I was able to see several similarities throughout the book 1984 and Brave New World. First of all, both governments control sex in some aspect. 1984 restricts sex to basicly reproducing only for the addition of new members to the Party and not for personal pleasure. BNW encourages everyone to have sex to remain happy. They also have a huge impact on the younger generation. 1984 trains children to be better citizens than their parents and even "rat out" any parents or others who speak against the government. BNW grows and teaches its children to work for the government and bee happy with what class they are. Finally, each government keeps strict regulations on the literature that is provided. 1984 pretty much makes up its own history and publishes what it wants its citizens to believe and BNW keeps its people from reading any historical literature or anything dealing with relationships and love or families.

Throughout the book 'Brave New World' we to be are able to see several characteristics that can be seen in our society today. For one thing there is "soma" in our world today. Drugs are a main source of relaxation and a kind of "get away" from the trouble of our daily lives. People take them able to not feel and get away from anything troubling them. There is also the use of music in 'Brave New World' which motivates the people to do/think in a certain way. We also use music to influence society with what we want customers to purchase or even think. Government wise music can be used to calm somthing down. As in comercials, tv, and movies music is used to enhance our fear or happiness within a situation. The publicity of our world can damage reputations and drive people crazy when they are always in the spotlight. Just as the press overwhelmed John and showed him at his most vulnerable times and opened his personal actions to the world. The publicity associated with both our worlds can cause a great deal of stress and anger, which overall hurts those involoved.

Lenina was brought up to be just like the others in their society. They have always been allowed to have who ever they wanted whenever they wanted and there was always soma to keep them happy no matter what the circumstances. It is "right" in their world to be with as many people as you want, and you are better in this society depending on how many people you have relationships with. At the same time, John has learned to read from his mother and views relationships completely differently, because of the works of Shakespeare. John has a great idea about how marriages are brought about and work through his interpretations of Shakespeare's work and the villiage traditions he grew up with. John believes a person should only love and be with one other person, no more. And that they should share their love through marriage together. He wants to prove himself worthy of Lenina and wants to do something drastic to prove his love. While Lenina wants to throw herself at John, wich offends him greatly and ends with him caller her a slut. They are both confused by eachothers actions, although they have similar feelings for eachother, the cultures they grew up in keep them from expressing themselves the right way. I do not believe they will ever be able to be together simply because of the traditions they were brought up in.

What connections have you seen between Utopia and BNW?
Throughout the reading of each of these books I have seen how each author has tried to make up a whole new society based on what they believe would be best for the human population. They both include the "sharing" of both objects and people. No one owns a whole lot, it is all for everyone. There are also newly formed governments which organize and govern everyone in this new world. They each also have areas they can escape to or visit when they want to get away and visit another society. I also think that each society does not seem very family oriented.
What seems good about BNW?
The only thing that seems good about BNW is that they are able to escape the realities of their world through the use of soma, although this is also just like a drug in the world today, so you are able to get away, but you are not really being yourself or living and feeling what you really should be. (I know this sounds confusing) The only other thing that I think is cool about this world is that they travel around in helicopters and they do not age, which is awesome.
What one thing troubles you most about it?
Mostly everything!! I hate how children are made in jars, people cannot love only one person, you cannot have a child, the social classes are something that you have no contol over, you have to wear specific colors, there are world leaders who are in charge of teaching everything to you, and they encourage children to become adult-like early on in their life.

After reading the last half of book too, I made a few more notes about the structure of Utopia...

-Men cannot live where all things are common
-Utopia is said to be better governed than Europe (which I disagree with)
-Every family owns 2 slaves
-Gardens are a main source of food
-Students are taught about agriculture at a young age
-Public lectures are held every morning before day break
-Women are half of mankind
-They build things to last forever, other than wait for them to be ruined and then build again
-Children serve parents, wives serve husbands
-Local hospitals give shelter and take care of elderly and sick
-Slaves kill their "beasts"
-Leather is worn during work, because it is the most durable
-Mothers always care for their own children
-A major field of study is Astronomy

Throughout the second book of Utopia by Sir Thomas More, we are able to see that More’s idea of Utopia surround three basic principles, including happiness, money, and personal values. These are a few notes I took…

*Happiness
-Nations will not be created equal with money and property involved
-Happiness has nothing to do with material objects
-The source for happiness is a much disputed subject
-People can gain happiness from the improvement of the mind
-Utopians are much more happy in their next state of life
-No one should ever harm or criticize another to make themselves happy
*Money
-People do not have money to buy things, so they steal
-Money should not be equal to the value of human life, therefore, capital punishment should not be made for all crimes
-Slaves cannot ask for money from others
-Any money gathered from Utopia’s exports is used to build up armies
-Money is also raised through land revenues
*Values
-Everyone respects their elders, wives obey husbands, and children listen to their parents
-Utopians kill animals, only when they deem necessary, and not for sport
-Labor is valued highly
-Utopians take care of their bodies, because they believe God gave it to them to keep
-Marriage is extremely valued, polygamy is illegal, and divorce is hard to obtain

Here are a few things I noted about Sir Thomas Mores first book of Utopia that I believe fit with our world today...

-"there lay vast deserts...men that were neither less wild nor less cruel than the beasts themselves"
-Nations have mutual commerce and trade by both land and sea
-"...which other people do not part with till they are old and sick, when they then unwillingly give that which they can enjoy no longer themselves"
-Princes of seperate nations will apply themselves to war over land rather than peace
-"...robbers prove sometimes gallant soldiers, so soldiers often prove brave robbers"
-nations train up armies to take over other nations and their land
-"If you teach wrong and punish them later, is that just?"
-God has commanded us not to kill

Here are a few notes of things that I did not agree with...

-"...they go lazily about their task, he may quicken them with a whip"
-"God treats us better than he did the Jews" (I dont believe God had anything to do with the horrible things that the Jews had to go through, it was strictly Hitler)
-Capital punishment for all crimes
-Asking someone to work under a prince because they believe it will help them