English Coursework

Question

Your job is to write a critical analysis of the ideas Huxley presents in his book Island. This typeof essay is related most closely to a book review, where the main idea is to present your opinionof the book. However, your argument and analysis should be more specifically pointed at theideas Huxley is propagating within his story. You should analyze these ideas as though they arearguments, with the same techniques we have been using to analyze arguments throughout thissemester.

This means you should use the concepts we have been talking about in class in your discussion.

What are Huxley’s claims? What fallacies does he (or his characters) make? Would the ideasused in Pala work in our world, or would we have to change things to make them work? What
would we have to change?

You can address anything in the book that interests you. If you’re having trouble knowing whereto start, here are the ideas we have discussed in class so far:

-Methods of dealing with pain
-Approaches to health care (western vs. holistic/preventative  medicine)
-the Mutual Adoption Club (parenting methods in Pala)
-Christianity and Buddhism
-the “Peter Pan and Muscle Men” theory/method

Your essay can deal with one of these ideas if you have a lot to say about it, or you can includeseveral of the book’s ideas.

Remember that in a literary analysis, every time you make a claim or argument about somethingin the book, you must back it up with a quote (maybe more than one).
Your thesis should state your opinion on the book, but avoid simple value judgments (“I didn’tlike this book” or “this book was great”). What you’re aiming for is a response to the book thatuses critical thinking and makes a well-supported argument. For example: “Huxley’s Islandoffers a valuable critique of western society’s unfulfilling obsession with producing andconsuming, but it also places a naïve hope in the ability of psychedelic drugs to bring about
utopia.”
You are not required to use any sources except Island, unless you want to use other ones to proveyour arguments

SOURCE : Aldous Huxley“Island”

Answer

Critical Analysis of Aldous Huxley’s Island

Aldous Huxley is famously remembered for his utopian view of the world. The themes of his books are characterized by skepticism towards modernity. In most instances, he presents visions on the alternative of building a new society. In his book, Island, Huxley presents the solutions to the fall of humankind as he had predicted in his earlier book, Brave New World. It is always impossible to discuss Huxley’s major arguments in the book, Island, without mentioning this earlier book that talked of the ills of modernity that included loss of social order, irrational worship of science, overpopulation, as well as mechanization. Huxley depicts his vision of utopia in his last book, Island, through a protagonist that he names Will Farnaby. Farnaby’s experiences on a strange island, Pala, depict the thoughts of the author about modernity. The protagonist discovers a society that has compassion, intellect, equality as well as the science that goes side by side with art. Will agenda is to obtain contract rights for the rich oil reserves situated in Pala. However, he gets accustomed and more interested in the Palanesian way of life that is characterized by affirmation, goodness, and happiness. However, paradise is invaded by Rendang military forces just when Will is about to convert. Life on the Island that was characterized by happiness and goodness is destroyed forever. The book depicts an exploration of the meaning of human existence as well as the possibility of the creation of an ideal society through a combination of science and oriental philosophies. Therefore, Huxley views eastern philosophies as the ideal answer to the question of the meaning of existence and the amalgamation of the eastern and western worlds as the solution to modern social problems.

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Huxley’s thoughts carry a great religious significance. He views religion not as a way of escaping from the realities of the world, but rather, as an ideology that makes man be fully aware of themselves about their surroundings. The Palanese followed in the principles of Buddhism and Hinduism to guide them in their relation to the environment. Ranga, a nurse who take took care of Will and practices Tantrik Buddhism, observes that a person does not need to denounce the world or be in denial in its values because of religiosity; instead of escaping into Nirvana, one needs to be in acceptance of the world and make use of it so that it liberates them from their prison of self (Huxley 85). Therefore, the Palanese spiritual culture believes that one obtains true enlightenment when they are involved in the world. They should also be aware and appreciative of life even in the times of suffering. Under the Palanese culture everyone, from childhood to adulthood, is taught to live without straining by with full awareness of life’s realities (Huxley 145). As such, they were constantly reminded of the existence of the death through being exposed to dangerous conditions. Huxley provides that a person can be fully aware of themselves and connect to the universe through meditation. According to him, meditation helps the mind to be “blue, unpossessed, and open” (Huxley 86). Through meditation, one becomes liberated from their burdens of life. This argument presents an insight of why meditation is becoming a major part of life today for a relief of the life’s sufferings. Besides, it assists in a better understanding of oneself and the relations that one has with the universal force. To add further to his argument, Huxley observes that “man is infinite as the void” (185). Through this argument, the mixture of eastern philosophies is active at two levels: uniting people with the spiritual ground and encouraging people to keep on striving in their quest to improve humanities. The worldly approach presented closely resembles that of Confucianism that stresses a responsibility of an individual in the creation of a better society for the people.

            Using the philosophy of Pala, Huxleysucceeds in creating a basis for the development of a unique way of life for the Island, one that entails getting “the best of all today’s worlds” (130). However, this approach leads him into creating a world some potentialities cannot be actualized. (Huxley 130). Huxley views a combination of western science and eastern philosophy as the answer to the creation of an ideal world where people can realize their potentials. He has, therefore, emphasized this model throughout the book to form his most significant theme. One way to illustrate this view is to look at Dr. Andrew and the Old Raja. The former is a doctor from Scotland who projects western values while the latter is a representation of Eastern mysticism. The two characters combine to build a Modern Pala that adopts the characteristics of the west and the east. The text combines concepts of both western cultural context such as the English language and scientific practices with Oriental religious practices and way of life. The people of Pala appear to appreciate the gains that have been amassed through contemporary western technological advancements, though they seem to have a strong bias on nutrition and medicine. They have shunned full-scale industrialization, which according to them is unnecessary. Huxley is thus demonstrating that embracing all the aspects of modernity can bring harm to the society. People should choose some aspects that allow them to have full awareness of their lives in relation to their surroundings.

The incorporation of western medicine can be illustrated by the use of artificial insemination, which was used on the island to help with the elimination of hereditary diseases as well as to improve the race. Will was discovered in the jungle by a girl known as Shanta, who was a product of artificial insemination. Since her father’s family suffered a history of recurrent diabetes, artificial insemination was considered the best way to prevent her from inheriting the genes. Huxley, therefore, affirms that artificial insemination helps in the enrichment of the family with a new temperament as well as physique (218). Huxley observes that it is more moral to implement strategies that would result in a child with superior quality than reproducing children that have defects as a result of family history (220). On the other hand, artificial insemination was also justified by the eastern philosophies through the theory of karma that talks about reincarnation. According to Huxley, the fathers felt encouraged because they gave their wives’ children a better chance of maintaining posterity for their families (220). Therefore, western science was compatible with Buddhism, thus highlighting the hopes of a good co-existence that would result in success.

            The merger between the west and east is also manifested in the way Pala addresses the pervasive problems of overpopulation and growth of slums. Control of population is done through a practice known as “maithuna.” This involved a mental and symbolic sexual interaction that was done in a ritual context. Mediation was considered a part of the process hence it came to be known as the yoga of love. However, there was also another option for the Palanese who did not take part in the spiritual practice. They could use the Western-produced contraceptives that were distributed by the government of Pala. Just like free education, contraceptives in Pala are subsidized through tax measures, and this leads to an increase in their use. (Huxley 95). The synthesis of both the west and the east led to the solving of the problem of overpopulation.

            Nevertheless, the Island is a book that cannot be judged as aesthetical in regards to art. This is because is because it does not utilize the element of fictional texts comprehensively. The character development, as well as the plot, is poor in the entire story. For example, the author does not provide the intrigues of Will’s character transformation from a cynical person that led him to fall in love with Pala and the Palanese. Concerning plot, the long dialogues are mystical and difficult to understand thus making the story bare and unexciting. However, the book implicitly conveys the doubts harbored by Huxley about modernity,and offers solutions to the social problems that arise as a result of modernization. Therefore, the book provides a lot of solutions that are applicable in daily lives of people, especially in the modern world that has become chaotic. Modernity and the process of industrialization have a tendency to blur the vision of people to see their inner selves in relation to their surroundings. However, they are only a source of temporary happiness. Merging modernity and religion has the power to produce a better society as well as a better system of governance.

Work Cited

Huxley, Aldous. Island. St Albans: Triad/Panther. 1976. Print.