Brave New World Art Analysis (Essay Example)

Through literature, paintings, or ways we speak, art affects our lives one way or another. Art has been a form of human expression in rural, ancient, and modern civilizations. Human nature progresses in the form of art because it raises a platform for the voiceless of society which allows them to release their inner rage, beauty, and thought. It functions as a chance for those pushed down by society to freely open up and force viewers to expand their imagination and use that to create connections to the art and grow individually. In Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, art allows characters and society to grow and think about how they live and how art can give you a chance to voice your concerns and passions. “Ode on a Grecian Urn” by John Keats, highlights how art pushes us to use our imaginations to build connections between the art and carry that to build connections in our lives. In both these texts, art is the aspect of one’s life which builds and pushes an individual, highlighting the chance it gives those in the depths of society to make their presence felt and voices heard. 

In the satirical fiction, Brave New World, art is seen as a threat to social stability. John the Savage represents the outcasts in society. He was continuously lacking love and a platform to release his inner rage and thoughts his whole life. His mother, Linda, abused John as she called him terms such as “Little Idiot” and tell him that, “I’m not your mother. I won’t be your mother” (Huxley 127). These things would be held in by John until he found a way of expression. This came in a form of art. He had been given a novel titled, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. Finally, John found a way to put out this rage upon those in society who had pushed him down and used art as a platform to spread the truth. When Bernard brought John to London, John was all but thrilled by the citizens thoughts and actions. He freed his anger and inner thinking stating, “Don’t you even understand what manhood and freedom are?” (236) This shows how the art John loves and studies so much allow him to think, understand what these ideas are, and let out his rage rather than taking soma to hide it. The main reason art is banned in the World State is because it would force citizens to think and possibly go against the views of the state itself. John finds art and does just this as we see how complex his thinking becomes when he is depicted, “lying in bed, he would think of heaven and London and Our Lady of Acoma” (86). This highlights the true meaning and necessity of art. The way John learns to think and think of multiple complex places and references shows that art lift his character past any others in terms of thought. John is the perfect representation of how a outcast who was once pushed away from society can claim his role in the world and release his rage and knowledge with the gift of art. 

Huxley brings an interesting perspective of a world without art. Our world has art in order for humans to put out who they truly are without any artificial substances added. This art allows every human no matter what background they have to create their own destiny and embrace themselves. The World State did the exact opposite of this. During the introduction of the novel, a tour was being given of the hatcheries where children were made, and their thoughts were being made for them. During this, the director said, “All conditioning aims at making people like their inescapable social destiny” (13). This tears down the beauty of individuality. Every person in our word is made unique and has their own way of expression and thinking. Making one’s social destiny predetermined withdraws the artistic perspective one will have in life. Art matters because we all have different ways of viewing the world, each other, and the artwork itself which brings up a widespread chain of connections citizens build with their stories in art. Taking away these unique stories forces the World State to lack art and be forced on a tight rope with no room to turn away from. Mustapha Mound was the key person who took away art from the World State. He believes that “It isn't only art that is incompatible with happiness” (250). In the society we live in, this is the opposite of what is true. Art is the key thing that brings happiness to our lives because without it we have no way to have a stage for the world to see our true selves. The happiness one gets from being able to take a step away from a hateful world and tell a story and have an open mind and heart observing and creating heart is a rather joyful thing. Mound believes that the world state is better off without art as he would rather have stability than people’s originality and ideas. He expressed this belief stating, “happiness keeps the wheels steadily turning; truth and beauty can’t” (254). Without this art, he sees the World State as a happy place but lacking truth and beauty. Art is necessary because it includes and individual and society as a wholes truth and beauty while allowing those connecting to the art to find this happiness through these ideals. Overall, the society we live in compared to World State is much freer and more opportunistic while the World State forces one into a life that may be unwanted. Art is seen to be needed in our world because without it we would not be able to build ourselves off thought and have a chance to spread your opinion and self-beauty. 

Art can not only build a person and give them a platform, but also shape their imagination to go outside the invisible barriers the world has. “Ode on a Grecian Urn” is the perfect representation of how art allows us to put our own perspective in the world and leaves the door open for unlimited possibilities. Focusing on the poem, we see how art can form who we are and how we view the world. This is a main reason art is important, because it does not force anything down our throats and allows us to interpret it however, we want. The poem discusses how what is seen in art is not physically moving or heard which allows us to fill these gaps. When the speaker reads, “Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard/Are sweeter,” (Keats 11-12) it shows how the art talked about shows music being played, but since it is art, we cannot hear the tune. This embraces the beauty of art and how it allows us to go deep into our thoughts, yet at the same time simply observing pushes us to find something new about ourselves and how we interpret the work. The tune is sweeter to the reader because he is not forced to listen to or play a certain tune but makes his own. This highlights how art can be our own no matter what it is or who we are. Keats is delivering the point that art is observing us as we observe it and we will be pushed and challenge us to make us the best version of ourselves. 

Art is shown to challenge us and force us to build connections which will allow us to learn more about ourselves and the world. This ability art brings pushes us deep into thought and gives us a state to voice our inner rage and beauty we may have been holding in because the world puts limits on us. Art takes away these limits and embraces the individuality and perspective one has and without it we would not be able to express ourselves freely to the world and this platform it brings would go away. Both Brave New World and “Ode on a Grecian Urn” depict the significance of art and how it can take us away from our everyday struggles and bring truth and beauty to our world through our imagination. The world as we know it has been built off art, and this art will only grow into new ways of releasing our beauty, struggle, rage, and thoughts. 

Works Cited

Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York: Harper Brothers, 1932.

Keats, John. "Ode on a Grecian Urn." Gleeditions, 17 Apr.