At first glance, Aldous Huxley's Brave New World feels quite odd and out of place. Reading a story about a “perfect society” where people do not feel or think for themselves does not make for much lighthearted conversation. However, after taking a closer look, deeper meaning begins to seep through this tale. Through Bernard's initial views on his society's leniency towards casual sex, society's use of the drug soma, and Mustapha Mond's explanation as to why God becomes obsolete in a perfect society, this utopian-set story serves as a warning to modern society of what may come to fruition in the future. Initially, Bernard's place in his society feels very off-centered and wrong. Whereas most people enjoy the casual sex that society allows …show more content…
The government issues soma, a seemingly “perfect drug” with all the goods (great highs, relaxing feelings, and surreal images) and no repercussions (like brain damage, or death from overdose), to all of its citizens. According to the Assistant Predestinator, “ 'One cubic centimetre cures ten gloomy sentiments' ” (54). Other than Bernard, only one man finds the mass use of soma sickening. John, often called “The Savage,” who traveled back to the city from the savage tribe with Bernard, has quite a negative look on the role of soma in society. After a long talk with Mustapha Mond about religion, soma, Shakespeare, and other various ideas, John decides that Mustapha and the other world leaders “ '...got rid of them … rid of everything unpleasant instead of learning to put up with it … [they] … neither suffer nor oppose. [They] just abolish the slings and arrows' ” (238). John feels that society uses soma to blind themselves from true feelings, whether those feelings contain love or pain. John's negative view on the use of drugs acts as another cautionary sign to modern society. Overusing drugs does not bring happiness. It does not put upset people in a jolly mood. It only replaces someone's true problems with a cloud that blocks out any negativity or feeling in
Often individuals choose to conform to society, rather than pursue personal desires because it is often easier to follow the path others have made already, rather than create a new one. In the novel Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, this conflict is explored. Huxley starts the story by introducing Bernard Marx, the protagonist of the story, who is unhappy with himself, because of the way he interacts with other members of society. As the story progresses, the author suggests that, like soma, individuals can be kept content with giving them small pleasure over short periods of time. Thus, it is suggested in the book that if individuals would conform to their society’s norms, their lives would become much
Drugs are an immense issue in today’s society controlling a person’s emotions and actions. Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World displays the future of drug usage in society. Through Lenina’s experiences at the reservations Huxley conveys to the audience the future dangerous possibilities if society continues to consume drugs as an escape from actual feelings. Prior to her trip to New Mexico, Lenina expresses her need to take soma in order to avoid “unnatural” feelings and beliefs. While speaking to Bernard, Lenina expresses how convenient it would be to take soma in order to relieve himself from his dreadful feelings.
In the novel, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, Huxley includes allusion, ethos, and pathos to mock the wrongdoings of the people which causes physical and mental destruction in the society as a whole. The things that happened in the 1930’s plays a big contribution to the things that go on in the novel. The real world can never be looked at as a perfect place because that isn't possible. In this novel, Huxley informs us on how real life situations look in his eyes in a nonfictional world filled with immoral humans with infantile minds and a sexual based religion.
In Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World the use of soma clouds peoples ability to experience natural human emotions. It deprives people from understanding who they are as a human being and what they value. The drug is used as a hallucinogen and an antidepressant. Soma was designed for people to consume it when they got into tough situations or just needed a quick “holiday” away from reality. Even Bernard, who was once against the use of soma, began taking it and acting just like everyone else.
In Brave New World, a drug is disturbed in mass amounts by the government and is called soma that is a hallucinogen. This new ‘World State’ has been computerized to love this new drug, which causes an individual to escape an instance of displeasure. The protagonist is infelicitous with this society controlled by drugs as he, ‘rather be unhappy than have the sort of false, lying happiness you we having here’ (Huxley 179). John realizes he would rather have things be imperfect and make his own choices than be forced to do things under laws and not ever acquire happiness as he did not grow up in the new world as he immediately identified the lies the leaders of the community spread to the citizens. Individuals are stripped of their identity as, ‘The birth and childhood of Brave New World inhabitants is
The drug, soma, in particular is emblematic in its pervasive influence into the World State, of the power of
"'God isn't compatible with machinery and scientific medicine and universal happiness.'" So says Mustapha Mond, the World Controller for Western Europe in Aldous Huxley's novel Brave New World. In doing so, he highlights a major theme in this story of a Utopian society. Although the people in this modernized world enjoy no disease, effects of old age, war, poverty, social unrest, or any other infirmities or discomforts, Huxley asks 'is the price they pay really worth the benefits?' This novel shows that when you must give up religion, high art, true science, and other foundations of modern life in place of a sort of unending happiness, it is not worth the sacrifice.
As man has progressed through the ages, there has been, essentially, one purpose. That purpose is to arrive at a utopian society, where everyone is happy, disease is nonexistent, and strife, anger, or sadness is unheard of. Only happiness exists. But when confronted with Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, we come to realize that this is not, in fact, what the human soul really craves. In fact, Utopian societies are much worse than those of today. In a utopian society, the individual, who among others composes the society, is lost in the melting pot of semblance and world of uninterest. The theme of Huxley's Brave New World is community, identity, and stability. Each of these three themes represents what a Brave New World society needs
In a perfect society, humans do not need to take drugs to keep society in balance. In Aldous Huxley’s novel “Brave New World”, society is based on keeping everyone happy. If for some reason someone becomes unhappy then there is always soma, the “perfect” drug. Humans are conditioned from the very start to be happy while performing their specific tasks. While they are children, the adults bring them to the crematorium to show the kids burning lifeless bodies.
Throughout the book, multiple characters indulge in soma, a drug that gives the user a pleasant sensation of relaxation, known as a "soma holiday". Soma holidays allow the user to escape the unpleasantness of reality. The consumption of soma is considered normal and a necessary part of daily life. Ironically, our society considers drug use to be both abnormal and immoral. Like promiscuity, soma usage is considered normal because it is regulated by the World Controllers. Soma’s properties turns into one of the World Controller’s most powerful means of management. After partaking in soma, the people no longer feel the need to ask questions or defy the structures of society. The soma rations are an insurance against any social unrest. It removes initiative and ultimately restricts
The quote clearly elaborates on the before mentioned initial purpose of soma, a drug that provides for gently extermination of human desires and emotions that can develop into rebellious
The people in the novel take it to escape from reality "Euphoric, narcotic, pleasantly hallucinant", that's what Mustapha says of soma. It's arguably the best the government has for controlling its population. It sedates, calms, and distracts a person from realizing that there's actually something wrong that the citizens of the World State are enslaved. John, picks up on this; that's why he chucks the stuff out of the window in the name of freedom. This moment is not so effective, mostly because of the way that soma enslaves its users: happiness.
The novel Brave New World uses soma as a symbol for power and control over citizen’s emotions. Aldous Huxley, the author of the novel uses symbolism to show soma helps user receive a quick fix for their problems and the consequences that comes with the drug. Everyone has their own obstacles to face, some may be harder than others. We cannot experience all the good things in life without some of the bad. Taking drugs and alcohol to escape from problems is not the solution. They might make you feel blissful for a while but sooner or later you will have to face those issue that you were once running away
Soma is the answer to all of life's problems and is invented in an attempt to distract society from worry, tension, and pain. The drug is rationed by the government and is normally consumed after a hard day's work. In this utopian society, people choose to "know no pain" (Clareson 238). Instead of suffering, people fill their days with the mindless acts they were predestined to perform. At the end of each day, everyone gathers in crowded distribution rooms and waits eagerly to receive the one thing that truly makes the day worthwhile, which is his or her ration of soma (Huxley 215). This valuable drug goes beyond the literal meaning in which it is being used and becomes the one thing that everyone really lives for. The idea in the novel is that pleasure is the most powerful motivator (Clareson 238). So by giving the masses pleasure, the directors keep the world running smoothly. The directors also eliminate the time between desire and fulfillment, so one cannot help but take the quick fix of soma rather than using logic to figure out his or her problems. It is the mass' motivator and problem solver, and brings the people all the great moods and feelings that they could possible ask for because of its hypnotic power to relax the mind (Meerloo 236). Unfortunately, when the futuristic people take this drug, they eventually
Brave New World from the beginning caught me off guard with the " Perfect Society " idea. The idea of a perfect world seems impossible to me because it would take a lot of time to perfect it. This book has a unrealistic feel to it because it just seems like nobody today would go through all that to create the perfect world. There are so many aspects that would have to be changed. In my opinion I feel that the reason behind creating this is because they don't want people to be independent and have amine of their own but also just having the appearance of a perfect place. In some cause the outside is perfect but the inside is destroy and chaos. In the book they want both sides to be absolutely perfect.