Monday, August 1, 2016
Different
In Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, the character Bernard is treated differently because of his physical deformities. He is of the Alpha plus caste, yet he is short like that of a Gamma. Because of this, people tend to not take him seriously, causing him to raise his voice. He also tends to feel self-conscious whenever he makes contact with any one that is lower then him. It kind of seems like even if he is socially superior he does not get that respect because of his size. In their society you must up hold some standards as Alpha plus so you can be respected and not be made a mockery of. Even in our society, smaller people such as myself are not seen as a threat. Even in nature, bigger and stronger predators prey on smaller and weaker animals. It is always the larger animal dominating the smaller animal when it comes to the wild.
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Please forgive me if I come off as rude in any way, but I cannot agree with you in the sense that smaller people are not seen as a threat. I play basketball, and whenever someone I play is smaller than me I know that what they lack in size, they well make up for with strategy. In nature it is the same way, a smaller animal has the power to outsmart a much larger animal. As an example, clownfish live in sea anemone because they know that predatory animals (larger animals) cannot withstand a sting from the anemone like they can. With that being said, it is not always the larger animal dominating the smaller animal, or in our case the larger person dominating the smaller person.
ReplyDeleteNo I'm sorry since I should have use another word instead of always since in the case of animals, smaller prey are always finding new ways to out smart the predator. Also when I was saying that smaller people are not seen as a threat I didn't say they weren't capable of being one.
DeleteIts alright, a simple error. Although, Jazmin, I think what you were trying to get across was that people sometimes misjudge a person by how they look, be it in stature. You put a quite short person next to a very tall person and you might think that the taller person is superior (but depending on their weight distribution). However, you never know if that tiny person knows how to use their stature against someone taller. Some people just automatically assume things of what they see.
DeleteWhile reading the book, I could definitely make some connections to the real world in regards to Bernard. He, like so many, is looked upon different for his appearance. It made me feel bad for the guy. While smaller people can be taken advantage of, I have noticed some cases where it is the other way around. It all depends on the situation.
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ReplyDeleteI find it sad whenever there is a case where someone who has a physical deformity is treated badly or is harassed. While we like to think that everyone is tolerant of those who are different, that is sadly not the case. I hope that one day, people can live in this world without having to fear being looked down upon for any reasons.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on this topic. If a person is different, people often see it as 'weird' and may often treat the different person with pity or cause them emotional harm. This is seen in Bernard's character as you discussed in your conversation starter. There are people who see their differences as a strength or others who are ashamed of it. Because of Huxley's society, Bernard sees his shortness as a weakness and turns bitter. The people treated him badly and did not respect him. I did not like Bernard's character. Not because he was different, but because of his character. He was bitter and wanted to inflict revenge on people for his own desire. I personally believe a person should embrace their individuality and not be ashamed of themselves. The world is made up of many different people, and our differences just make the world a more interesting and innovative place.
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