In this section of the novel, special note is made that the humans are no longer taught lessons on the subject of history. History, in their minds, is unneeded and extraneous. It is a waste of the human intellect.
As I quoted above, one of the common sayings of these future humans remarks on how historic knowledge is useless. The Director waves his hand when he speaks it, and the narrator states that it is like her is waving away history. He waved away thoughts of Thebes, Babylon, Odysseus, and Jesus with just his hand.
In actual society, it is almost incomprehensible to think that these parts of history could be unknown and unwanted. Whether it is for practical knowledge, culture, or simply fun, the tales and stories of such places as Athens and Rome and such characters as King Lear serve a purpose in our modern world. How is it that one could wave them off like "a speck of dust" with such ease? Huxley employs such a technique in order to show one what it would be like if common knowledge became uncommon. It help the reader understand how seriously different this world is from ours.
No comments:
Post a Comment