragedy. we experience what it means to be TRULY human.

i think that is what happiness is all about.

just a schpeel from me before i go about writing my essay on a brave new world.