Write a critical appreciation of this essay, ‘Pleasures' written by

Write a critical appreciation of this essay, ‘Pleasures’ written by Aldous Huxley.

Ans.

Introduction

It is necessary to mention that the writer had attacked the modern means of entertainment. He added that it was like fatal poison which was being sold under the strange name of pleasure. He told about different organizations that supplied to the people with many readymade distractions which he called as the greatest menace to human civilization.

Different dangers to modern civilization

The writer has written about many dangers to modern civilization. Such dangers are external as a threat from outside. The writer further says that nobody talks about such real dangers which are a threat to our civilization from within. One such danger is pleasure which seems very innocent and harmless. Such great danger is entertainment in the form of organized distraction which becomes more and more idiotic.

The writer mentions different modern means of pleasure which are completely mechanical without any intellectual effort from the side of pleasure-seekers. It was not so dangerous in the past with our ancestors they had to work hard in order to extract true pleasure from their life. The writer makes it clear that it has changed much now. It is indicated in these lines that. “In place of the old pleasures demanding intelligence and personal initiative, we have vast organizations that provide us with ready-made distractions……” He added that, “These effortless pleasures, these readymade distractions that are the same for everyone……are surely the worse menace to our civilization than ever the Germans were.” According to the writer, human life has been becoming more and more mechanical, developing into serious boredom which results into more and more violent kinds of entertainment.

Pleasure as the most serious poison

The writer calls pleasure as the most serious poison as pleasure or entertainment which is most dangerous for the modern civilization. The writer mentions it in these words, “Of all the various poisons which modern civilization, by a process of auto intoxication, brews quietly up within its own bowels, few, it seems to me, are more deadly……than that curious and appalling thing that is technically known as ‘Pleasure‘.”

The writer further says about some older kinds of entertainment. There was a time when people used to take part in some distractions which needed the use of intellectual ability. For example each and every lady or gentleman related to the ordinary culture in the Elizabethan times took part in the group dances and music. It was in the seventeenth century when the contemporary kings and their courtiers used to take part with delight in listening to religious sermons. They also took part in their favourite group dances or music in which the ancestor had to make their minds upto some extent. Even the uneducated common man used to enjoy such pleasures related to the use of some intelligence and personal initiative.

The modern means of entertainment

The writer makes it very clear about some modern means of entertainment. Everything has changed now because in place of old pleasures related to intelligence and personal initiative, there are some readymade pleasures which demand from the pleasure-seekers no personal participation and no intellectual effort. For example it may be cinema, music, press, or some sports where everything is the same and the audience are not actively involved in them. Its reason is that our working hours and our free time are used in the mechanical thing and acts which become later more difficult and without any taste. It results in boredom which becomes intolerable to the common people.

Boredom as the greatest danger

The writer calls boredom as the greatest danger to the common people as well as to our civilization. He further says that, “Self-poisoned in this fashion, civilization looks as though it might easily decline into a kind of premature senility.” The people look unable to entertainment and become uninterested in the readymade distractions offered from outside. It also shows that the democracy of the future times will turn into a serious and mortal feeling of boredom which is the greatest danger to the modern civilization. For example it had destroyed the great Roman civilization in the past.

The serious warning

In the concluding part of this essay the writer speaks about a serious warning that our civilization might also go to the dogs as the Roman civilization had been destroyed. It is mentioned in these lines, “The Romans who came at last to lose, precisely as we are doing now, the capacity to distract themselves.” The more increasing sense of boredom demanded always more violent forms of entertainment for their relief. On the basis of some idealists, the modern civilization falls into serious situation. The power of boredom in order to get relieved would be much more difficult for the idealists.