What is the state's attitude toward sex, marriage, and family and how does this attitude support the motto of the World State in Brave New World?

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mitchrich4199 | High School Teacher | (Level 1) Associate Educator

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The attitudes toward these three elements of society are essentially opposite of what our society believes. In the World State, the citizens are required to have sex with many different partners. They are forbidden to stay with one partner because if they were to find a "mate," they might fall in love and that is not allowed. Lenina and Fanny have a conversation about this in the beginning of the story. Lenina feels an attraction toward a man and Fanny warns her that she might get into trouble if she keeps going out with him. This is also demonstrated in the "Orgy-Porgies" that are held, in which the citizens have sex with multiple partners at one time.

On the other hand, the society does not allow marriage, for the reasons mentioned above, and "family" has been deemed a bad word. The leaders of the World State have taken extreme measures to eliminate feelings of "family" and "love" in an effort to ensure complete loyalty toward the Society and its rules. Marriage and Family go completely against the idea that "Everyone belongs to Everyone else." If people were allowed to develop feelings for each other, the society would fail.

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