Sunday, September 4, 2011

Derek D. Miller wrote an article, called Brave New World and the Threat of Technological Growth, that analyzes the technologically centered society in  Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley, and how it compares to today's society. Miller also reviews the works of Neil Postman, Technopoly, and Sir Ken Robinson and their description of Brave New World. The article goes on to explain how technology has forced out religion, emotions, and equal education in an effort to dominate The World State. This article seems to be geared towards people who have read the novel, but those of us with just a general understanding of the book are easily able to grasp the concepts discussed in this article due to the multitude of examples Miller provides. This was created to be easily readable and understandable even to those who have not yet read Huxley's work. This analysis, many think, is extremely relevant to today's society. It is not too difficult for one to imagine today's society evolving into the awful situations depicted in these novels: like the distopia found in 1984, by George Orwell, or the Thechnopoly described by Huxley. Miller's thesis attempts to analyze the capacity of technology to dominate society, and how it then begins to change people's values, and outlooks. This article is an analysis of a novel, so the evidence that is presented and should be presented is facts verbatim from the novel being discussed. This evidence is often quite persuasive due to the concreteness of the facts. True, these are not mathematical formulas and scientific theories, but when analyzing literature there is not much that could be more factual than a quotation. Inappropriate evidence would be perhaps Miller's own opinions if they were not reinforced by the novel. Miller does not begin his introduction with the stereotypical "grab" or "hook." There is no question or quotation; it begins simply with the author's name and title of work. In addition, Miller's thesis is broad enough to encompass his entire essay. He does not give a detailed "road map" with his thesis, but it is not necessary. The body paragraphs then elaborate upon the topic at hand: technological domination. This is effective because it presents the information in an easy to understand format and a logical order. Throughout the article Miller uses formal language along with some technical jargon to analyze Brave New World. Words like Techocracy and Techopoly are used, but Miller defines these terms for those of his audience who have not read Postman's article. Miller's use of such terms makes him seem knowledgeable on this topic. Also, his well developed article, and few grammatical errors, gives credence to the reader's the impression that Miller is an intellectual in this field, or at least that he has knowledge about Huxley's Brave New World. Through his use of technical language and his deep exploration of the topic, Miller conveys his profound understanding to his audience. For the most part, this article conforms to the rules that students are taught in school. There is the introduction, several body paragraphs that support the thesis, and a well developed conclusion. Miller may not adhere perfectly to the Shaffer format for writing, but the result remains effective.

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