‘It is better that one should suffer than that many should be corrupted’. The idea that the needs of the commerce outweigh the suffering of the individual is prominent within both Orwell’s and Huxley’s novels. They both portray how in oligarchical collectivist societies, individual identity is superseded by the need for social efficiency and stability. Although they approach this is in different ways, one brutal and repressive, the other pleasure-obsessed and superficial, ultimately they appear one and the same. Both authors use multiple symbols to reflect this loss of individuality within their dystopian societies, such as, the advancement of technology, religion, and the use of language. They both also stress how the power of totalitarianism does not solely derive from the control of state, it is also based in the weakness of its citizens.

The progression of technology can be seen as symbolic of the demise of the individual in both novels. In Huxley’s ‘Brave New World’ individual countries have be replaced with the all-encompassing World State, in which traditional breeding has been replaced by eugenics. Huxley replicates Henry Ford’s production line in the creation of the citizens of the World State. In the first chapter, the Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning describes the process of how babies are born through in vitro fertilisation in test tubes which are passed along conveyor belts. He also details the method of social determination where those set for lower classes are given alcohol and less oxygen to inhibit mental growth, thus creating an organised social structure with the Alpha Double-Pluses at the top and Epsilons at the bottom. This is then reinforced by the use of ‘neo-pavlovian’ mental conditioning and hypnopaedia for the purpose of ‘making people like their unescapable social destiny’. This causing the population to become both physically and mentally standardised thus destroying individuality by preventing original thought from birth. To further prevent any conscious thought, there is the drug soma to solve the negative aspects of life which even an organised society cannot avoid, such as stress, humiliation and grief. The society, therefore, encourages the excessive use of soma due to it preventing feelings of dissatisfaction with the world; it creates a society where citizens are only semi-conscious that they are individuals. Therefore, these technological progressions lead to the degradation of individual thoughts and feelings within society. This is embodied in the World State’s motto, ‘Community, Identity, and Stability, the middle term of which indicates the sinister truth: that this society can only achieve solidarity and stability by reducing its citizen’s idiosyncrasies. Hence, ‘Identity’ refers not to the development of an individual self, but to the state’s attempt to make everyone identical.

Orwell’s ‘1984’ is set, like ‘Brave New World’, in a future dystopian England where life is controlled by a single political party, mimicking a Stalin-like communist state. In contrast to ‘Brave New World’, technological progression within ‘1984’ is used for the purpose of removing any form of personal privacy from citizens thus eliminating their ability to develop individual thoughts or actions. The Party uses technology as a method of control by having constant surveillance over its population. ‘Telescreens’ watch over the inhabitants of every room as well as constantly issuing party propaganda which ‘could be dimmed, but there was no way of shutting it off completely’. This is symbolic of the government’s surveillance in general which, no matter how isolated or ‘dimmed’ the protagonist Winston believes himself to be, is still constantly monitoring his actions. Indeed, it appears that even in his rebellion Winston still has no true freedom or individuality. The events of the novel appear to be more than merely coincidental, in fact, they seem almost intended. By Winston being placed in a flat where he is able to escape the surveillance of the ‘telescreen’ then being sold the diary appear to be actions intended facilitate his rebellion. Furthermore, not only does his physical reality appear to be under the influence of the Party but also his mental world shown through his dreams. He dreams of a voice like O’Brien’s saying that ‘we shall meet in the place where there is no darkness’, later O’Brien recognises this phrase and explains that it is in fact the rat torture that he dreams of. Therefore this shows how even in rebellion Winston is incapable of autonomous thought beyond the limits of the Party. This means that although Winston appears to possess an individual identity, it is in fact only superficial due to the government’s use of technology allowing it to control all aspects of the population’s lives resulting in mass standardisation.

The presence of religion within both novels is also symbolic of the loss of individuality within society. This is due to one definition of totalitarianism being that of the secularisation of religious aspirations; to attempt to create a heaven on earth (heaven as seen by those in power). This idea is prolific within ‘1984’ due to the structure of the Party appearing to follow that of a religious organisation. God is replace by Big Brother to the extent that in the first chapter, during the Two Minutes Hate, a woman calls him her saviour and prays to him. The ‘telescreen’ is symbolic of the all-seeing eye of God, the Party members are the saved and O’Brien plays the role of religious inquisitor. Indeed, during Winston’s torture in the third part of the novel, there are numerous references to religion including ‘priest’, ‘heretic’ and ‘thou shalt not’. Furthermore, in Goldstein’s description of ‘blackwhite’, Orwell appears to reference Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), who said that ‘what seems to me white, I will believe black if the hierarchical Church so defines’. The purpose of this is to not only satirise organised religion but to show how, like Communism, it requires the sacrifice of individuality for social stability. In fact, Orwell himself suggested in his essay ‘Inside the Whale’ that Communism and Catholicism have an equal appeal to discontented intellectuals. This is because they both use philosophical arguments to justify their control and have a pseudo-religious promise that, by joining them, individuals will be freed from the negative aspects of human life. Therefore, both totalitarian societies and religious ones aspire to eradicate individuality as a method of survival. They both deny the significance in the relations between people and instead try to connect the individual to a greater scheme.

In contrast, in ‘Brave New World’ religion is replaced by mass consumerism, sexual promiscuity and, most significantly, excessive drug taking. Through the use of conditioning, citizens of the World State are taught to have multiple sexual partners and to take pleasure in superficial entertainment such as the ‘feelies’, a satire on Hollywood ‘talkies’. As mentioned before technology has allowed the development of a drug the drug soma, that has ‘all the advantages of Christianity and alcohol; none of their defects’. Therefore, these frivolous enjoyments provide a sense of almost pseudo-happiness which acts a supplement for religion in society. The need for religion stems from an individual’s fear of the unknown and their inability to deal with the issues that they face within their lives. In Huxley’s state, the issues that people face in day to day life have all been resolved due to soma allowing them to escape reality and only become semi-conscious of their problems. Moreover, there is no longer any fear of the unknown due to citizens being conditioned to no longer fear death so they no longer seek absolution in the afterlife. This therefore means that religion is obsolete, since the fear which it is created from no longer exists. Indeed, it appears in both novels that fear, in relation to social stability, follows Newton’s first law of motion: that constant fear or an utter lack of results in a society remaining in equilibrium. However, this lack of religion does not necessarily create a greater level of individual freedom, in fact, society appears even further standardised. This is due to in a religious state people are still conscious of being an individual and are aware of the world beyond their immediate experience, whereas, is not the case in the World State.

In addition, both authors use the creation and manipulation of language to symbolise the destruction of individual thought within their societies. The poet William Blake once noted that ‘the sayings used in a nation mark its character’, an observation that is evident within both novels due to the use of constant phrases that support social order. A major stylistic feature of Huxley’s use of language is that of parody, be it in songs, religion or even science. Not only does the World State provide citizens with caricature of entertainment and religion, it also provides a parody of meaningful language. All poetic and emotive language is fallen out of use and replaced by sleep taught phrases such as ‘Ending is better than mending’ and ‘Everyone belongs to everyone else’. These phrases become almost categorical imperatives that all the population live by. This means when they are faced with a difficult situation they are unable to articulate themselves so they fall back on these template phrases. This is similar to the use of ‘Newspeak’ in ‘1984’ which is designed ‘to narrow the range of thought’. ‘Newspeak’ is a language created by the state which is intended to make the ideas of Ingsoc (Newspeak for English Socialism, the Party’s political ideology) the only thoughts that can be expressed. It works by erasing all words that could be seen as a threat to the government’s power and contracting all those that are deemed not to be. The purpose of is to ‘make thoughtcrime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it’. Therefore, in both novels the destruction of the range of language reflects the loss of the capability for individual thought. Overall, the purpose seems to be for humans to achieve the standardised language of a machine, thus not only behaving like a machine but being forced to think like one.

However, Huxley’s presentation of John the Savage can be seen as questioning whether a wider vocabulary truly leads to a greater capacity for individual thought. John’s knowledge of Shakespearian language allows him to become more morally conscious thus he is able to criticise both of the worlds that he visits. Although, this does not necessarily mean that he possess more individuality since he sometimes appears to parrot the language in the same way that citizens of the World State do. He confuses Ariel and Puck in Chapter 11 and he initially perceives Lenina as having ‘vestal modesty’, which is ironic since she has been conditioned not to. This shows how John is not fully conscious of the words meaning but instead uses them to express emotions that he cannot comprehend. This shows how even the poetic language of Shakespeare still stereotypes and standardises people, and therefore can be seen as being no better than the language of the World State. Furthermore, it can be seen that Shakespearian language has a conditioning effect upon John. It teaches him to cherish romanticism and passion in the same way that the sleep-hypnosis teaches the ‘civilised’ people the opposite. From an objective perspective, it would appear that these teachings are equally as corruptive to the natural mind, that they both promote standardisation and the loss of individual thought.

In conclusion, it is clear that in both novels individuality has been sacrificed for the sake of fixed social structures. Both authors symbolise this sacrifice through technological progression, religious metanarratives and the manipulation of language. Neither author passes a judgement on whether this loss is right or wrong, but instead allows their narratives to stand as warnings for the potential fate of modern society.

Bibliography
1) Huxley, Aldous; Brave New World; 1932; Chatto and Windus
2) Orwell, George; Nineteen Eighty-Four; 8 of June 1949; Secker and Warburg
3) Loyola, Ignatius; The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola; 1548
4) Orwell, George; Inside the Whale and Other Essays, Victor Gollancz Ltd.; 11 March 1940
5) Blake, William; The Marriage of Heaven and Hell; A Memorable Fancy; 1790