In A Brave New World, Aldous Huxley journeys deep beyond the opaque mask that is modern ideology in order to solidify what humanity truly means, however in the midst of his shockingly realistic interpretations of the future, a reader may be left with more questions than answers.  What is really so remarkable about the book is that after so many decades it has the same impression on the reader that it was intended to when it was written.  This is because the subject matter of the story is universal and concerns human interaction, examining human sociology under a microscope.  Huxley makes us question what about our lives gives us true meaning, if, even in a material utopia, sex does not mean love and the only happiness is drug-induced.

Violence and Video Games

In today’s day and age, our mediums of entertainment are constantly taking new form through the development of new technology. One of the fastest growing industries in entertainment is that of video games. In 2008 the gaming industry was reported to be worth $11.7 billion, and 97% of teens between 12 and 17 said they’d played video games in the last year(“Do Violent”).
Recently, there has been a lot of controversy regarding violent video games and their effect (or lack thereof) on today’s youth. Many argue that these suggestive games, becoming more and more realistic, have an impact on how young people see the world, claiming that the violent content within video games can lead children to social deviance. This viewpoint is mainly that of non-gamers who don’t understand the nature of games. The same expectation of discretion that applies to violent movies should apply to video games. Additionally, society has changed so much in the last few decades that to try to correlate trends in violence with just one new technology in entertainment is a futile and illogical.

The Hunger Artist

In art and in literature, expressionism uses personal emotion rather than realism to depict the world through emotional perception rather than objective perspective. Expressionism can distort the physical world in order to create moods or underlying messages intended by the author. This story falls under the category of expressionism because the author gives the Hunger Artist an unnatural, unrealistic ability to fast for long periods of time and the story is told through his emotional perspective. The dark humor lies in the Hunger Artist’s sense of inability to prove his true capabilities to anyone, and his perpetual agony that he puts himself in as a result. Symbolism also plays a role in the story because the cage, for example, is used to show an isolation between the Hunger Artist and the rest of society, both in a literal and a symbolic sense.

El Nadador

  Alcoholism persists as a major theme throughout the story.  Since the story itself is symbolic in nature of Neddy Merril’s life, and alcohol is a reoccurring part of the story, it’s safe to assume that Neddy was indeed an alcoholic.  As time passes by in the story, Neddy becomes progressively colder and weaker.  Neddy uses alcohol as a crutch to keep him warm and keep him going.

  The numerous pools mentioned are central to the symbolism of the story as they represent different time periods or different people that acted as influences in his life.  His progression from one pool to the next symbolizes the passage of time and the progression through various times.

  The storm that passed in the story perhaps symbolizes change for Neddy.  Before the storm, Neddy is greeted with fair weather and a warm sun which represented for him self-contentment and happiness, however when he returns outside after waiting out the storm alone, he no longer feels the same warmth.

Concealed Carry

Gun control is not an uncommon debate. For decades, Americans have contested the boundaries of our “right to bear arms,” and it seems we are never in consensus.  One particularly hot topic nowadays is whether or not citizens should have the right to carry a concealed firearm under a legal permit.

The idea is simple: as a countermeasure for violent crime, allow the part of the population that abides by the law to carry arms, and deny permits to those who would seek to use guns for crime.  Opponents of the right to conceal and carry have the simple mindset that having more guns on the street equates to more crime and more violence.  It must be understood that law abiding citizens (the type of people that would obtain a permit) are not the beneficiaries of armed crime.  The fact is and always has been that criminals will either find black marketed guns or commit the crime without a gun.  By legalizing personal protection, crime can be greatly discouraged, either directly by armed citizens or the simple knowledge that someone else might be armed.

Violent crime is a constant of our society;  if it is necessary that people have the ability to protect themselves, which for many it is, they ought to be able to do so under the law.

Minimum Wage

Minimum wage was established in 1938 by Franklin D. Roosevelt.  Its purpose was to make sure the lower class wasn’t manipulated by large businesses setting unfairly low pay rates.  The first ever minimum wage set in the United States was 40 cents.  Minimum wage has been in practice since then, although it has been adjusted periodically in accordance with inflation; today minimum wage stands at $7.25.

Minimum wage is an important component in what most people would consider an ideal social system. It is a simple measure to ensure that the upper class does not have unlimited power over the working class.  Without minimum wage, workers would be manipulated into working for pay rates that do not sufficiently cover the costs of living.  It is an important part of many people’s lives, since over half of the population of the U.S. works by-the-hour, and because costs of living are now higher than ever, President Obama plans to raise minimum wage to $9.50 per hour, hopefully breathing much-needed life back into the economy.

Arts Education

Art education has been a staple part of the U.S. educational system for decades.  Art teaches young minds to think creatively and solve problems with initially unseen solutions.  It shows students how to analyze ideas abstractly and make emotional connections.

Over the past years, as standardized tests have become more intensive upon data-based core subjects like math, reading, and science, it seems art education is being left behind.  It seems that, more and more, school curriculum is being pushed toward what is concrete and informational.
But for what reason does our education system tend to give less importance to artistic/creative skills compared to math, reading, and science.  Is it because these studies are more sociologically useful in the professional world, or is it because we have no method of assessing creative skills?  Can we see no intellect within creativity?

Programs like President Bush’s “No Child Left Behind Act” make perfect sense; in these hard economic times, greater emphasis on academics and education is important.  However, with all of today’s problems, is a system of standardized testing that treats creative skill as a novelty really what we need?