Huxley's Brave New World

In his dystopian novel Brave New World, Aldous Huxley makes use of plot, character, narration, theme and tone to create a futuristic vision of a totalitarian state. All of these elements are evident in the excerpt that describes the creation and upbringing of children under state control, along with references to the ideas of Adolph Hitler and Henry Ford.

The tone of the story is evident from the first sentence, from both the physical setting and the words used to describe it. Descriptions of the Hatchery building itself as a "squat, grey" structure that contains the laboratory where "the light was frozen, dead, a ghost" create an image of a cold and lifeless place that foreshadows the cold and impersonal process that goes on within. The clinical explanation of the modern reproductive process perpetuates the tone as children are portrayed not as individuals but as a product to be manufactured as efficiently as possible. This passionless tone reflects the logical, methodical thinking that led to Ford's creation of the assembly line and its focus on quantity over quality, and the impersonality with which Hitler rounded up and exterminated those he deemed inferior.