The Industrial Revolution is outdated by about 200 years

The standards which students are held to today are hurting more than helping. Students are taught as if information will only be shown to them once. After that one time, hopefully they wrote all of the information, students will be expected to memorize as much as possible and then they will be tested to see how much they can memorize, not how much they can do. This method of teaching assumes that information is not free and easily accessible, which all information is thanks to the internet. A multitude of resources are available, but deemed useless because use of resources outside of a person's memory, (ability to memorize), are considered cheating. Likewise, students are not sent through school, or life for that matter (but that is not relevant), by their abilities. Students go through school based on when they were "manufactured" as Sir Ken Robinson states. This relates very well to Huxley's dystopia, which you would think would clue people in that this is not a good idea. In his dystopia, portrayed in "Brave New World", people are designed to take the place of those who were created before them. Mustapha Mond acknowedges this fact when he says "Wheels must turn steadily, but can not turn untended. There must be men to tend them, men as sturdy as the wheels upon their axles, sane men, obedient men, stable in contentment." He is stating that when one man becomes unfit to turn the wheel, another will take his place. In the society people are manufactured in groups, as bundles that will all begin and cease to exist at the same time.

Society of a Brave New World

            The society which Aldous Huxley envisioned in "Brave New World" is a society of very different mentalities towards sexuality and family roles. In the society Aldous Huxley created, sexuality is viewed as not only a public matter, but sex is a practice which young children are "playing, very gravely and with all the focused attention of scientists intent on a labour of discovery, a rudimentary sex game" (38). Sex is viewed only as a game and a path to pleasure, not as a method of reproduction. Mustapha Mond declares his view when he states that "there must be men to tend them... stable in contentment" (48). He believes that in order for man to be productive he must experience pleasure as he desires, which is why everyone belongs to every one else. In order to convince the citizens that an idea such as "free love" was acceptable the ideas of family, monogamy, and feeling were turned into vile subjects. A family unit was believed to be oppressive and largely filled with strong negative emotions. From a very young age girls were taught the use of contraceptives to prevent pregnancy, if the women were even fertile. Feelings were considered primordial, something that was not logical and should be overlooked. Impulses and desire were made to no longer exist. When Mustapha Mond asked the students if they had ever felt a desire they could not fulfill immediately only one boy raised his hand: "I once had to wait nearly four weeks before a girl would let me have her" (50). The youth have no understanding of lust or desire. They act only upon the present impulse which is fulfilled immediately. Waiting is not an option.

Huxley was about 60 years ahead of his time. No wonder people were confused about his book. Very interesting ideas though, and unfortunately, some are very present in society.

Engaging in the conversation

            In discussions of The Tempest, one controversial issue has been whether or not Caliban is a representation of colonization. On the one hand, Aime Cesaire argues that Shakespeare is portraying Caliban as a native who is not benefiting from his imperialist enslavement. On the other hand,  others contend that Caliban is not a representation of imperialism but a dependent who benefits from his servitude. However, my own view resides with Cesaire that Caliban is portrayed as a  victim of a more advance nation who has no choice but slavery.

            In A Tempest by Cesaire, she changes the dialogue of Shakespeare's play to emphasize the demeaning role which Caliban is unfortunate enough to have. For example, she changes Caliban's initial retorts to Prospero to "You didn't teach me a thing!... I'd be the king... without you" (312). I agree with her rephrasing because if Prospero had never come to the island then Caliban would never have become a slave to Prospero. Nobody would be dominant over him, and his advanced knowledge of the island would put him in a position of power. In the original work Prospero's control over his surroundings is based on his "art of [much] power" (Shakespeare 44). This perspective is most likely that of an uncivilized beast that does not understand scientific advances. It also shows that Caliban has been taught nothing that would deter or interrupt him from his duties. He lives a life completely unaware of how things work and technological advances. Cesaire highlights Caliban's well outdated belief that the world is alive when he says "because you, [Prospero], think the earth is dead" (312). He continues by calling Prospero a "conqueror" (312). Cesaire is stressing the point that Prospero believes the world to be simply waiting for the Manifest Destiny of a nation to control all that it can see or walk upon. The word choice conqueror brings to light that Prospero is not a teacher but instead more of a dictator. Caliban's actions when with Prospero also show his unmoral and uneducated tendencies. Another example of Shakespeare alluding that Caliban is a slave is "[Prospero and Miranda] cannot miss him. [Caliban]... serves in offices that profit [Prospero and Miranda]" (Shakespeare 40). The word serves establishes an obvious dominance over Caliban who is not serving of his own free will or for any compensation. He is granted the privilege to remain in the hut until "[Caliban] didst seek to violate the honor of [Miranda]" (Shakespeare 42). Unable to control his impulses he seeks to procreate using only his natural instincts to guide him. Due to how Prospero treats Caliban and how Shakespeare portrays him, it is only logical to conclude that Caliban represents the misfortunes of citizens from poor, powerless, and less advanced countries during the age of imperialism.