Aldous Huxleys Brave New World and Political and Social Ideas :: essays research papers

The characters in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World represent certain political and social ideas. Huxley used what he saw in the world in which he lived to form his book. From what he saw, he imagined that life was heading in a direction of a utopian government control. Huxley did not imagine this as a good thing. He uses the characters of Brave New World to express his view of utopia being impossible and detrimental. One such character he uses to represent the idealogy behind this is Bernard Marx.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bernard Marx is a character that represents those that are different from the norm, a character still relevant in today’s culture. He is an archetype of those that are looked down upon as different. He signifies those that look and/or think uniquely. Bernard is the outcast who longs to belong.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bernard is pretty high up in the social system in Brave New World. He is an Alpha Plus at the top of the caste system and he works in the Psychology Bureau as a specialist on hypnopaedia. Bernard, though, is flawed according to his culture on the inside and out. “’He’s so ugly!’…’And then so small.’ Fanny made a grimace; smallness was so horribly and typically low-caste’'; (46). Bernard’s looks pushed him to be an outsider. His physical insufficiencies cause him to be different mentally. The way that he thinks and acts is different then that of the cultural norm. “’They say he doesn’t like Obstacle Golf.’…’And then he spends most of his time by himself – alone’'; (44). The way that Bernard acts is so different then everyone else in the world in which he lives. In Brave New World being alone is a rare occurrence, and sports are something that everyone participates in. Bernard also thinks of women and relationships differently. Though promiscuity is a normalcy in Brave New World, Bernard sees relationships as a personal thing and does not think of a woman as someone to just have. “’Talking about her as though she were a bit of meat.’ Bernard ground his teeth. ‘Have her here, have her there. Like mutton. Degrading her to so much mutton’'; (45). Bernard gets angry hearing others talking so casually about sexual relations with a woman. Bernard goes against the grain in the way he looks, acts and thinks. He does not follow the cultural standard and is therefore despised and teased, and is labeled a freak.

Power of a Woman (the Colour Purple)

The Power of Women Every country on earth is affected by a common issue – discrimination. Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, especially in regards to race, age, or sex. Such an issue began to affect the world in the seventeenth century, and has continued till this day. African Americans were first targeted by the Caucasian race due to the significant difference within their skin tone. In the Colour Purple by Alice Walker, people are faced with several types of discrimination: sexism, domestic abuse and racism. Discrimination is one of the most devastating events that mankind may have to potentially face. In the seventeenth century, sexism was leading this era. Women were not thought of very highly and were often taken advantage of. Till this day there are still sexist comments being targeted towards women. This social issue in society plays a large role, which dictates the opinions and views of when perceiving a gender . In the novel, The Colour Purple there is a very sexist setting, causing frequent beatings, the stereotypes based on African American women, and the thoughts and feelings towards them. Throughout this novel many different strong women are mistreated, the strongest of them all being – Cellie. Sexism played a large part in women’s lives, as they were judged upon a woman’s beauty, clothing and children. When young Cellie was sold and married to an older man, she did not know the devastating events that her life would bring. Cellies husband makes her cook, clean, take care of his kids, shave him and have sexual intercourse with him. Cellie accepted the stereotypes that were presented to her and she was obligated to think that the way she was treated was acceptable â€Å"When a women marry she spose to keep a decent house and family† p47. When Cellie says this she is sharing her thoughts on how a married woman should act and her place in the home. This forces Cellie to be prejudice and think that all men are horrible and sexist. There comes a time in every strong woman’s life, that hurtful words are said about appearance, imagine and behaviour. This young woman was told every single day by all the men in her life how ugly she was. She was reminded every single day about her flaws, this lead to the down fall in her self- esteem issues. Her husband never showed her love because he thought she was â€Å"too black† to actually love or even respect. The reason why Cellie’s father sold her and not her younger sister was because she was too pretty for any man, and young Cellie was not. She was reminded every day of her flaws. â€Å"He black as tar, nappy-headed, got legs like baseball bats, and I hear she got that nasty women's disease†. This quote is said to Cellie by her father in law while they are having a family dinner. Cellie begins to feel embarrassed because her whole family begins to laugh and agree. Sexism is a type of discrimination, and is still an issue in today’s society. Thousands of homes have been affected by domestic violence. The conformational battle between spouses, ex spouses and children has been affecting society for a long time. Each year thousands of females are beaten by their husbands, fathers, or even their brothers. Before Cellie married, she was harassed by her own father. He would rape her and give her cruel and unusual punishments. She thought she had no options and had to endure the pain that her father had infused upon her. Cellie did not know that the pain she was enduring from her father was against the law, because she had been surrounded in this environment her entire life and it was all she knew. Cellie did not understand that being raped by her father and getting her daughter taken away from her was against the law. â€Å"He [Pa] never had a kine word to say to me. Just say You gonna do what your mammy wouldn’t. First he put his thing up gainst my hip and sort of wiggle it around. Then he grab hold my titties. Then he push his thing inside my pussy. When that hurt, I cry. He start to choke me, saying You better shut up and git used to it. I don’t never get used to it. And now I feels sick every time I be the one to cook† p1. Cellie’s father was physically violent and he caused extensive emotional damage by not showing respect for his daughter, he treated her like she was his personal slave and he never said a kind word to her. She was under her father’s influence as she was not able to tell anyone about the events that were taking place in her home and the way she was being treated. Cellie struggled her whole entire life in search for happiness. When Cellie was sold and married to a man, she was glad because she was unconfined from her father and his cruelty. Her husband had no intension of loving her, he not only physically abused her but he was verbally abusive as well. He ordered her to take care of all the housework- because she is a female and he insisted that she look after his kids. If Cellie refused and defied her husband she was severally punished. It is common for any human being that is put forth in these traumatizing events to lose respect for themselves, forget how to live life as well as love. Cellie’s life has always been full of sorrow and darkness, until a miracle occurred. Cellie met a powerful women who changed her perspective in life, and reminded her how to laugh, have fun and stand up for herself. She found the courage to stand up for herself and get a divorce from her husband. â€Å"I curse you, he say what you mean? I say until you do right by me everything you touch will crumble† p122. Cellie realized that a woman does not need a man to survive and that woman can live their lives the way they want to. She managed to establish self respect and obtain higher self esteem. Racism is the discrimination of different races and is the thought of one race or color of skin has more physical and mental abilities than another. Why do we think such things of other people? Is it really right to think of people differently because of the color of their skin? In the seventeenth century it was considered tolerable to be divided by the colour of your skin. Caucasian’s were known to be successful store owners and filthy rich. Whereas people from the African American decent were slaves or small store owners and were considered poor. The Caucasian decent at the time were the wealthiest and always wanted the cleanest African Americans to be their slaves and take care of all their household chores. If an African American refused to become a slave then they were forced to become on and had to endure cruel and unusual punishments. In the novel, another powerful women Sofia is taken away from her family and friends to become a slave. She was a slave for the most powerful woman, Sofia had chosen to stand up for herself and say that she did not want to be the mayors wife’s slave, she had even slapped her for asking, Sofia was then put into jail. Once she was released from jail, she was sent to the mayor’s house to become their slave, once again and now became their property. â€Å"Miss Millie finger the children some more, finally look at Sofia and the prizefighter. She look at the prizefighter car. She eye Sofia wristwatch. She say to Sofia, All your children so clean, she say, would you like to work for me, be my maid? Sofia say, Hell no. She say, What you say? Sofia say, Hell no. Mayor look at Sofia, push his wife out the way. Stick out his chest. Girl, what you say to Miss Millie? Sofia say, I say, Hell no† p137. Any African American woman would be honoured to work for a wealthy Caucasian family but Sofia was unwilling and had enough self respect not to degrade herself. Sofia is standing up for herself, her children and her beliefs, but she is thrown into jail to be beaten and come out a scared black women. Sofia’s children do not become slaves or â€Å"maids†, but one of Sofia’s punishments was that she was not allowed to see or even speak to her family. One Thanksgiving Day, Sofia was rewarded for being a good slave and was allowed to go visit her family with one condition, Miss. Mille would have to drive her there and back to make sure she would not run away. When they got there Miss. Mille was not able to turn off her car, so Sofia’s brother had tried to help, but Miss. Mille got scared and thought she was being sexually abused. Miss. Mille had forced Sofia to drive her home and she was never to come back to see her family again. â€Å"Come on Cellie, let’s go these people are going to hurt me and your the only one I trust† p150. Even though Sofia’s brothers were only trying to help Miss. Millie, she was scared because they were â€Å"black† she was being racist and stereotyped that all â€Å"black† people were not decent individuals. Racism played a very important role in African American families; it broke them apart and/or made them stronger. It had broken bonds and made African Americans live through memories they have of each other. Discrimination is a social issue that still influences people all around the world. This issue has many different aspects and people are affected and treated by it differently. The novel The Colour Purple is a historical novel that involves many different forms of discrimination: sexism, racism and domestic abuse. Discrimination is affecting many people around the world and we need to put an end to it, putting an end to it is the only way we will be able to change the world!

Sten Gun in World War II

The Sten submachine gun was a weapon developed for use by British and Commonwealth forces during World War II, while the Lee-Enfield Rifle was the standard issue. It takes its name from the last names of its designers, Major Reginald V. Shepherd and Harold J. Turpin, and Enfield. Intended to be simple to build, the Sten was employed across all theaters of the conflict and was retained by many militaries for several decades after the war. The Sten also saw extensive use by resistance groups in Europe during the conflict and its easy to construct design permitted some to produce their own variations. Development During the early days of World War II, the British Army purchased large numbers of Thompson submachine guns from the United States under Lend-Lease. As American factories were operating at peacetime levels, they were unable to meet the British demand for the weapon. Following their defeat on the Continent and the Dunkirk Evacuation, the British Army found itself short on weapons with which to defend Britain. As sufficient numbers of Thompsons were unavailable, efforts moved forward to design a new submachine gun that could be built simply and cheaply. This new project was led by Major Reginald V. Shepherd, OBE of The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, and Harold John Turpin of the Design Department of the Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield. Drawing inspiration from the Royal Navys Lanchester submachine gun and the German MP40, the two men created the STEN. The weapons name was formed by using Shepherd and Turpins initials and combining them with EN for Enfield. The action for their new submachine gun was a blowback open bolt in which the movement of the bolt loaded and fired the round as well as re-cocked the weapon. Design Problems Due to the need to quickly manufacture the Sten, construction consisted of a variety of simple stamped parts and minimal welding. Some variants of the Sten could be produced in as few as five hours and contained only 47 parts. An austere weapon, the Sten consisted of a metal barrel with a metal loop or tube for a stock. Ammunition was contained in a 32-round magazine which extended horizontally from the gun. In an effort facilitate use of captured 9 mm German ammunition, the Stens magazine was a direct copy of one used by the MP40. This proved problematic as the German design utilized a double column, single feed system that led to frequent jamming. Further contributing to this issue was the long slot along the side of the Sten for the cocking knob which also allowed debris to enter the firing mechanism. Due to the speed of the weapons design and construction it contained only basic safety features. The lack of these led to the Sten having a high rate of accidental discharge when hit or dropped. Efforts were made in later variants to correct this problem and install additional safeties. Sten Gun Cartridge: 9 x 19mm ParabellumCapacity: 32-round detachable box magazineMuzzle Velocity: 1,198 ft./sec.Weight: approx. 7.1 lbs.Length: 29.9 in.Barrel Length: 7.7 in.Rate of Fire: 500-600 rounds per minuteSights: Fixed peep rear, post frontAction: Blowback-operated, open bolt Variants The Sten Mk I entered service in 1941 and possessed a flash hider, refined finish, and wooden foregrip and stock. Approximately 100,000 were produced before factories switched to the simpler Mk II. This type saw the elimination of the flash hider and hand grip, while possessing a removable barrel and shorter barrel sleeve. A rough weapon, over 2 million Sten Mk IIs were built making it the most numerous type. As the threat of invasion eased and production pressure relaxed, the Sten was upgraded and built to a higher quality. While the Mk III saw mechanical upgrades, the Mk V proved to be the definitive wartime model. Woman worker poses with finished Sten submachinegun, 1942. Library and Archives Canada Essentially a Mk II built to a higher quality, the Mk V included a wooden pistol grip, foregrip (some models), and stock as well as a bayonet mount. The weapons sights were also upgraded and its overall manufacture proved more reliable. A variant with an integral suppressor, dubbed the Mk VIS, was also built at the request of the Special Operation Executive. On par with the German MP40 and U.S. M3, the Sten suffered the same problem as its peers in that its use of 9 mm pistol ammunition severely restricted accuracy and limited its effective range to approximately 100 yards. An Effective Weapon Despite its issues, the Sten proved an effective weapon in the field as it dramatically increased the short-range firepower of any infantry unit. Its simplistic design also allowed it to fire without lubrication which reduced maintenance as well as made it ideal for campaigns in desert regions where oil could attract sand. Used extensively by British Commonwealth forces in Northern Africa and Northwest Europe, the Sten became one of the iconic British infantry weapons of the conflict. Both loved and hated by troops in the field, it earned the nicknames Stench Gun and Plumbers Nightmare. American officer and French partisan with a Sten crouch behind an auto during a street fight in a French city, 1944. National Archives and Records Administration The Stens basic construction and ease of repair made it ideal for use with Resistance forces in Europe. Thousands of Stens were dropped to Resistance units across occupied Europe. In some nations, such as Norway, Denmark, and Poland, domestic production of Stens began in clandestine workshops. In the final days of World War II, Germany adapted a modified version of the Sten, the MP 3008, for use with its Volkssturm militias. Following the war, the Sten was retained by the British Army until the 1960s when it was fully replaced by the Sterling SMG. Other Users Produced in large numbers, the Sten saw use around the world after World War II. The type was fielded by both sides of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Due to its simple construction, it was one of the few weapons that could be produced domestically by Israel at that time. The Sten was also fielded by both the Nationalists and Communists during the Chinese Civil War. One of the last large-scale combat uses of the Sten occurred during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War. On a more notorious note, a Sten was used in the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984.