Brave New World

Many of you are familiar with this book from high school reading lists. Despite any ill will because of this, Brave New World is one of the most fascinating books written close to the brilliant of 1984. A dystopian novel based in a society that is genetically forced into superficial happiness, unable to form meaningful relationships through conditioning, Aldous Huxley paints a bleak picture of what is entirely possible.

The narrative follows Lenina Crowne, a picturesque but thoughtless girl, and Bernard Marx, an insecure man who feels isolated from his peers. After giving a lengthy, but highly interesting, description of what the world has become to escape pain, Bernard and Lenina travel to the Savage Reservation, where the last real humans live. These savages are organically grown without conditioning, and have created an odd community based on half remembered Christian and Native American religions. There is, however, one Savage who is not a Native, but the love child from two civilized visitors, one of whom became lost and found herself stuck in the uncivilized village. The Savage, John, returns to England with his mother, and from then on, philosophy is thickly discussed.

The themes of this story are pain, civilization, Shakespeare, religion, sex, and genetics. The entire new society has built itself in such a way to eliminate all pain and suffering, anything that might even be a little unpleasant. Instead, the people busy themselves with frivolous activities, such as golf and multiple sex partners. If something unpleasant should accidentally happen, there is always soma, an opiate that has no side effects from the desired oblivion. The Savage is the only one who appreciates the necessity of pain. He realizes that it is only through pain that you have experience true joy or become a deeper, more thoughtful individual.

Civilization is fact is comprised of all sorts of immoral laws that are completely counter to what American indoctrination has taught us. Instead of freedom, liberty, truth, or justice, civilization is all about what can keep the population busy and moderately satisfied but unable to rebel. The idea of a society that wants complete control of everything is reminiscent of O’Brian in 1984, who states the purpose of power is more power. This government has no goals other than containment.

The title of this book comes from the Tempest, my favorite Shakespeare play. Throughout the book, the Savage repeatedly quotes Miranda and other famous lines from Shakespeare to express himself eloquently. The brave new world of which Miranda speaks, however, is significantly different from the horror show Huxley presents as a possible future.

Religion is supposedly juvenile, or so the government claims. Only the savages practice any sort of real religion, through in actuality it is a combination of many religions. In civilized society, there is an odd perversion of religious sacraments, but it holds no emotional meaning, and so is dead. It’s only in the uncontrolled world of the savages where passion can be expressed through either old culture such as Shakespeare, or punitively outdated culture, such as religion. Even through Bernard has never experienced a real religious transformation; he still yearns for something deeper and more spiritual, in direct assault to his conditioning.

According to His Fordship(the leader of England), all civilized people are required to have many sexual partners, so as to avoid any deep, meaningful relationships or attachments. The Savage, the uncivilized one, instead advocates monogamy in accordance to his religious beliefs. Huxley is clearly condemning the trends in society to sleep with many partners, associating it with a loss of feeling or conscience.

The last theme is genetics. From the start of the novel, the audience is shown how personalities and physical traits can be controlled and manipulated from conception onward, blaming genetics for all of a person’s characteristics. None of the members of this new society are ever able to completely separate themselves from their training and development, and so are irresponsible for their own actions, or the consequences therein.

Overall, if you are a fan of classic literature, dystopia, or societal criticism, this is an amazing book. For the rest of you, I’m going to assume you have no taste and will keep this beautiful book on the shelf.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Bonus!)

Since I failed to post yesterday (religious obligations), I'm going to make a short bonus post today.

Graphic novels tend to be overlooked by culture as a whole, but with the new prominence of such graphic novels as Sandman, Watchmen, and other socially acceptable comics, the medium is becoming noticed. One of the ways it has come into being is through Joss Whedon.

Because I worship Whedon, naturally I followed Season Eight of Buffy the Vampire Slayer into the comics. Without going into details, the comic is better in that there are no budget restraints to stop Whedon's creative genius. If Whdeon wants a giant robot, he gets robot, if he wants to go to Japan, darn it, we're going to Japan. Additionally, time lapse is easier in this medium, and characters develop in a more natural fashion. To cut to the bone, if you liked Buffy when it was on TV, you'll enjoy the comics. And, you might find other comics to your liking as well. I implore you, go raid your local bookstore/comic book store (they're not a scary as they seem!).

Hart's War

A World War II film, this is the story of Lt. Thomas Hart (Colin Ferrell), the son of a US senator and former law student. The plot of the this movie follows Hart as he is captured by Germans and sent to a prisoner of war camp, but not before revealing pertinent information under torture. The other officers at the camp know of his betrayal, and treat him scornfully, placing him in a barracks of enlisted men rather than with other officers. To further aggravate the situation, Colonel William McNamara (Bruce Willis), the ruling officer, sends two black pilots to bunk with Hart, upsetting his already fragile control over them. Racism comes to a boiling point, and Vic Bedford (Cole Hauser), who has connections to the German guards, arranges for one of the pilots to be executed. Following this event, the other pilot, Lincoln Scott (Terrence Howard), is found looming over Bedford’s body after hours. A court martial ensues, and Hart is appointed as Scott’s council.

The plot contains a suitable number of interesting twists and turns, and manages to control the viewers’ attention. The acting is enjoyable from a few famous faces, but if you aren’t a huge acting fan (like I am) then you can just enjoy looking at Colin’s pretty face. The movie’s themes are predominantly the subject of racism and honor, even from the typically demonized Nazis. They are portrayed well, but not in a completely unique way. This is a good film, well-made and built to appeal to those who are not history or war movie fans, but is nothing to get too excited about. Well worth an afternoon at home, but this is not something that would spark legions of fanatics to sing its praises. However, one point that made the movie entirely worth it is its lack of a clear cut hero. Everyone is flawed in some understandable way, and the heroes don't always win they way they 'should.'

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

Looking at the title of this book, you might be a little put off. In a consumer-oriented world, I know I was. But this isn’t a consumer-oriented book. It contains surprising depth for a teen novel whose main premise is the relationship between the titular character and her dreamboat boyfriend. Astounding though it may be, this is not a romance novel. This is an investigation novel, a mystery novel, and a philosophy novel. If you want the typical teenage fare of sex and drama, I suggest you read A-Best-Selling-Novel-Whose-Name-Shall-Not-Be-Mentioned-Because-It-Lacks-Intelligence-And-Literary-Value. You know the one. If not, read on, dear one.

The Disreputable History by E. Lockhart is about a Frankie, a sophomore at an opulent boarding school, who has suddenly gained a gorgeous body and a hot senior boyfriend named Matthew. However, this is the premise, not the story (thank God). While dating Matthew, Frankie is led to believe that he is part of a secret male-only society whose sole purpose is to carry out odd pranks designed to question societal boundaries. When Matthew and his possessive best friend Alpha shut Frankie out of this club, Frankie does some investigating of her own. The novel follows her as she learns about this organization and attempts to be a part of it.

The major themes of this book are feminism, social expectations, and grammar. Throughout the book, Frankie is constantly put down by her peers, male and female, as simply a pretty face with no intelligence behind it. She serves only in a feminine capacity, without any authority or hope of advancement within her social circle. Frankie does not come to grips with this, and tries to find various ways to assert herself, with results that highlight the flaws in the patriarchal society of the higher castes.

Most of the pranks in the Disreputable History in some way accent certain things that are unacceptable to society as a whole, but are never stated. Additionally, Frankie discusses the Suicide Club and their various pranks, indirectly encouraging the readers to be willing to break the mold in ways that are not the common path. By far the most interesting topic mentioned is the panopticon. Before this book, I had not heard of this blueprint. This plan created a prison where the prisoners could be seen at all times by unseen guards, and so they would assume that they were being constantly watched without the guards actually having to do anything. The brilliance of this system is the same in society so that even when a person is alone, one feels watched. The constraints by society are deeper than society itself.

The last theme of grammar I found especially enjoyable. Frankie has created ‘neglected positives’, words that commonly have a prefix and technically do not exist without the prefix. Some examples: In the title, the prefix dis negates the word reputable, giving the word the opposite meaning. Disreputable and reputable are both acceptable words, but in Frankie’s universe, she expands this theory. The word indulge has the opposite of dulge, impetuous has petuous, ignominious has nominious, etc. Once again, this highlights the idea of societal expectations, even in speech patterns.

My main complaint with the Disreputable History is the same as my complaint for most other teen novels- first person. Unless you are Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or Mark Twain, do not use first person. It is so constantly misused (see The-Best-Selling-Novel from above), that it physically bothers me. The only good thing I can say about first person narratives is that at least they aren’t second person. Complaint lodged, this book is still an evening well spent, particularly if you are a pubescent girl fighting against social norms.

Radiohead

Radiohead is a band from England, consisting of five members who use electronic elements as well as strong use of guitar or piano rifts. Frontman Thom Yorke is notable for his difficult to understand lyrics (linguistically and in content) and his droopy left eye. Radiohead has been a consistently popular band since their second album, and deserve this because of their musical versatility, emotional depth, and creative music videos.

Here’s a quick review of their albums for your purchasing delight.

Pablo Honey- This album is a terrible example of their musical abilities. They were extremely popular for the brilliant single Creep, but were not ready to produce a full-scale work. This is an attempt at money making by Radiohead’s producers, and an utter failure. There is almost no electronic element, the guitars are discordantly misused, and vocals are negatively off-key, and the songs have no memorability. Creep, the one good song, is completely different. It contains wonderful lyricism, intricate guitar rifts by Johnny Greenwood, and an emotional draw that the entire album lacks. But it gets better!

The Bends- The difference between Radiohead’s initial album and this one is phenomenal. Based on other bands, I have drawn the conclusion that every band needs to be able to screw up on the first album just to understand what they as a band are about and what sounds that want to continue. I have found that most bands whose music is identical to the first album suck tremendously (Britney Spears, The Jonas Brothers, etc.). This album has more harmonious guitars and vocals, a faster tempo, and songs meanings more reminiscent to the genius of Creep. As for music videos, my favorite is Just, which depicts a silent movie storyline of philosophical brilliance, but Street Spirit contains excellent and intriguing special effects in regards to time and space.

OK Computer- This album is similar musically to the Bends, featuring beautiful harmony with heavier use of electronic devices, but with a more political bent in its lyrics. One notable song is Paranoid Android, an odd combination of four radically different songs that magically works in its key signature and transitions, featuring Johnny’s amazing guitar skills. Another fascinating ‘song’ is Fitter Happier, a collage of various 1990’s ad slogans recorded in a disturbing electronic voice.

Kid A- Once again, a move away from pure guitars and towards electronic sounds to manipulate the mood of a song. Examples from this album are Idioteque and The National Anthem. This entire album is rather soothing in sound, with memorable melodies, but utterly unmemorable lyricism. The singing is still beautiful, when it’s there, but you will not be able to remember it later.

Amnesiac- Slouching toward electronica, there is more piano in this mix and a much more emotive, if typically depressing feel. My favorite Radiohead song, You and Whose Army exemplifies the depressing, but not emo, melodic and yet hardcore nature of this album.

Hail to the Thief- My favorite album to date, Hail to the Thief’s title references the cries against the former President Bush’s ascent into the Oval Office. This album takes a huge leap away from the mellow songs of past albums and has a somber yet ironic feel to all of their songs. I am incapable of selecting the best songs on this album for the simple reason that they are all equally desirable.

(The Eraser- Though this is technically a solo album by Thom Yorke, it still contains the lovely Analyse, which I simply cannot ignore. It's basically Radiohead without Johnny's lovely guitar.)

In Rainbows- Featuring more percussion than any of the other albums, In Rainbows maintains a high energy performance of deep emotion. Also, the only way to buy this is with the bonus disc or otherwise you are only experiencing half the album. Off the first disc, Reckoner is a song to unconsciously bob your head to in public without shame. On the second, Last Flowers is eerily beautiful with heavy piano usage that refuses to leave my head.

Final analysis: Buy Hail to the Thief. Give them your money, because they deserve it, unlike most people in the public eye.

Coraline

A 3D children’s film based on Neil Gaiman’s popular book of the same name, this film is not a waste of money. The fairytale is about a girl named Coraline (not Caroline, as many characters in the movie mistakenly believe) and her adventures in a parallel world. In the real world, Coraline has to deal with parents who don’t listen to her needs and only write for their gardening book (despite their own bleak garden), as well as odd neighbors Mr. Bobinsky (a circus performer), Mrs. Spink and Mrs. Forcible (former vaudeville actresses), and a little boy named Wybie who seemingly stalks Coraline. Coraline gladly escapes through a small door that has been bricked up into another world, where her Other Mother gives her delicious foods and has made her neighbors and father act in amusing and fun ways. However, this world isn’t as pleasant as Coraline supposed when the Other Mother tries to keep Coraline there forever. The Other Mother kidnaps Coraline’s real parents, and has kept other children captive in her world also. The only way for Coraline to escape with her parents and to free the other children is to enter into an exploring game against the Other Mother, with only the help of a talking cat and a seeing stone.

For those viewers who have read the book, there are a few additions to the plot, but no omissions. The biggest change is the character Wybie, added as Coraline’s neighbor, who supplies some information about past incidents with the mysterious door, and gives Coraline someone to talk to other than herself and the cat, as was the case in the book. While not a strictly necessary addition, he doesn’t detract from the story or the integrity of the story.

Visually, the 3D is flawless. It brings the entire setting to life in ways that don’t draw you to question how the animators did it, but merely accept it as beautiful and natural within the story. I found the scenes where the tunnel to the other world opened particularly delightful, as well as the creepy room decorated in various types of bugs.

One of my complaints though is with Mrs. Forcible. This character was drawn with ridiculously sized breasts, which I found inappropriate for children. Understandably, she is meant as a vaudeville act, but breasts larger than the state of California are hardly necessary. To worsen this oversight on the animators’ parts, there is a scene were she and Mrs. Spink are performing, and Mrs. Forcible is wearing a ‘bra’ similar to what the stripper wore in The Graduate. This is, clearly, utterly inappropriate and extremely confusing for young audiences.

Though I liked this film immensely, it may not be right for younger audiences. It has some scary moments that make even an adult jump. Anyone under seven might be advised to wait, but if your child is mature enough to handle the second Harry Potter movie, than this film is probably manageable.

A note for English lit. majors: The law of the weight of the stern is particularly prevalent in the entire film. Examples: Three visits to each location, three objects to find, three (original) neighbors, three people in Coraline's family, three mentions of a well, etc.