O, wonder! How many goodly creatures are there here!To which Prospero responds
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,
That has such people in't!
'Tis new to thee.This got me thinking about Aldous Huxley's novel, Brave New World, and the relationship between the book's theme and the context of this scene.
Brave New World is filled with dramatic irony. The future is horrific, but the characters seem to think of it as a utopia for the most part. The characters in each work that are most comparable are John and Miranda. John has been living in the savage reservation for 18 years, reading Shakespeare and longing to join the "brave new world" of London society. Miranda has been isolated on an island her entire life, and also wants more.
When Miranda sees men drunkenly stumbling up, she exclaims that mankind is beautiful. Prospero tries to explain that these are not the best examples of men, but she assures him that she wants nothing more. John, on the other hand, is revolted by the society he finds in London. He can't find a way to reconcile himself with it, and it ends in his suicide.
Both characters (at first at least) imagine a world greater and more perfect than it really is. Seeing both reactions makes me wonder, though. Isn't it better to be like Miranda, with carefully protected ideas, than John, who finds out what this brave new world truly is? And, does it ruin the hopeful concept of a brave new world?
I think that Miranda's attitude is more admirable. I think it stems from a certain sense of gratitude. I'd like to look at things with that same sense of satisfaction.
ReplyDeleteI think Miranda's view is limited. I would not like to live my life ignorant of everything else that is going on in the world. John could not handle the truth, but that does not mean that other people are not strong enough to know the truth and deal with it in a positive way. When we know the truth about an issue, we can then try do discover a way to fix it.
ReplyDeleteThis was a great comparison and brings out a throbbing question.
ReplyDeleteI think Miranda is ignorant and settles for what she first encounters. It is sad that she accepts this example as man as all she wants. She is not even willing to see what else is out there.
John is easier to relate to myself and what I have seen. I completely agree with Rachel that although some people react with suicide some people are strong enough to overcome the shattering of their world and recognize reality.
Reality is not pretty and Miranda refuses to recognize it for what it truly is. John sees it and then cannot accept it. We have a world full of "Mirandas" and a few stronger than the "Johns". The second is the one who try to change the world or simply ignore the glaring reality they know. The Mirandas don't even see the problem.