Write the explanation of the essay entitled "Pleasures".

Write the explanation of the essay entitled “Pleasures”.

Ans.

Explanations

(1) The important fact is that these menaces to our civilization, such as it is-menaces including the largest war and the stupidest peace known to history-have confined themselves in most places and uptil now, to mere threats, barking more furiously than they bite.

Reference to the Context: These lines are an extract from the essay ‘Pleasures’ written by Aldous Huxley. The writer says that real menaces to our civilization come from within, not from outside.

Explanation: The writer makes it clear that the common idea that war shows is related to the great danger to our civilization. If civilization has opposed such enemies in the form of war it is real. Many wars that were fought since the ancient times but our civilization has survived then because civilization has been still making progress.

We should note that the greatest menace to our civilization comes not from war but it comes from within the group of civilized people. There have been the longest wars continuing since hundreds of years. They have been persisting between nations which have broken the agreement of peace and they have resumed war once again as the fact of history.

The writer makes it clear that such war and peace have remained confined only to a limited area affecting some countries which are involved in such wars, without causing much harm to civilization. The writer has compared these wars with the barking dogs that do not bite. They did not pose a threat to civilization by not destroying it. The real menace in related to within, so we should be careful about it. This menace is an obstacle in our methods of pleasure.

(2) No, the dangers which confront our civilization are not so much the external dangers-wild men, wars and the bankruptcy that wars bring after them. The most alarming dangers are those which menace it from within, that threaten the mind rather than the body and estate of contemporary men.

Reference to the Context: These lines are an extract from the essay ‘Pleasures’ written by Aldous Huxley. The writer describes that the people are much worried about the safety of our civilization.

Explanation: The writer makes it clear that the people are much worried about the safety of our civilization which has made many achievements by now since very beginning. The people do not like it to be destroyed because then men will have to start it once again. It should be noted that there are dangers which make a threat to our civilization.

According to the writer these dangers are mainly external because some uncivilized men may attack our civilized society and destroy it. Another danger comes from war which causes much ruin as well as bankruptcy after it. The writer further says that the external dangers create a serious threat to our civilization which should be made safe from them. According to the writer there are some serious dangers like the wars and the attack from savage people. It should be noted that our civilization has been facing these dangers in a successful manner in order to come out victorious. Such dangers come from within in the form of uncivilized people. It is difficult to overcome them. They also make our mind weak, not our body which. remains healthy along with our sick mind. The people do not make use of their mind which is not good for our civilization as the greatest danger. The body and the estate of the contemporary people remain safe and sound even under such adverse conditions.

(3) 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”.

Reference to the Context: These lines are an extract from the essay ‘Pleasures’ written by Aldous Huxley. Some greatest dangers to our civilization prove harmful to our civilization like slow poisoning.

Explanation: According to the writer the greatest danger to our civilization is like slow-poisoning which kills its victim in a silent manner without any knowledge to him. It may be called auto-poisoning as the greatest danger. The man who makes its use becomes intoxicated in spite of his dislike because he does not want but it enters silently into his mind in a strange manner.

The writer further says that such poison develops quietly in his own bowels without his efforts. Its effects are more harmful than those of other poisons. For example war as a poison is made by wild attacks. These poisons may be easily recognized and they can be cut off effectively. The harmful poison is of strange nature making very bad effect under the technical name of ‘pleasure’ as a poison to our civilization related to the subject-matter of this essay. A man seeks pleasure for the recreation of mind as a natural demand. The recreation of the modern man robs his mind with its creativity. He does not enjoy singing, dancing and playing a game but he gets pleasure from watching them on TV without using his mind and let it become useless.

(4) Like every man of sense and good feeling. I abominate work. But I would rather put in eight hours a day at a Government office than be condemned to lead a life of “pleasure”: 1 would even, I believe, prefer to write a million words of journalism a year.

Reference to the Context: These lines are an extract from the essay ‘Pleasures’ written by Aldous Huxley. The writer calls pleasure as the source of an intoxication.

Explanation: The writer asserts that every person likes to enjoy himself but he hates doing any work. He further says that he would not like to enjoy the “pleasure” which is given to him by some modern organization. They try to entertain the masses by offering them the thrill of organized sports and games as well as some other shows in which the spectators cannot take part.

In place of enjoying such games, sports, etc. the writer would like more to do some work in his office. In that way he would entertain the common people by creating thrill and some sensations by organizing some games and sports without the participation. His target would be to write for the newspapers a million words every year. He would gladly use in the form of dull work. He would also help in such enjoyment by modern organization for the sake of entertainment to the common people.

(5) Even the uneducated vulgar delighted in pleasures requiring the exercise of a certain intelligence, individuality and personal initiative. They listened, for example, to Othello, King Lear, and Hamlet-apparently with enjoyment and comprehension. They sang and made much music.

Reference to the Context: These lines are an extract from the essay ‘Pleasures written by Aldous Huxley. The writer defines the loss of standard pleasure related to the modern society even after the progress civilization.

Explanation: According to the writer even under the situation of lesser development, the people enjoyed such pleasure based on some intelligence related to human mind. In those days even the vulgar and uneducated persons felt happy in intellectual pleasure which included some mental activity.

Then the people had the necessary intelligence to admire the dramas of Shakespeare when they were showed on the stage to get enjoyment by their performance. They could also watch the stage-shows of the dramas like. ‘Othello’, ‘King Lear’. ‘Hamlet’ apparently with enjoyment and adequate understanding. They also took part in singing, dancing and playing the games. They went to watch the performance and enjoy them, with their wisdom they also composed some music.

At present, the common people do not take any interest in such singing dancing and some other enjoyments. With this reason their pleasure has become mechanical now because they do not get any real pleasure by watching such plays, etc. They can only enjoy the music but they cannot produce it from their own side. With this reason they cannot be compared even with the vulgar people of the sixteenth or seventeenth century. Such low standard people will make an adverse effect on our civilization. The mind of the people now is not used because it has become out-of-date these days. It is not a good condition for our civilization.

(6) Today, the intentions of the scenario-writer go out from Los Angeles across the whole world. Countless audiences soak passively in the tepid bath of non-sense. No mental effort is demanded of them, no participation; they need only sit and keep their eyes open.

Reference to the Context: These lines are an extract from the essay ‘Pleasures’ written by Aldous Huxley. The present-day people are not interested in watching and enjoying them because their pleasure has become mechanical. They do not enjoy the great dramas of Shakespeare.

Explanation: The writer describes the low standard of the modern seekers of pleasures because they do not make any intellectual efforts. They become satisfied with the shows of cinema in the name of entertainment. They remain satisfied with the dull shows of cinema in the name of entertainment. They are regarded writers of low standard because they regard it only a business. It was not possible for them in the olden days when such writers could not cross the boundary of their cities. The intelligent people did not like their work because it was dull and without any interest.

The writer further says that the progress of cinema is regarded as the cheap means of recreation. Their work and business have spread far and wide. The people related to cinema travel out of Los Angeles and it spreads easily in the whole world. A large number of people in the whole world get entertainment by means of cinema because they are only dull viewers of cinema with no intellectual standard. What they are provided is only total nonsense. The people do not have mental effort to understand their plot. The only alternative for them is to sit and watch.