Things Fall Apart

Throughout history many countries have shown their superiority by travelling the world and colonizing the weaker nations. Mostly it was the European nations that went about and colonized other countries. The point of this colonization was to become even more powerful and to convert the so-called “heathens” so they could be more civilized like the White man. In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart a similar situation is created when a tribe in Nigeria is inhabited by white missionaries who say that they come only to live in peace with the native people. However, according to “Cultural Studies: Postcolonialism..” “Each society or culture contains within itself a dominant cultural group which determines that culture’s ideology” (234). Before the Ibo culture was the dominating culture in Umofia but as the missionaries came and resided in Umofia they began to attract followers. Most were outcasts that were not thought highly of in Umofia but soon others of rank began to join. The missionaries tried to show the tribe that their religion was wrong and that they should only worship one God-the God that the white man worships because that is only God there is. They begin to invoke “European religious beliefs” (236). When the missionaries came into Umofia they started off with little else but a plot of land and a few supporters but slowly they grew and all of Umofia changed. Umofia “[gave] up [it’s] raw materials in exchange for what materials the colonized desired or were made to believe they desired by the colonizers” (236). Soon the people of Umofia adopt some of the ideas of the missionaries such as trading centers in which they could buy and sells items of value. Slowly they begin to do things the European way instead of the way that it has always been done in Umofia. The missionaries start to change the way of life of the citizens of Umofia and the people of Umofia don’t seem to have a problem with it. Except, of course, Okonkwo. The missionaries just start off as harmless neighbors who want nothing more than to intergrate into the society but soon enough they begin to show that what they believe is wrong and that they do not know any better. They try to educate the people of Umofia using their way of life and showing them that the way they have been living is completely wrong. The Ibo culture starts to fade because its supporters are now becoming avid members of the Christian church. 

Technopoly

Neil Postman’s definition of a technocracy is “a society only loosely controlled by social custom and religious tradition and driven by the impulse to invent” (Postman 41). There was a great climb in the area of technological advancements in the 19^th century. Many different inventions were being made that would ease the workload of employees and greatly increase profits. A time came when employers realized they would need the minimal amount of employees and even very unskillful employees because technology was so advanced that an uneducated person was able to easily operate it. This caused a great disturbance with the skilled workers because they were replaced by machines and children who operated them. The employers were quite happy because they made a very profit. Although this move into a technocracy created a movement among the workers called the Luddite Movement. These workers would take out their rage on the machines that replaced them; they destroyed the very things that were there to take over. However Postman argues that even though “technocratic capitalism created slums and alienation, it is also true that such conditions were perceived as an evil that should be eradicated; that is to say, technocracies brought into being an increased respect for the average person, whose potential and even convenience became a matter of compelling political interest and urgent social policy” (Postman 44). Also, Postman views that technocratic culture as a positive movement since it removes the distinctions that separated the social classes. The key factor of a technocracy is that it does not completely eliminate tradition; it only subordinates it so it does not play such a great role in the lives of the people. A technopoly, on the other hand, involves the complete eradication of anything other than the actual technopoly. There are no other alternatives to the government because it has made sure that completely unknown to the people. Postman says that it redefines “what we mean by religion, by art, by family, by politics, by history, by truth, by intelligence, so that our definitions fit its new requirements. Technopoly, in other words, is totalitarian technocracy” (Postman 48).  Postman’s assertion goes hand-in-hand with the concept of Brave New World. After all, Brave New World is a novel in which a technopoly controls all that goes on and they do not have any sort of tradition to go by.  Frederick W. Taylor, in his book entitled The Principles of Scientific Management, expresses the idea that the only goal of human labor and though is efficiency. Is that not what Aldous Huxley shows in his novel? All of the different classes of people have specific tasks that they do and they make sure that those tasks are done efficiently and quickly. If those tasks are done inadequately then the person is quickly discarded and another is put in his or her place. Taylor also suggests that human judgment is wrong and technical calculation is far superior to it. Machines are, in a sense, more trustable than a human and the human is relatively useless compared to the machine.  In a sense this is also true considering Brave New World; after all, the humans in Brave New World are exactly what the machines make them to be. Whether they turn out a Alpha, Beta, Delta or whatever else. 

Singularity

Raymond Kurzweil’s idea of Singularity, the transformation of the human race into something “nonhuman,” relates quite closely with Brave New World. World State is such a place where people are specifically made to do certain things. No one is “created” the way we are now. It is a place where, instead of worshipping a God, the father of assembly line, Henry Ford, is idolized. Kurzweil predicts that soon artificial intelligence will become so advanced that things such as death will be nonexistent. Humans will have developed technology that will be able to go against what we believe is possible today. It will be so powerful that it will be able to overcome what nature has restricted. After all, “what man has joined, nature is powerless to put asunder” (Huxley 22). As Lev Grossman said in his article, “When you enter their mind-space you pass through an extreme gradient in worldview, a hard ontological shear that separates Singularitarians from the common run of humanity” (Grossman 2). Grossman basically points out that once you start thinking the way Singularitarians do, you cross a very steep path in which the Singularitarians are separated from the normal people. It is where the technologically advanced are separated from the more basic form of humans. Is this not what occurs in Brave New World? In Huxley’s world the savages are separated from the people of World State because they do not think the way that they do; they do not use technology in every task they perform. In fact, technology is not even used by the savages. Is that what makes then so savage, the fact that they do not use technology to facilitate every aspect of their lives? Does that mean that the human race is getting closer and closer to the fictional setting of World State? Man is already merged somewhat with technology. According to a Time Magazine article, there are already a plethora of technological advancements that merge humans with machines such as “robotic prosthetic legs [that use] artificial intelligence to ‘read’ the wearer’s arm gestures via a set of crutches, simulating a natural human gait” (Park). In some cases robots are even taking over tasks that normally humans could only perform, such as driving a car (Saporito) or teaching English to Korean students (Mahr). These examples are not all available to the public but there are such technologically advanced machinery that society has wrapped around. If you walk around Clovis High before school or after school one thing that you will notice is that every other person has an iPhone in their hand. It is a piece of technology that could not have even been thought of twenty years ago yet every other person has one. Pieces of technology such as iPhones have become such a crucial part of some people’s daily lives that it would be difficult to function without it. There is so much that you can do with such a little device. Grossman questions, “Is it an unimaginable step to take the iPhones out of our hands and put them into our skulls?” (Grossman 5). When man is completely merged with technology it will be a great advancement because various “impossible” concepts will not be unattainable. Many people consider certain aspects of life in the hands of a greater being, or a God, but all belief in a religion does it explain the unexplainable. If a religious person is asked what happens after death they will most likely respond that a person will go to Heaven or Hell. But what if a person did not die? Would the need for an all-knowing God still exist? Would the future become like Brave New World in which the only godlike figure is Henry Ford and religion is nonexistent? I believe that as we progress towards Singularity we will become less and less human. Being authentically human will soon become nonexistent because man and machine will soon combine to become something new. To be authentically human means that man and technology do not intertwine with each other. In a sense, we have already crossed the line between authentic and unauthentic. In my opinion, there is no actual pristine state of existence since perfection of the human race for one human being may be complete merging with technology where for another human being it may be only minimal association with technology. Bernard has a romantic view of the world when he believes that there should be some pristine state of existence for mankind because he does  not have the same mindset as the others in his society and he believes that in order for him to fit in, things need to be different. Bernard is not seeking a pristine state of existence; he is simply seeking an existence in which he is not an outsider. 

Brave New World

In the essay entitled "Brave New World and the Threat of Technological Growth" by Derek Miller, Miller analyzes the use of technology in Aldous Huxley's novel, Brave New World. Miller also compares aspects of Huxley's futuristic dystopian society to certain features of the world as we know it today. For example, Miller draws similarities between the standardization of education system here in America to the caste system in Brave New World. Furthermore, Miller also implies that, here in America, children are hindered and they are not able to reach their full potential because the education system is restrictive. Miller's writing shows that he is quite aware of the audience to whom he is talking to. His diction reflects this idea. Miller uses diction that is formal yet simple. It is not complicated or impractical. Miller chooses words that appear sophisticated enough to engage the reader yet simple enough so the reader understands it. Miller's writing is clear cut and simple. There are no metaphors or other forms of figurative language to confuse or distract the reader. Also, to improve the credibility of his essay, Miller uses several quotes from the book as well as quotes supporting his ideas from credible critics. The quotes that Miller choose are quite adequate for the ideas that he is presenting to his audience. Miller's sources prove to the reader that he is, in fact, credible because he has information from fairly reputable sources that support his idea. Miller does not use sources that most people would frown upon. Such sources that would cause dispute because of their credibility. Throughout his essay, Miller draws parallels between Huxley's fictional society and the society in which we live. Miller's essay begins with a somewhat introductory paragraph that introduces Brand New World and gives the basics on the novel. From then onwards, Miller's paragraphs consist of a central idea and with that idea he shows similarities between Huxley's society and the one we live in. 
Academic essays differ greatly from the other essays I have written previously in high school because they do not go by the set of rules that I've been told to follow since freshman year. Those rules were supposed to help develop my writing abilities and to guide me so I know how to correctly write an essay. But, now that I have am capable of writing a good essay, I do not have to abide by the rules that I was taught because those rules were there simply guide me. When a person reaches a certain level in their writing, they are able to write a thesis and support it without having to be taught how to do it each time. When a person is in their younger ages of writing, they are unable to do this correctly so there are rules set there for them. For example, they are told that for each concrete detail they have, they have to have only two sentences of commentary. In reality, a person can have a lot to say about one piece of concrete detail and therefore they will need more sentences. A person in a higher stage of writing, which Miller is, is able to compose a coherent and balanced essay without having to follow Jane Schaffer's steps. Miller may only use one piece of concrete detail per paragraph but he is able to make a exceptional essay with his commentary on that piece of evidence and others.