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How do the themes explored in 'Brave New World' and 'Oryx and…

- - - - Loss of control is explored in BNW through Huxley's exploitation of the Bourgeoise's fear of losing their means to make a living. Bourgeoise in Marxist writings are synonymous with the capitalist class; those who make an income by investing in enterprises (entrepreneurs). In a communist society, where everything is government controlled, they would lose the ability to invest, meaning they would be redundant. Naturally, the capitalists were afraid of this as well.
    - - Government controls everything
  - - - O&C is a world run by profit-seeking corporations, the government is not even mentioned as a power-holder. Outside the compounds run by the largest corporations, the Pleeblans are unchecked and lawless. The world runs in the interest to the firms, who's the only interest for is profit. This may be reflective of a fear of loss of control by the government and a loss of control by the individual over their fate through manipulation and deceit by the largest firms.
  - - - Page 11 - we get introduced to the "Social Predestination Room". The government decides where all the factors of production are allocated. When John "the Savage" is introduced to this concept, he is disgusted by it, and as he represents us, this is symbolism for what we should fear according to Huxley.
        
        Page 16 - "Unescapable social destiny"
      - Page 1 - "Community, Identity, Stability". Where is freedom?
      - Page 14 - We are introduced to the "World Controllers"
      - Page 39 - We are introduced to "Bernard Marx", inspired by Karl Marx, in the changing room, listening to a conversation regarding Lenina. We think he is the good guy as he seems to respect Lenina for more than her body.
      - Page 41 - "Everyone belongs to everyone else". Communist motto but then applied to people.
    - - Page 32 - "kings and dukes lived in castles [...]." said Jimmy's father, "So are we the kings and dukes?" asked Jimmy, to which the father responded, "Oh, absolutely". This demonstrates how corporations are the power-holders in the new world.
      - Page ... - "So I learned about life," said Oryx.
        "Learned what?" said Jimmy. He shouldn't have had that pizza, and the weed they'd smoked on top of that. He was feeling a little sick.
        "That everything has a price."
        "That Can't be true. Not everything has a price. You can't buy time. You can't buy..." He wanted to say love, but he hesitated. It was too soppy.
        "You can't buy it, but it has a price," said Oryx. "Everything has a price."
        "Not me," said Jimmy, trying to joke. "I don't have a price"
        Wrong, as usual.
      - Page ... - "Now, suppose you're an outfit called HelthWyzer. Suppose you make your money out of drugs and procedures that cure sick people, or else-- better--- that make it possible for them to get sick in the first place."
        [...]
        "So, what are you going to need, sooner or later?"
        [...]
        "So, you'd need more sick people. Or else-- and it might be the same thing-- more diseases. New and different ones. Right?"
        "Stands to reason," said Jimmy after a moment. It did, too. "But don't they keep discovering new diseases?"
        "Not discovering," said Crake. "They're creating them".
      - Characterization of Jimmy in Chapter 2
        
        As Jimmy is watching the bonfire, he was anxious that the animals may get hurt. However, this conversation takes the background as it is replaced by his father discussing corporate matters and speculating how the disease got in.
      - Setting Creation in Chapter 2
        
        We are introduced to the 'Pleebs'. The corporations do not just define the political landscape, they define the literal landscape as well by dividing it into societal groups.
      - Creation of setting in Chapter 12
        
        RejoovenEsense products on sale everywhere in the 'Pleeblands'. It kinda resembles a oligarchy where a select group of people control everything.
      - Plot in Chapter 12
        
        We see Jimmy's bosses suddenly being very nice to him after accepting is job with Crake, which indicates the corporations keep tabs on their employees.
      - Symbolism and Characterization in chapter 12
        
        Crake believes the world is overpopulated, and uses the BlyssPlus pill into making everyone sterile, as they do not know it is a sterilization pill. Crake is the embodiment of 'loss of control' by the individual.
      - Characterization in Chapter ...
        
        The dangers of a free capitalist market are illustrated by the loss of ethics as they give you a disadvantage against competitor firms.
- - - - Mass production has been perfected by Henry Ford and industrialization is well underway, opening a whole list of possibilities for the future in terms of what they wil be able to produce and consume.
    - - By 1950, the American consumer was praised as a patriot for aiding the economic recovery. Consumerism is the occurrence of consuming goods and services that do not work towards meeting the basic human needs, as they have already been fulfilled or the good/service is just a luxury good. This has detrimental effects on the environment which have started becoming more apparent in the 21st century.
  - - - <--See left
      - Consumerism is explored in O&C through the characterization.
        
        Jimmy's father
        
        Page 64 -
        “We give people Hope. Hope isn’t ripping off!”
        “At Nooskins’ price it is. You hype your wares and take all their money, and then it's no more treatments for them…Don’t you remember the way you used to talk?...you had ideals, then.”
        [...] "I've still got them. I just can't afford them."
        “There’s nothing sacred about cells and tissue.”
        
        “Leave Daddy alone,” said his mother. “Daddy is thinking. That’s what they pay him for. He doesn’t have time for you.
        
        Crake
        
        “People come here from all over the world—they shop around. Gender, sexual orientation, height, colour of skin and eyes—it’s all on order, it can all be done or redone.”
        
        Oryx in Chapter 6
        
        Her life is defined by the transactions that have brought her here. She has become a commodity herself. "What is my will?", says Oryx, showing that commodification makes anybody lose what defines them.
- - - - Characterization in Chapter 2
        
        Mother is overly concerned. Father is barely concerned. Snowman is bearing the consequences seen through non--linear plot structure.
        
        Through Jimmy's thoughts, we are introduced to the fact that the Pigoon project may have crossed an ethical line due to the fact that the animals have become so crossed-over with humans that Jimmy doesn't want to eat them as he "related" to them.
      - Symbolism of the Pigoons in Chapters 9-10
- - - - Oryx's characterization in chapter 6 - her view on love has become so distorted by her life as a commodity.