What does Huxley seem to be saying about the proper function of government? At what point does government go too far? When does protecting the citizen become oppressing the citizen?

This is a pretty big question for this space. It is important to note that this novel is a dystopia, hence the government has complete dictatorial control over people, while state control and conformity replaced the freedoms of modern life and a person's right to the pursuit of happiness.

Dystopian novels such as Brave New World are critiques of modern institutions. Such works take an instance of injustice or perceived ill in a society and take those situations to what would be their logical ends. In Brave New World, Huxley critiques modern governmental institutions whose power has slowly crept into the lives of ordinary people. This process often occurs in the name of security or peace, yet such actions inevitably lead to the destruction of everything that is good in a society such as freedom or creativity.