Hold the period of youth sacred to education, and the period of maturity, when the physical forces begin to flag, equally sacred to ease and agreeable relaxation.
One of the main differences between the 19th and 20th century is the attitude the general population had regarding education. If in the 19th century, generally only those who came from a wealthy family and had a certain social status could be properly educated, everyone received a quality education in the 20th century. What the author understood is that proper education is at the basis of an equal society and children must be educated at the right time to be able to have a bright future in front of them.
The nation guarantees the nurture, education, and comfortable maintenance of every citizen from the cradle to the grave.
In the perfect society imagined by Bellamy, the state controls every aspect of one’s life. Bellamy sees this as being the only way the state can help its citizens and provide safety and make sure that they are all equal. Men will never be able to achieve equality if they rule the country with the sole purpose of making profit. Instead, they must have a selfless reason and it is only then when equality will be achieved.
If bread is the first necessity of life, recreation is a close second.
In a normal socialist society, recreation is not a priority for the state because it produces nothing and it makes the workers be unproductive for a short period of time. However, recreation is essential for the development of a normal human being and even though it may produce losses to the society on the short run it makes its workers be more productive in the long run. Bellamy understood this aspect and emphasized the importance of recreation in his novel.
