Brave New World

How does the description of the Hatchery establish the tone and feeling of the book?

How does the description of the Hatchery establish the tone and feeling of the book?

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One theme that is found in the first chapter through the description of the hatchery is the similarity between the production of humans, and the production of consumer goods on an assembly line. Everything about human reproduction is technologically managed to maximize efficiency and profit. Following the rule of supply and demand, the Predestinators project how many members of each caste will be needed, and the Hatchery produces human beings according to those figures. One of the keys of mass production is that every part is identical and interchangeable; a steering wheel from one Model T fits neatly onto the steering column of any other Ford. Similarly, in the Hatchery, human beings are standardized by the production of thousands of brothers and sisters in multiple groups of identical twins using the Bokanovsky and Podsnap Processes.

The lower castes are more subject to these forces of anonymity and mechanization. Members of the higher castes are decanted one by one, without any artificial intervention. Thus the higher castes retain at least some level of the individuality and creativity that is denied completely to the lower castes.

This new world is shaped by those making the decisions of the artificial attributes you'll learn about throughout the novel.

Source(s)

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/bravenew/section1.html

The hatchery is creepy. They manufacture humans in this sterile setting. Their attitude towards life is very sterile and clinical as well. There is no sense of nurture here or values. The hatchery is simply a place to continue life within the twisted hierarchy of their matrix.