Poetry Prompt 1

Aldous Huxley's dystopian novel, Brave New World depicts the result of the past in the present. John the Savage exemplifies how the past can affect the present.

John the Savage was raised differently than the children in the brave new world. He was brought up on an Indian Reservation in New Mexico. This Reservation was filthy and the people there wore rages, had science, history, and families, and were without technology. Those children raised in the brave new world had technology, no family, history, or science, and they would buy new clothes when they were ripped. John the Savage is different from others because he was naturally born. On the other hand, both of his parents were genetically engineered, therefore, genetically he is normal, but he has a mother and a father.

John's beliefs were formed through him being brought up on the Reservation. John the Savage attempts to get away from the Indian Reservation to go see the brave new world and to meet his father for the first time. While John is in the brave new world, he realizes the differences between the Reservation he was raised on and this new, technological based society. John does not understand the customs and actions of the people in this society. He isolates himself and eventually commits suicide because he can not fit in. His beliefs do not match those of this community. His beliefs were formed when he was a child back on the Reservation and can not be changed.

John's isolation and suicide, resulting from his past, signify the difficulties of changing customs and actions once one has become accustom to certain ways of life. While being raised in a community where all were naturally born, John the Savage was taught the differences between right and wrong according to that society, but the differences between right and wrong are not the same for every society. Promiscuity exemplifies the difference in morals between the two societies. The brave new world encourages this while the Reservation looks down upon it. A person can not change who they are through moving. Once an identity has been established, it can not be changed.

John the Savage's past affects who he is today. It is likely, if he had been raised in the brave new world, he would have been different. His beliefs and morals learned from his past make up who he is today.