Caste System |
The caste system has existed in India for thousands of years. At its most basic definition, a caste system is a social system that is build upon stratification of different classes of citizens. Higher-power and more wealthy people make up the top tiers and lower-income people fill the lower tiers. Huxley's World State relies heavily on the caste system. The Alphas, Betas, Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons are comparable to the Brahmins, Khsatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras, and Untouchables, respectively (The Caste System). Each caste has particular duties that keep the society running smoothly. Some people believe the Indian caste system is based solely off of biology. There are people simply born smarter and stronger than others, and there are people born with less favorable traits who are better suited for lower-caste roles (The Caste System).
To distinguish the levels, each caste wears a different color. Those who look down upon the Deltas and Epsilons degrade their khaki and green clothing because it signifies their stupidity and the dirty work they do: "… all wear green," said a soft but very distinct voice, beginning in the middle of a sentence, "and Delta Children wear khaki. Oh no, I don't want to play with Delta children. And Epsilons are still worse. They're too stupid to be able to read or write. Besides they wear black, which is such a beastly colour. I'm so glad I'm a Beta. (Huxley 35) These two caste systems, although similar in concept, are very different in how they are successful. In India, the caste system was kept alive because the government said so. There was little to no chance of someone moving up a caste. Whether the people of India accepted it or not, there was no social mobility. In Brave New World, people are bred to be happy with their lives. They know nothing different than the job they were created to perform. The Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons recognize that they are responsible for lower-caste jobs, but they are content. They understand they are only as intelligent as they were created and do not try to combat the system. Each caste is extremely important, though. They perform specific jobs that are vital to the success of each society. Epsilons hold up the base of society just as the Untouchables were primarily assigned to the dirty work that would leave their community a mess if it was not taken care of. |
Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York: Harper & Bros., 1946. Print.
"The Caste System." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, n.d. Web. 24 May 2016.
TestTubeNetwork. "Is India's Caste System Still Alive?" YouTube. YouTube, 19 Apr. 2015. Web. 27 May 2016.
Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York: Harper & Bros., 1946. Print.
"The Caste System." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, n.d. Web. 24 May 2016.
TestTubeNetwork. "Is India's Caste System Still Alive?" YouTube. YouTube, 19 Apr. 2015. Web. 27 May 2016.