Assembly LIne for Embryos

                Chapter 3 of Brave New World by Aldous Huxley paints an apt picture of the morals and values in this society.  Let’s begin by considering the quote from the text, “Wheels must turn steadily, but cannot turn untended. There must be men to tend them, men as sturdy as the wheels upon their axles, sane men, and obedient men, stable in contentment."  This quote is super meaty, so there are so many places you can go with it.  Plus, the book itself is meaty.

                This quote, which is said by Mond, who is the Resident Controller of Western Europe, has a great deal of significance with regards to why the society is run the way is it.  The society itself can be compared to a machine through this metaphorical quote.  The wheels are the way the society operates.  Thus, when the quote says, “wheels must turn steadily”, it is comparable to saying, and “society must operate steadily.”  The quote goes on to say that these wheels cannot turn untended.  What this means is that society needs a government and people to make sure it operates steadily.  The remainder of the quote, “There must be men to tend them, men as sturdy as the wheels upon their axles, sane men, obedient men, stable in contentment” goes on to reveal the purpose behind the mass production of human beings as is told of in Chapter 1-4.   According to this society’s mind set, in order for them to be successful and productive they need to have massive amounts of men who are strong, not necessarily physically, but in terms of their usefulness.  These men need to be sane, obedient, and always content.  This will allow them to work more efficiently, which is the purpose of this society: to run as efficiently as Henry Ford’s Model T production assembly technique.

                Through the chapter’s skipping of point of view, you gain a very good sense of how the value system works on different personal levels in the society.  For example, in efforts to make sure that people serve the government to the best of their abilities, they eliminate emotions, such as those between a parent and child.  With regards to monogamy, the view point of society is ever so clear with the case of Lenina.  Her friends scolds her for going out with Henry again.  She goes so far as to say, “ ‘It’s such horribly bad form to go on and on like this with one man.”  Current society is a proponent of monogamy; however, if this quote is taken seriously, then she has said anything. 

                What’s more, impulse, feelings and desires are also frowned upon.  According to Mond, they there outrageous and led only to government failure.  For, once again, the money is crucial to the security’s success.