The later novels of Aldous Huxley have not been so highly evaluated by readers and critics owing to their tendency towards mysticism. Such an assessment includes the author’s final work, Island. However, this ecological and utopian novel relies on a variety of literary techniques that contribute to its rich and complex narrative style. This paper attempts to disclose the arts of fiction Huxley employs in order to clarify his ecological standpoint.
A close reading of Island ultimately reveals the novel as Bildungsroman and one which engages stream-of-consciousness techniques in its characterization of the story’s protagonist. Included in such an approach is the author’s use of contradiction ― a common feature of utopian-style narratives ― and contrived in such a way as to link with the novel’s primary theme: ecology. The author’s elaborate characterization of antagonists also functions to criticize a primary western value ― consumerism ― while presenting his ideal figure engaged in an ecological life based on Oriental Buddhism. In so doing, he was able to champion human development over technological development in the search for solutions to environmental issues.
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