Questions about and for Aldous Huxley's pieces

Brave New World

1. Why do you think that Huxley criticizes the novel as not being whole or complete?

2. What is the significance of choosing Henry Ford as “God?”

3. Huxley wrote many other books, yet this is his most popular and most enduring. What is it about this book that has captured our imaginations for so long? Are there aspects of it that seem dated?

4. If you read the book earlier in life - say in high school - compare the experience of reading it again later on. Does it hold up to a second reading?

5. Could anything like “Brave New World” really happen? Has it happened in some form that we don't fully recognize?

Island

1. The “Island” seems to be filled with reflection and thought about Huxley’s life. His experimentation with drugs had convinced him of the transcendent meaning of the universe. How did this affect his book and the influence this book had on people?

2. The Island was probably one of the Indonesian Archipelago islands, where Huxley visited on his world tour. How did the Indonesian Archipelago islands affect his book and the people’s beliefs and values in the story?

3. In a way Huxley was way ahead of the reality shows before their time. How did Huxley’s characters act and react to others and their environment while on the island?

Darkness and Doors of the Temple

1. These are a few of Huxley’s poems, how would you say he felt about religion and how it related to his life?

2. Do you think Huxley is open to many or one religion in his life? Or would you say he is still searing for a meaning of human existence?

3. Would you say that Huxley’s views of the world headed for the gutter have anything to do with is spiritual views? Do they affect one another in more than one way?

Read these poems and more from Aldous Huxlely herehttp://http//www.readprint.com/author-49/Aldous-Huxley