Brave New World is a haunting dystopian novel by Aldous Huxley that paints a terrifying picture of a society controlled by technology and science. Imagine a future where emotions and individuality are stripped away in the name of efficiency and productivity. A place where people are mass-produced and conditioned to be one thing and one thing only. This was the World State, the novel's futuristic society, where marriage, family, and procreation are eliminated, and citizens are programmed to be obedient through biological manipulation, psychological conditioning, and a drug called soma.

Aldous Huxley's Brave New World is a masterpiece that sends shivers down my spine and leaves me breathless. It is part of a dystopian trilogy that will make you question everything you know about freedom, love, and happiness. Huxley is a master of the dystopian genre, and this book is a testament to his unparalleled talent. In Brave New World, Huxley paints an absurd and terrifying world where people in civilised society have no pain from their loss and never need to suppress their desires.

The characters Benito, Lenina, and John are the perfect vehicles to convey Huxley's message of the dangers of a society that values stability above all else. At the beginning of the story, we are introduced to Benito, a half-alpha who craves attention and adulation from others. He shows us the good parts of the civilised city where life is convenient and carefree, and all the alpha people are playing or seeking new ways to join in on the fun. But when Benito's job gets transferred to the polar Iceland, he proposes that he wants to see the Savage land. There, he meets John, a child from the civilised people who changes his life in unexpected ways.

Through John, we see a boy who at first finds everything in the civilised city to be pretty and free. He even meets an angel named Lenina, a woman who has been completely brainwashed by the civilised city. But as time passes, John slowly discovers the darker side of the civilised world. People in the civilised world are mindless, careless, and do whatever the high positions tell them to do. The last straw for John is Lenina, who doesn't understand the importance of love and only seeks pleasure from her body and meat. In contrast, John craves joy from his spirit. John goes to live alone in the woods, but the civilised people still find him and make fun of him.

Although the book was met with negative feedback and banned due to its themes of promiscuity, self-harm, and negativity, its take on dystopia continues to resonate with readers. It explores the dehumanising effects of technology, implying that pain is necessary for life to have meaning. The World State is presented as the antagonist, a sinister force that prevents characters from achieving meaningful happiness or free will. But what makes this novel truly powerful is that it's not unbelievable. It's a cruel mirroring of our own existence, should we follow a certain path too strongly. It's a warning of the consequences of sacrificing personal autonomy for the sake of efficiency and productivity. And to make things even more maniacally clever, society makes people believe they are happy and fulfilled, all while repressing their human passions and creativity.

The story takes place in 2540 CE, in a world where they worship Ford, whom they see as god-like, and have eliminated all vestiges of other gods. They live in an area that is rich in materials and advanced in science and technology. The area is separated into a civilised city and a savage conservation area. When people are born, they are divided into five different levels, and their lives have been decided even before they are born. They are taught to dislike books and nature, dislike families, dislike being alone, and unknown other kinds of religions and arts, but love the collectivity and suppress their desires. In contrast, people in the savage area are more used to religions and many different types of books. They know what pain feels like and the blessedness that comes with it. The new world in civilised areas is more like animals or machines. They don't have the pain of losing their people. When they have love, they don't have joy. The new world may look great, but it is how rulers control their people. If all our lives are predetermined, we will not have any freedom anymore. There is no joy in it, so to keep this away, we need to keep thinking and thinking that what we did is right and how we can improve it.

Brave New World challenges us to ponder what a perfect world really means. Is it a world without poverty, sickness, or sadness, or is there something more to life than just happiness? The novel's themes of individuality, freedom, and the value of human suffering continue to resonate with readers today. It's a stark reminder that a society that sacrifices individual autonomy for the sake of efficiency and productivity is not a utopia, but a dystopia in disguise.

From my perspective, promoting "suffering education" by forcing young people to purposely endure pain and hardship, or rejecting technologies that make life more convenient, is not necessary. However, it's imperative to be prepared for challenges and arm ourselves with the competence to envisage ups and downs in life. We shouldn't take good things for granted, instead, we ought to be humble and grateful for all positive encounters.

Furthermore, we are all social animals, and we need to learn to share, empathise, and be compassionate for people around us so that we can jointly make the world a better place to live. The pursuit of happiness shouldn't be at the cost of individuality and creativity. Instead, we should strive for a society that values both, and where people are encouraged to pursue their own interests and passions.

In conclusion, Huxley's writing is beautiful and haunting, and his message is more relevant today than ever before. The novel urges us to reflect on the world we live in and to question our assumptions about happiness and the meaning of life. Don't miss out on this incredible work of art.