The power of behavioral engineering
One of the major themes in the novel is the idea that behavioral engineering can help solve all the problems our current societies have. Frazier argues that is undesirable behaviors and feelings can be eliminated early in someone’s life, we will be a step closer to creating the perfect society. Frazier claims that these feelings and behaviors can be eliminated through careful planning and experimentation and what will result will be a person who will live a righteous life effortlessly. At the time when the novel was written, the idea of behavioral engineering was still a controversial topic but the author tried to point out that even though the world was afraid of it, the results could be positive for the society.
Everything that ties us
One of the controversial ideas promoted as Walden was the fact that family only hindered society’s progress. For Frazier, the ties that held a family together were not positive and should be eliminated if possible. If a child does not feel attached to his or her family, then that child would be more willing to work for the betterment of the society instead of searching for means of bettering his and his family’s life. Because of this, at Walden, children were taken from their families at an early age and raised separately, with other children. This separation was supposed to be beneficial for the parents as well as they were not burdened with the task of raising a child. Because they did not had to take care of them, they were free to try and develop at a personal level and also free to focus on their jobs, without feeling the pressure of spending every waking moment with their offspring.
Sexuality
Another theme analyzed in the novel is the idea that sexuality and sexual relationships should not be perceived as being something negative. In a normal, conservative society, the young men and women are encouraged to remain virgin until they reach a mature age, generally after they reach the age of 18. At Walden, the children are encouraged to engage in sexual relationships as soon as they feel the urge to do it, thus in their early teenage years. As a result, the parents at Walden are all extremely young and Frazier points out that most couples have had a couple of children before turning 20. This is seen as being something beneficial for the community as it helps the young men and women discover their sexuality instead of trying to suppress it. Frazier also argues that couples should have children as soon as possible and that by doing just that, they have more free time to focus on other things in their twenties because they already did their duty to society and procreated.
