Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Is Ford really Necessary ?
During the first couple of chapters it becomes obvious that Ford to them is a god like figure but is it really necessary? Ford is very much similar to God so it just puzzled me to as if why have a Ford in the first place. For instance during the first few chapters, Huxley used A.F. instead of A.D. , A.F. refers to After Ford which means that it is the years after Ford was alive. This is very similar to how A.D means After Death and B.C is before Christ . I thought that the reason why they use Ford is perhaps because they try so much to not deal with things that are old and in the past but why ? For example throughout the book they say things such as "Oh my Ford !" which is just like "Oh my God!" so why not just say "Oh my God!" Things such as this made me question , is Ford really necessary ?
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The truth is, it isn't necessary, and in my view putting in the god-like Ford appears to be a replacement of Christ that is used to justify things like having more than one relationship and raising children in tubes. It would make sense to the leaders to give something that the people can be motivated by. When you read further, you'll find many things from Fordism that are a direct copy of Christianity (with different morals, of course), especially in "orgy-porgy" and "Ford's comming". (By the way AD is Anno Domini, which is Latin for "in the Year of the Lord")
ReplyDeleteI think that having Ford as a god was necessary for the Brave New World. In this society, they needed to get rid of religious beliefs because they cause strong emotion, diverse beliefs, and can lead to war. Instead, they needed a unanimous belief and an answer to the questions "Why are we here?" and "Where did we come from?". By having Ford as a god, the controllers provided an outlet to a curiosity that is natural to all human beings. Ford, indirectly, created this world because it was his ideas that were applied to the society, and he is the reason they came to be where they are now. By giving them this direct answer, nothing is stirred, and the society remains stable.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you in the fact that Ford isn't a necessary figure, because they tend to establish him as so because they try to forget or disregard god or religion. The main reason behind that is because they know that no religion or god would ever agree with inhuman way in which they are mass producing humans. Therefore the only solution to such problem is to replace god with ford to try and convince themselves that they are not doing anything wrong. I know it seems confusing but when you kind of think about it makes sense.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the statement that using Ford as a God-like figure is unnecessary, and I feel that in a way by worshiping Ford, the characters are contradicting themselves. Toward the end of the novel, Mustapha Mond justified the elimination of God in society because God became important to older people who were slowing-down and approaching death, so they looked to religion and God as something to fill their time and ease their minds. If no one aged or feared death in this society, then God was unnecessary, so like you said, why is Ford necessary? If they use these justifications to eliminate God, then wouldn't the same reasons support the elimination of Ford?
ReplyDeleteI do however see a reason for them having a Ford. God is obsolete in their society because he is not their creator or their supreme being, but in a way Ford was their creator. Ford was the father of industry, mass production, technology, and advancement, the exact principles their society is based upon. This alone is a reason for them to worship and revere him. Although these people have been genetically altered and conditioned to practice habits that are against their human nature, the desire to look up to a higher power may still be the remanence of their humanity. If we look back in history, societies have been worshiping various deities and searching for the meaning of life for centuries, so why would this futuristic society be any different? Although technology has taken over, they still are human in a way.
I believe Ford is a necessary figure in this society. If you think of this novel to take place in the future, then you must also think about the time period in which the book was written. Religion has caused many conflicts across the globe. I'm not saying the Huxley foresaw 9/11, or the scandal about the burning of Qur'an. However, there has always been underlying tension between the regions of the world about what to believe or not believe in.
ReplyDeleteEven humans brainwashed into breathing robots are going to ask questions. There needs to be answers to the questions raised. An Alpha-Double Plus is smart enough to wonder. I believe Ford was put as a figure to stop the thoughts before the became too deep.
I have to agree with Ligaya, and argue again the necessity of Ford. I think the people of the Brave New World would ask where they came from, especially the higher caste people, so a god-like figure was necessary. I understand why you would think they’re simply replacing God to worship another figure, so why not keep God? The same argument could be why not keep Buddha or Ganesh? People have strong attachments to their religion, so it would be unfair to simply choose the Cristian god. There could only be one figure worshiped, but it had to be someone they could all agree was the creator, otherwise, instability would arise. Also, it would have to be one that does not make them question their way of living. As Kirsten mentioned, Ford technically is the creator of their society, therefore it would be logical to choose him as their god. Whether or not replacing God or ripping people from their personal belief or faith was morally correct is a different question.
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