What it all boils down to: The recurring theme of the book

"One can't have something for nothing. Happiness has got to be paid for. You're paying for it, Mr. Watson- paying because you happen to be too much interested in beauty. I was too much interested in truth; I paid too."Mustapha Mond Pg 228
Theme is defined as the insight about human life that is revealed in a literary work (Of course you know this. You gave me the sheet that says so.) so why am i reiterating this description? Because this book itself could almost fit that definition. This book, though it has some very specific views, is, in general, an insight about almost every aspect of human life. It covers everything from personal judgement and fears to social order, to moral implications, and even to love (in a very twisted sense). I believe though that the biggest theme it stresses is balance. The communities described in this book are so extreme both are bound to fail. On the one hand you have wild savages who completely allow feelings and emotions to control their lives and therefore chaos ensues. On the other you have a society that is so focused on stability and uniformity without feeling that it has become so unstable that just the presence of a simple savage boy and a couple men with some innovative ideas become a lethal threat to their supposedly perfect world. It seems neither world has anything in common with the other but in reality they are so closely linked by the fact that both societies lack this necessary balance between emotion and reason. What the people in this book fail to see, is that even though these two elements normally conflict with one another, they sometimes work together in a kind of equilibrium that causes a society to function in peace. Also both groups of people fail to see progress and failure as a positive and vital element. They are so focused with abolishing anything that could be considered failure that they forget that only through failure can you find progress. They believe that by not asking more questions and searching for more answers that there is no need for such discovery. But by doing this they have lost their ability to adapt and in life it is your ability to adapt to an ever changing environment that determines your survival. Huxley's goal in all this is to show people that we must strive to find this balance so that our own society does not suffer in the same way this futuristic one has.