Brave New World

Interesting Facts

• The novel is set in a distant future where society is divided into castes, and people are grown in incubators and subjected to genetic modification.
• In the world of the novel, traditional families do not exist, and children are raised by the state.
• Happiness and societal stability are maintained through a drug called «soma», which suppresses negative emotions.
• The book raises questions about freedom, individuality, and societal control.
• The title of the novel is taken from William Shakespeare's play «The Tempest», where the character Miranda exclaims: «O brave new world, that has such people in it!»
• The novel was written in 1931 and anticipated many modern technologies and social trends, such as cloning and mass consumption.
• One of the main characters, John, grew up in a reservation and is the only character who knows about the existence of Shakespeare and other classic works.