O brave new world by SevenPercent

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

O brave new world

POSTED BY: SEVENPERCENT
UPDATED: Wednesday, January 18, 2006 15:22
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VIEWED: 3274
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Wednesday, January 4, 2006 12:56 PM

...that has such people in it."

So says Miranda. From Shakespeare's Tempest, the daughter of Prospero, the wizard-duke. Why am I bringing this up? Because Joss is a friggin' genius, that's why. I decided to pick up a book I had never read (oddly enough), Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, and was surprised that the Savage (more or less the main character) quotes Miranda's "O brave new world" speech repeatedly (hence the name of the book, more or less).

Not to go into too many details, but Brave New World is about a futuristic society in which drugs (a narco-hallucinogenic called soma) are used to pacify the population by putting them mentally to sleep (not to mention all the genetic conditioning, but that's not the point).

So here we have Joss' planet Miranda, an obvious homage to Huxley's homage to Shakespeare. Part of what makes Tempest interesting is the dichotomy between the refined and the savage - the monstrous Caliban is a beast created to be controlled by the island's previous inhabitant, and used by Prospero for his own ends.

Planet Miranda, the brave new world that had such people in it - people controlled by drugs who become enslaved to death or savagery. Joss meets Huxley meets Shakespeare. It's like an epiphany in my brain.

Literature is sooooooo friggin' cool sometimes.

------------------------------------------
He looked bigger when I couldn't see him.

Anyone wanting to continue a discussion off board is welcome to email me - check bio for details.

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Wednesday, January 4, 2006 1:01 PM

DONCOAT

Ain't it just?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ain't about you, Jayne. It's about what they need.

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Wednesday, January 4, 2006 1:11 PM

QUEENOFTHENORTH

Wow, that is cool. I had no idea about that. Of course, I've only read the standard school Shakespeare. You know, like Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet, Midsummer Night's Dream, and Macbeth. All fascinating stories, though.

"Sir, you actually said 'wink, wink'. I don't think that -"
"Oh, you'd be surprised."

"Yes, the new plan will STILL involve rocket skates."
"YAY!"

Like books? Go to this thread: http://www.fireflyfans.net/thread.asp?b=2&t=14862
to find out how to buy mine!

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Wednesday, January 4, 2006 1:15 PM

HUMBUG

Quote:
Originally posted by SevenPercent:
...that has such people in it."
Joss is a friggin' genius.
Literature is sooooooo friggin' cool sometimes.

I agree!!!!

I was reading the novel of the BDM, and in there it says that Mal found Jayne on a planet called Caliban (the name of the uncivilised monster - or is he? - in The Tempest). And, of course, there's Miranda (a princess) & Ariel (a good spirit). And am I right that there's a mention of Prospero??!! I'm not sure?, he was Miranda's father and a magician controlling everything & everyone in the play.

I was just watching The Christmas Invasion edition of Doctor Who and the baddie on it is called Sycorax (a witch who was Caliban's mother).

Spooky!!! The Tempest References everywhere!!! (I studies it at A level - British University entrance exams).

And Brave New World by Aldous Huxley is one of my very favourite sci-fic stories. It freaked me out almost as much as 1984!!!!!

But I think 1984 is about dictatorships & communism & mind control, whereas Brave New World is about manipulation of the body through drugs and medicine and science............ creepily prophetic........ and so applicable to Serenity.. ......

Humbug

"You know what the first rule of flying is?... Love. You can learn all the math in the 'verse, but you take a boat in the air you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of worlds. Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down, tells you she's hurting 'fore she keens. Makes her a home." Mal, BDM

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Wednesday, January 4, 2006 4:53 PM

SEVENPERCENT

Quote:
Originally posted by Humbug:
I was reading the novel of the BDM, and in there it says that Mal found Jayne on a planet called Caliban (the name of the uncivilised monster - or is he? - in The Tempest). And, of course, there's Miranda (a princess) & Ariel (a good spirit). And am I right that there's a mention of Prospero??!!

I didn't even think about Ariel as a connection - good eye. And if the novelization has Jayne coming from Caliban, that just takes the cake. Caliban is an intriguing character in and of himself (very open to interpretation - I've seen 4 or 5 different performances of Tempest with 4 or 5 different takes on him).

Also, maybe the BDCrew is symbolic of Huxley's Savage; not quite able to fit into the life of the wild or of civilization, but trapped in between - trying to find a place for themselves. Who knows, but it'll give me something to think about for a few days (and an excuse to re-read Shakespeare).

------------------------------------------
He looked bigger when I couldn't see him.

Anyone wanting to continue a discussion off board is welcome to email me - check bio for details.

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Thursday, January 5, 2006 8:10 AM

HUMBUG

Quote:
Originally posted by SevenPercent:
Quote:
Originally posted by Humbug:
I was reading the novel of the BDM, and in there it says that Mal found Jayne on a planet called Caliban (the name of the uncivilised monster - or is he? - in The Tempest). And, of course, there's Miranda (a princess) & Ariel (a good spirit). And am I right that there's a mention of Prospero??!!

I didn't even think about Ariel as a connection - good eye. And if the novelization has Jayne coming from Caliban, that just takes the cake. Caliban is an intriguing character in and of himself (very open to interpretation - I've seen 4 or 5 different performances of Tempest with 4 or 5 different takes on him).

Also, maybe the BDCrew is symbolic of Huxley's Savage; not quite able to fit into the life of the wild or of civilization, but trapped in between - trying to find a place for themselves. Who knows, but it'll give me something to think about for a few days (and an excuse to re-read Shakespeare).

Joss Whedon's writing is cool and deep!!!!

And having an excuse to re-read Shakespeare is ggod at any time.

"The Tempest" is my favourite Shakespeare play. Blame Mrs Bloom, my A-Level English Literature teacher!!!!!!!

I've seem Caliban played as a brute, as playful, as a character to feel a lot of sympathy for, and as a character to hate and abhore!!!

I see so many connections with Jayne.

He is despicable sometimes, but Adam Baldwin's playing of him makes him so loveable at the same time. I love that he remembers James Mason (who played so many cads and villains in movies) when he says that he isn't playing Jayne as a villain, but as someone who really sees himself as a hero - no matter how misguided!!!!

*sigh* So much to see in Joss Whedon's 'verse!!

Humbug

"You know what the first rule of flying is?... Love. You can learn all the math in the 'verse, but you take a boat in the air you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of worlds. Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down, tells you she's hurting 'fore she keens. Makes her a home." Mal, BDM

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Thursday, January 5, 2006 8:49 AM

PSOLARIS

Damn SP, you got a good eye there!! I got the Shakespeare referrences right away (I was a theatre major in college...and Will is my bible), but I haven't read A Brave New World since high school. But you've jogged my memory and you're right! It was one of my favorite books actually.

Geez I love the way Joss' brain works! And literature is indeed way cool.

Psolaris

"Ten percent of nuthin' is...let me do the math here...nuthin' into nuthin'...carry the nuthin'"

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Tuesday, January 17, 2006 11:22 AM

TCORTEZZ

This is a thread I thought should be pushed back up.

I doubt most "critics" are aware of this relationship. They just view this as a space cowboy action movie (at which it excels). I would hope that the movie would promote sales of Huxley's book.

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Tuesday, January 17, 2006 3:31 PM

VIOLETRIX

beautiful!

i haven't read the tempest in so long, it shames me. (once being a lit major.)

also, in "objecs in space", did anyone else catch river's othello quote: "chaos is come again"? othello used it, if i remember corroectly -- forgive me, it's been a long time -- to describe love, yet river uses in a more straightforward, literal sense.

joss is a wonderfully intelligent man, ain't he?

http://violetrix.blogspot.com
soon there'll be no room for naughty men like us to slip about at all

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Wednesday, January 18, 2006 5:53 AM

DONCOAT

Intelligent and well-read.

Any TV creator who can give a coherent answer to the inquiry "Camus or Sartre?" is a rare breed indeed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't disagree on any particular point.

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Wednesday, January 18, 2006 1:36 PM

VIOLETRIX

Quote:
"Camus or Sartre?"

sartre. nausea changed my life. that sounds kinda funny.

http://violetrix.blogspot.com
soon there'll be no room for naughty men like us to slip about at all

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Wednesday, January 18, 2006 3:22 PM

GALEN

Nice catch! Wow...I hadn't thought about the Brave New World connection at all, more than a 'hmmm, that's interesting'. I think that book was the first one that I read that freaked me out...still remember the feeling that I had at the end.

Galen

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