Auuster's Takeaway

The book is set in the future where genetic modification has taken over society. The government has created a classed society by modifying the genetic codes of clones. People with less desirable traits are allocated the ‘dirty jobs’ and are restricted to an area. The clones with the best traits become leaders of society. From an early age the classes are segregated and indoctrinated to not interact with each other.

One day an outcast of the ‘smart’ clones, named Bernard, goes to a reserve to study the behaviours of savages. Savages would be modern day people who would use intercourse to procreate, use love and religion to stay unified. Ultimately he brings a ‘savage’ back to society. The savage instantly becomes popular, and tries to integrate into society. In the end he could not adjust to the dystopian laws and settles himself into an isolated area.

Aldous Huxley envisions a dystopian world where your place in society is pre-determined by your genetic makeup. He then contrasts that with the current society, he compares how the savage society is built on trust and un-challenged rituals, and lacks technology. The question I would like to pose is: Will advancement in technologies lead us to become less human?