My seniors are reading Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. For those of you who remember the book, in Chapter 2 the Director of the Hatchery orders that the eight month old babies be brought into the room. Bowls of vibrant roses, as well as children's books with pictures, have been placed at one end of the room. The babies are set on the floor and permitted to crawl to the books and flowers, where within a few minutes loud sirens explode and an electrical shock is administered. They are conditioning the babies to dislike books and nature. My students are all horrified. The girls often physically react, crying out, objecting, declaring that they will not read this book, no matter what I say. Of course, a huge discussion ensues involving the use of satire and parody to educate people about their philosophy. Still, many of the girls demand to be given another book to read. I must make everyone promise to read at least the first three chapters and listen in class before they judge the book. It seems this is the first time that any of them have considered the possibilities involved with genetic engineering, cloning, asexual reproduction, etc.

I must say, that it is with relief that I witness this rebellion! What if they didn't rebel? What if they just accepted these words, as they do rap songs that denigrate women, and movies that promote violence as the order of the day? Still the question of their ability to see the connections in literature to life bothers me. It takes lots of leading, lots of pushing, to get them to see that Huxley foresaw free love, foresaw recreational drugs, foresaw a society of complete conformity, a world state. He shows them the consequences. I hope they see the connection. It frightens me to think that these same kids, next year, will be helping to choose a president, or senator, or mayor or councilman, and may not have read what the man or woman has said or written.

We say that teaching higher level thinking skills is one of the objectives of education. Yet we let the media educate our students with sound bites of their favorite candidates. The media is thus given enormous power to influence voters. Will my students remember Brave New World? Will they be able to read for themselves and analyze each candidates positions? Will they fight against becoming controlled masses manipulated by Washington lobbyists and the Fox news network. I certainly hope so. Feel good drugs (Soma in Brave New World) are already a part of our daily lives. I guess feel good politicians is just the next step.

Sunshine Rider