1 egg
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 packet Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate Brownie Mix
1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees Farenheit.
3. Pour mixed ingredients into oven-safe tray.
4. Bake for 45-50 minutes.
The theme explored in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World and Ape and Essence is the theme of dehumanization, one of the factors which can be accounted for through convenience. The characters of Huxley's works, especially those in Brave New World, are handed their every want and need on a silver platter. There is no need for any of the citizens to fight, to struggle, to go through conflict, to "suffer or oppose"; rather, they are supplied their desires without having to raise a finger, and without having to feel guilt for succumbing to their urges (Huxley 238). Indeed, when there is no need to battle, no obstacles to overcome, no "opportunities for being noble or heroic", what is there left to define the human experience (Huxley 237)? There is no longer any means to to an end, no longer any journey, no longer, in other words, the need for humans to go through the life events that make them human.
With the theme of dehumanization explored through convenience in mind, my brownies come into play. The stereotypical baking-brownies scene would involve the whole family whipping together a homemade batch of batter, feeding one another and licking the spatula behind the mother's back, spending hours and hours waiting for the chocolate to reach the right consistency and for the ingredients to be properly mixed and for that little special something in one's grandmother's secret recipe to ferment just enough. Instead, these brownies were made in under an hour; 45 minutes of that hour was spent waiting for the brownies to bake in the oven. There was no struggle involved, no work put in, no effort on my part to make the brownies what they are. Certainly they'll still retain their deliciousness, but it's not flavor that will be lost: it's the human experience that comes with homemade brownies. The sweat, "the tears", the memories, all are lost in the face of convenience (Huxley 239). What perhaps might have been a fond recollection years later has been cheapened--it has lost its worth, just as the worth of the society in Brave New World was lost. John notes that, though there may be monetary value in the society, "nothing costs enough" in terms of what human beings put into it (Huxley 239). The same can be said for these brownies.
Amulya, yours was the first presentation that I could really follow along and understand how the message of Aldous Huxley (dehumanization) was tied into everything – especially your brownies-made-from-mix idea. Although having the appearance of you just being lazy, I couldn’t think of a better way to portray the message of Aldous Huxley. The whole idea of convenience is such a prevalent part of lives, especially in the technological era we are growing up in, and in brutal honesty it’s really an insult to the capabilities of humankind, while still giving the illusion of just the opposite. The brownies were good, and since they were brownies, who cares if they were made from mix?
ReplyDeleteAnd that’s the beautiful irony of it; instead of being able to appreciate the work put into making a homemade brownie, made with care and patience to put quality over quantity, we only enjoy the end product, even if it is sub-par, because it is a satisfaction we can get in a short amount of time – it is convenient and efficient. Everyone cares about the fact that it is a brownie, rather than the fact that it is knowingly a brownie that could have been better. The connection between that simple brownie “recipe” to the meaning of Aldous Huxley’s work(s) was strong, clear and concise.
These brownies that you created are perfect. Not only did they taste quite good but they seem to accurately reflect Huxley's message in "Brave New World". Your description of how the human element will be lost and something that is special will be missing from society, "the brownies", is well thought out and for the most part makes sense.
ReplyDeleteOne little question I have about your analysis though. You say that Huxley says the human element will be gone, and that as a result society will be missing something . I don't argue with this much, it seems true and as I said earlier, your brownies make it easy to understand. But, and I'm just trying to be the devils advocate here, why is this a bad thing? You say it will cause us to not have to battle or struggle anymore, but isn't that good? Why is the "human experience" so important? Could I not argue that the convenience is worth a little bit less personalization and humanization? Just wondering.