Aldous Huxley wrote a treatise in 1958 explaining how his dystopian vision was being realized in Brave New World. If Huxley felt that way then, imagine what he would say about the world now. The hypermediation of information technology has given rise to a digitized existence; IPads and iPhones have taken over communication, resulting in much less face-to-face interaction. In most cases, digital media is a huge boon, as exemplified by educational websites like Shmoop, but there are dangers of where it could lead. While the digital revolution has not led to the extreme mechanization of society that Huxley envisioned, it certainly raises fears of artificial intelligence and impersonal interaction. Huxley’s fictional world in which humans are genetically engineered and consumers of soma, a drug that transports them to a mind-blowing universe far from reality, could easily be compared to the post-millennium existence, in which cyborgs and virtual reality have infiltrated society (think of the increasingly real possibility of The Matrix).

In Huxley’s world and perhaps ours, the antidote is Shakespeare. Looking at classical literature that explores the depths of human nature certainly counteracts technology overload. So the next time you want to fire up an episode of Bachelor Pad, try choosing Romeo and Juliet. While both don’t exactly represent reality, as neither the scheming bachelors on an unrealistic TV show, nor the helpless lovers who fall in love at first sight are exactly viable scenarios, at least the latter poetically explores the essence of being. human. nature.

That is precisely what is missing in Brave New World imagined dystopia. Genetic engineering and the mechanization of mass production have eliminated individuality and emotion. In naming his dystopian society World State, Huxley intuitively prophesied globalization, which has been rapidly amplified by the World Wide Web. The world state is maintained through the application of science and mathematics to social control. In other words, don’t underestimate the importance of the AP calculation. The applied calculation is the basis of mechanics. For example, the physics equation Force = Mass x Acceleration has its roots in Calculus. In addition, it is used in computer technology: digital images are made up of discrete values, usually integers, which are stored as a bitmap (pixel grids), making the image directly subject to computational manipulation. Images are no longer only captured, but also controlled. The next time you think the calculation has no real-world application, think again. A group of mad scientists, as demonstrated in Brave New World, could certainly use it to take over the world. Huxley doesn’t necessarily condemn the advancement of science and technology, but he cautions against its negative power when used to extinguish humanity in the name of efficiency and control.

Just as Tobey Maguire convinces the citizens of Pleasantville in the movie of the same name that real emotions are worth it, John, an outsider from the Reservation, introduces Shakespeare to mind-controlled citizens in the World State. Helmholtz, a citizen who wishes to regain his individuality, is particularly mesmerized by the beautiful lyricism of the works, but since he has been under the mind control of the World State all his life, he has a difficult time understanding their meaning. When John introduces him to Romeo and Juliet, he cannot understand why Juliet would not directly tell her family about her affair with Romeo. In a society with total sexual freedom and without emotions, Helmholtz laughs at the complexity of family rivalry and forbidden love. In the world he knows, intense passions like these do not exist. Unfortunately, John’s passion is too intense for the listless “Brave New World” and, like Juliet, he meets a deadly end. However, he would rather be dead to a much worse fate: live a flat existence.

If you’re in a dark room all day playing World of Warcraft too much, and you look a little pale and feel a little dead inside, it would be helpful to review Romeo and Juliet quotes to renew your vitality. Juliet eloquently affirms: “The vain man, richer in matter than in words, boasts of his substance, not of adornment: they are only beggars who can count his value; but my true love has grown to such an extent that I cannot summarize the sum of half my wealth “(2.6.2). In other words, love and adornment, also known as passion and art, are much more valuable than vanity and wealth. In connection with Brave New World, just as the world state is obsessed with the production and consumption of products, which means that the individual is subordinate to the conceit of the state, Juliet is a victim of the conceit of her family. Montagues and Capulets are so obsessed with the reputations of their families that they too have forgotten what really matters: love, family, and community. Perhaps Juliet’s passionate words will inspire you to reach out to the person you like at school. Wealth, reputation or virtual reality can replace the tingling in the spine and the ecstasy of love that stops the heart.