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A Brave New World controversy

November 17, 2010 @ 2:33 am (Updated: 3:46 pm - 3/28/11 )

Something 10th graders at Nathan Hale High School in Seattle did was so upsetting to a student and her mom that it's resulted in a curriculum change at the school, and apologies from the principal.

What were they doing? Reading. Reading Aldous Huxley's Brave New World as part of their language arts curriculum.

BraveNewWorldWhile the book is the center of a new controversy in Seattle, the debate about the fictional story has gone on for decades. The American Library Association ranks Brave New World as number 36 on the list of the top 100 books people have either banned or tried to ban.

Set in the year 2540, the book depicts a world in which everyone's life is predetermined. Boys and girls are conditioned at birth to fulfill already designated societal roles. As a result, everyone grows up happy. Or, almost everyone. The conflict in the novel arises when a few people try to fight the system that's running and ruining their lives.

Sarah Sense-Wilson's daughter was required to read the novel for a class at Nathan Hale. She is Native American, and her heart started to sink as she turned the pages to find more than 30 references to "savage natives."

"She was very upset and she said, 'Mom I need to tell you something, but I don't want you to get mad. There's a book I have to read in my class and it portrays Indian people as being savages and living on reservations,'" Sense-Wilson says.

She tried to read the book for herself.

"I was outraged when I read through the book. I had to keep putting it down because it was so hurtful," says Sense-Wilson. "It was traumatizing to read how Indian people were being depicted."

The text has a "high volume of racially offensive derogatory language and misinformation on Native Americans. In addition to the inaccurate imagery, and stereotype views, the text lacks literary value which is relevant to today's contemporary multicultural society," she wrote in a complaint earlier this year to Nathan Hale and district administrators.

How important is Brave New World for the 10th grade language arts curriculum at Nathan Hale?

The chair of the language arts department, Shannon Conner, defended the merits of the book calling it a "superb warning book about our future. Huxley cautions his future readers from becoming too reliant on, and compliant with, technology." But at the same time, the high school apologized and determined that the "cultural insensitivity embedded in this book makes it an inappropriate choice as a central text in our 10th grade curriculum."

They are no longer using the book. Sense-Wilson says she's "proud of" the way Nathan Hale has responded.

"They've really listened, they have invited us to be part of the school, they now have a a native club and they're extending themselves to really try to repair that damage," she says.

Why is this book still an issue? Sense-Wilson wants other high schools in Seattle to stop using it in their curriculum too. The Seattle School board is meeting this afternoon to discuss the use of the book Brave New World.

Sense-Wilson wants to make her position clear. She is not trying to ban the book.

"We are not about book burning and we're not radicals," she says. "We're not trying to in any way censor that book, we're just saying it does not belong in high school. It is not appropriate for the curriculum."

If the book is an important or interesting novel for teenagers, she suggests putting it in the library.

"Then if students want to go to the library and check that book out and read it for their own entertainment, that's fine," says Sense-Wilson. "Most of the kids I've talked to don't even like the book so I doubt it would even get an audience in the library."

Incidentally, any resident in the Seattle school district, or any parent or guardian of a child enrolled in the district, may challenge instructional materials schools use. The district has a 10-step process to determine if the complaint about a book or material is justified.

Update: Brave New World approved in Seattle high schools

More from Linda Thomas

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Comments (65)


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  • jc_1110 wrote...
    Misunderstood and too young for BNW
    November 18, 2010 7:48 pm
    The reference to Native Americans are in no way personal or insulting. Huxley's intention of describing them through the eyes of Brave New World citizens is to create juxtaposition and provoke the reader to contemplate two extreme ways of living, between which our society is at right now. The novel eventually ridicules the the Brave New World and thus their views towards Native Americans are not meant to be taken seriously. On the other hand, I do think grade ten is a little too young for Brave New World due to its frequent sexual and racial references. Young teens don't have the ability to grapple with deeper meanings in literary work and may develop tainted views on the subject. With that said, Brave New World is a valuable component of higher level English courses.
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  • TheOnionIs wrote...
    Unnecessary Reactions by Both Parties
    November 18, 2010 8:13 pm
    In my opinion, both Sarah Sense-Wilson and the Seattle School board over-reacted. First off, Sense-Wilson most likely turned directly to the pages of the book where the savages are described, however since she most likely did not read the book as a whole, her vision of the book as a whole was probably incorrect. Many, many Native American people have read Brave New World in the past and i'm sure that many of them quite enjoyed it too. The fact is that this is a piece of fiction that touches upon some touchy subjects in order to make a point, and Sense-Wilson failed to realize that. Secondly, once Sense-Wilson complained to the school board, they immediately agreed with her and took the entire literary masterpiece that is Brave New World out of their school curriculum entirely. They should have acted more proper about it and seen the situation as a whole. They could have moved the book from Grade 10 to Grade 12 curriculum. They could have surveyed students in and around that area about their opinions on the offensiveness of the novel. Instead they chose the "easy way out" and took the book out of the curriculum entirely. This act satisfied Ms. Sense-Wilson, but deprived all of the other students attending that high school from being able to read, enjoy, and discuss this fantastic novel in class.
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  • cngyn wrote...
    Good book, wrong audience
    November 18, 2010 8:55 pm
    Ms. Sense-Wilson’s claim that Brave New World presents a stereotypically grotesque image of Indians is valid, but only in the context that she has not attempted to finish the book and that the book was introduced to a mismatched student group in an English course. Based on the fact that Ms. Wilson’s daughter grossly misinterpreted this significant portion of the book, this is not a case of whether the content itself is controversial, but, rather, it is a testimonial to the failure of a teacher to deliver the theme of the novel across to the student. Clearly, when the student is almost halfway into the book and still can’t see the significance of the Indians as the representative of a free, unconditioned society, the teacher has done something wrong. The blame may lie on the school board’s unwise decision to teach the novel to grade 10, but it should not be placed onto the book itself. Brave New World is a stunning piece of literature that bodes ill of human’s over-reliance on technology and their escape from negative emotions. The themes of the novel, ranging from escapism to the stability of society and the suppression of individualism, it as a thought-provoking prophecy of the tragic outcome we could face if we were to head towards the path of a fully-conditioned society. It would be a ridicule to simply pass it on as a superficial, discriminatory science fiction.
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  • APlang wrote...
    Valid Point, But Misunderstood
    November 18, 2010 9:27 pm
    There are undeniably remarks in Brave New World that could be considered as racist to First Nations; however, I believe those remarks serve to portray our race's unfamiliarity and misunderstanding of other races, and not to depict the "Indians" negatively. Brave New World may have shown racism and ignorance, but it did not support or promote it in any way. It is because of this that I would offer an alternate suggestion: instead of banning this book from the school's curriculum, integrate the novel at a higher level (ex Grade 12). By this time, students will have a greater understanding of the message Huxley was trying to convey, and will not let the Brave New World's citizens' prejudices affect their own opinions. I can understand Sense-Wilson's point of view, and I realise it would be extremely difficult for her daughter to have her classmates reading about her race as "savages", BUT to ban a book that teaches many other lessons would be detrimental - eugenics, technology, morality and human nature are all themes that are touched upon in the novel, and it would be difficult to find a replacement that could teach students so many valuable lessons. In this case, the pros outweigh the cons. By refusing to acknowledge these different races, we are not getting rid of prejudices, but promoting racism in itself.
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  • queenie_siu wrote...
    "Brave New World" should not be Banned
    November 18, 2010 10:35 pm
    Although a book may offend certain races, it should not be banned simply because of that. There are a myriad of novels that are non-fiction, and so the way they depict certain characters is obviously not true. The events and characters are presented for a reason, not to offend people, but to strengthen the messages and themes embedded in the story. As a result, "Brave New World" by Huxley should not be censored out of our communities, schools or libraries. The natives in the "Brave New World" are called savages, yet it is not because Huxley thinks they are ferocious and uncivilized. He uses the natives to juxtapose with the citizens that live in the "new" world. Huxley is only attempting to enhance the difference between the two worlds. Furthermore, the fact that the Natives are "savages" is not even suggested in the story, for readers will soon realize the "savages" have more morals and a clearer vision of their future than the citizens of the "Brave New World". However, those who live in the Brave New World are more shallow and materialistic. As a result, not only does Huxley not offend the Natives, he is merely praising the Natives' way of life. He is using their ways of life to imply that people should be akin to them--respect each other and live for a purpose. If individuals continue to be dependent on technology, there is no point in living without a purpose. Moreover, people should not be over materialistic because they will eventually neglect the simple elements of life--family, friendship, and love--that will genuinely make them happy and easily satisified. Rather than banning "Brave New World", a more effective way of dealing with this issue is to remove it from the curriculum but still be available in the library and bookstores. After all, this novel is informative in a sense that readers are reminded to not be fully reliant on technology. As a result, students, or other readers, may still be able to read this book if they wish to, and as for others, they will not be offended as this novel will be removed from the curriculum.
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  • sunnysideup wrote...
    Not much 'Sense' at all
    November 18, 2010 11:10 pm
    Clearly, Sense-Wilson didn't do her research! The Brave New World is a FICTIONAL and FUTURISTIC society in which every person is biochemically engineered and conditioned. The extremely unjust society is based on consumerism, the citizens drug themselves on a regular basis, and sex and promiscuity are thoroughly explored. I can understand how all THESE themes can make some uncomfortable due to the eerie similarities to today's ethical issues. But savagery? Just doesn’t make sense. If Sense-Wilson had actually paid attention to Huxley's message, she would have realized that these so-called "savages" embody the values of today's society: marriage, parenthood, and love. These characters are not set up to represent Native peoples, rather our entire world’s belief systems in the 1930s (when the book was published). Huxley is actually AGREEING with her case that nobody should be subjected to life in reservation or segregation! Instead of being banned, I believe that this book should have been made a mandatory part of the curriculum in all Seattle high schools because of the moral questions and lessons it teaches students - perhaps the grade level in which it is studied should be raised from tenth grade, but the literary merit stands above everything Sense-Wilson claims.
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  • lc749 wrote...
    try finishing the book?
    November 19, 2010 4:01 am
    This book is NOT sabotaging Native Americans in any way shape or form. It is only a literary term Huxley used to create an emphasis and juxtaposition on how the "civilized" of Brave new world are confined to a designated role while the "savages” are able to live a life according to their own rules. Huxley’s intent wasn't to neither diminish their culture nor project them as inferior. It is an unwise decision to distribute this book to a class of tenth graders that has not yet reached maturity for the repulsive contents of this book. They do not take the time to think beyond the meaning and the significance of this book. In this case, Sense-Wilson’s daughter cannot even look past a literary term. If a considerable amount of time was spent reading this book, the tenth graders would simultaneously remain shocked of Huxley's depiction of a world which in terms of its values is so different from our own and yet, realize it is uncannily familiar to the world we live in today. As Sense-Wilson quotes “Most of the kids I've talked to don't even like the book so I doubt it would even get an audience in the library." This rather weakens the argument at all for nobody likes every book that we are forced to read throughout high school. We may almost always dislike it at first, but as we discuss the book in depth and understand it better, we would almost always come to realize how profound and insightful the book reveals about the whole human experience in general. It seems that history always repeats itself. We only view it as an act of protection by stopping people from thinking another way that we don’t want them to think and preventing them from exposure to content that we don’t like. It is foolish to make these same mistakes again. We may not always agree with the Information and knowledge presented to us, yet it is selfish and immoral to completely ban this book from within reach of others that may treasure it in society.
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  • wongton wrote...
    Controversy? I think not!
    November 19, 2010 6:00 am
    There are numerous novels in our society to-date that have dealt with controversial issues centred on race, religion and culture. Should this be the basis on which some - perhaps offended by the material - declare these novels banned? Most certainly not! In the case of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, the issues that are raised go beyond the mother's assumption that the "savage reservation" conveys Native American history in a negative light. The fact of the matter is that the novel was written as an insight as to what could potentially happen to society. Moreover, the parallels made between the savage reservation and our own society far outweigh the controversy that the mother is led to believe. Yes, those living on the reservation may be deemed "savages", but this title is merely used to depict the extent to which the World State digresses. Whereas knowledge, literature and emotions are banned in the World State, these aspects are free to prosper on the savage reservation, thereby allowing for a natural state for human activity. Essentially, the savage reservation is set up to counter the strict regulations of the World State and to offer us, as a reader, a notion in the novel to relate to. As such, I stand by my argument that Huxley's Brave New World should be kept in classrooms and libraries alike. If this mother's rash actions were to be taken on all novels that had differing views and controversy, there would certainly be many great works missing from our bookshelves.
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  • Dekoningk wrote...
    Misreading
    November 19, 2010 6:04 am
    The entirety of this article deals with an argument based on a total misreading of the purpose – the motivation behind – Huxley’s novel. Should Brave New World have been anything other than a heavily satirical comment on where humanity should not, let me stress not, go the mother’s arguments that it promotes racism, among many other misguided beliefs: a predetermined class model for society, deflection of unhappiness onto drug use, and rampant promiscuity would be valid. However, it is just this use of every idea conceivable to offend the audience that should tip the reader off to the opposite view held by the author from his characters. Something Sarah Sense-Wilson does not realize; that she and BNW are not opposed. BNW does not promote racism; it uses it as a tool to further impress the warning against our society’s technological evolution devolving our moral fibre that this book ultimately is. It would be difficult to sit through three or more chapters of the labeling of native peoples, wrongfully, as ‘savages,’ but this discomfort should be handled carefully through education as to why the book is in fact denouncing racism as well as every other view the BNW ‘civilized’ hold instead of the knee-jerk reaction of trying to ban it for a label considered out of context.
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  • SamCho wrote...
    Missing the Point?
    November 19, 2010 7:12 am
    The argument Mrs.Wilson presents is absolutely absurd. It is true that Aldous Huxley's Brave New World has parts to it where the language or the concept may seem a bit vulgar and crude; however, one must ask the question "did Huxley just want to publish a novel where he aimlessly used vulgar language to hurt his audience?" The answer is obviously NO!!! Before Mrs.Wilson criticizes the book, she must ask this question to herself for it seems that she is completely missing Huxley's true intentions. All Huxley was trying to do was present a dystopia that would make people think about the status quo of their own society. He wanted his audience to realize that the society depicted in the novel was wrong and that people must work to not turn their own society into one in the Brave New World. Unable to understand the true implications of the book, Mrs.Wilson seems myopic.
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