Huxley is loved and hated about the same on either side. His pieces are spiritual and so futuristic that sometimes it’s hard to believe that he wrote them in the 1930s. Some of the things he talks about have or seem to be coming true. The dependency of human kind on technology and science progression is becoming pathetic.
People walk around with phones glued to their ears, pagers Velcro-ed to their hips, and another cell phone for internet access lodged in their pocket. Some of us don’t even realize how dependent we are on technology. When a person doesn’t have access to the internet or other rapid forms of finding information, they’ll realize their local library is stacks of books filled with the exact information they need.
Huxley wanted everyone to just be aware of our surroundings and who is in charge of it. He could see right through all the scientists’ eyes filling with dollar signs and even some with good intensions. He knew the strain technology was going to put on society and what it could make of people.
Huxley’s experimentation with drugs really drug (no pun intended) him to the “out there” category. After his experimentation began he had an even deeper and darker view of the world. He began to be more spiritual in finding the meaning for existence and purpose here on this world. The drugs challenged his way of thinking and created the writer he became and is known for to this day.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
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
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
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