Henry Ford In Brave New World

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Lord Acton, a widely renowned British historian, politician, and writer of the 1800s once made the following claim, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” This axiom has nestled itself into the minds of many and as history continues to unfold, this statement remains true. The society in Aldous Huxley’s novel Brave New World is yet another testament to the truth in these words. Within the novel the absolute ruler of the nation, called the World State, is a man named Ford, modeled after the historical automobile giant Henry Ford. The fact that the two figures share a name is not where their resemblance stops. Similar to how Ford is the all-powerful leader of the World State, Henry Ford was the sole presiding figure over …show more content…
Dictatorships such as the one depicted in Brave New World more often than not result in a negative decline of the state. It is clearly pronounced that the Lord of the World State, a figure modeled after the historical figure Henry Ford, is a deity to the society. Jerome Meckier, a professor from the University of Kentucky, speculates that “[i]nstead of God overseeing the universe from heaven, brave new worlders envision Our Ford superintending their affairs” (2). He is incorporated into every part of their lives, even a chant that is popular among citizens includes the phrase “Orgy-porgy, Ford and fun” (Huxley 81). The use of Ford’s name solidifies his importance in this society. The historical figure Henry Ford also had this kind of overwhelming control, except it was over a company rather than a society. He “controlled the most important company in the most important industry in America” (“A Job” 2) and it was said that “never had one man controlled so completely a business enterprise so gigantic” (“Henry” 6). It was no question that Henry Ford was hungry for power; he even once said that “if he was not master of his own company, he would start another” (“Henry” 5). The problem was that since all the power was in his hands and he was seen as “the living symbol of power . . . and . . . prosperity” …show more content…
Citizens under an absolute ruler will never be able to truly thrive because of the way the leader manipulates every aspect of their lives. This is clearly demonstrated in the novel Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, in which the absolute ruler of the World State is a reflection of Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor company. Both of these leaders attempt to control every single facet of their peoples’ lives, which does not benefit the citizens in the least. In addition to citizens having no freedom, they have minimal individuality. Identical human beings are produced by the hundred, leaving little room for citizens to stand out. This is a result of the mass production techniques implemented in the World State which were inspired by Henry Ford’s assembly line, which enabled his automobile company to be successful. Additionally, a totalitarian leader controls whether or not the people in their nation have a decent quality of life. Absolute rulers get so caught up in their unending power that they neglect to consider the effects it is having on their citizens, which is exactly what occurred in the World State and left the people feeling helpless. Brave New World is a fictional book, but the concept of totalitarian governments is not fictional. They exist in the world today and cause the same problems seen in this novel. Any amount of power will eventually corrupt, which means that is a
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