Soma in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World

Check out more papers on Brave New World Neuroscience

Aldous Huxley, the author of Brave New World, has shown how soma has been the perfect drug for the people of the Whole World State. In the novel, soma is a government-produced drug that is given to the people living in the society of Brave New World. The drug soma is consumed by mostly all the citizens living in the society of the whole world and is a part of the citizen's life. The purpose of the drug soma is to help the people avoid their pain, distress, depression or hatred. Soma was able to improve joy, arousal, and an overall insight of well being. The drug soma has taken over a majority of the societies population. Huxley explains the use of soma due to the action of each character to escape their reality, refuse to accept social norms and integration into society.

With this intention, soma is used in the novel due to the action of each character to escape their reality. Soma is a drug that is consumed and is giving by the government to the citizens to make the people of the World State feel joy. If they're happy and dont worry about their problems then the drug is in full effect. The drug is distributed to everyone in the society to consume, it can be considered a law to take the drug. The government wants the people in the World State to take the drug because if the citizens are always happy when the government will have no problem. The drug would be taken whenever the citizens are feeling upset or not having satisfaction, it would change their mindset and make them forget about their problems. The author says, Punctured, utterly deflated, he dropped into a chair and, covering his face with his hands, began to weep. A few minutes later, however, he thought better of it and took four tablets of soma. (12.161). Once they feel unpleasant they ll take the pill to be able to forget about the sadness they are feeling. That drug is the only thing they feel that it is important in society besides the sex they have. Then soma is consumed by the people since they are unable to agree on their social norms.

Likewise, the drug soma is consumed by the people because they cant accept the social norms. Being in a society where the people live the same life every day is tough for some to take in. Repeating your daily life gets dull for some, but for the majority of the citizens in the World State find it simple. They get tired of it because it is to easy or they get tired of doing the same thing. They result in using soma so they can be high off the drug and dont remember what they have to do in their life. Unlike the rest, Bernard Marx wasnt too happy with taking the drug soma, he often rejected the drug because he didnt want to give in or felt like he didnt really need it. According to the author, Again twelve stanzas. By this time the soma had begun to work. Eyes shone, cheeks were flushed, the inner light of universal benevolence broke out on every face in happy, friendly smiles. Even Bernard felt himself a little melted (5.2.17). Bernard was prone to the drug soma and felt as if though as the drug had no to little effect on his cognitive and behavioral functions. However, the presence of peer pressure and integration are huge factors to the questions Huxley proposes about the drug.

Meanwhile, the drug is a by-product for the governments use, and its effects on the citizens of the World State. However, the integration to the World States society can only be obtained by following the mass popularity of what is deemed to be considered right. The drug was a strong substance to consume because the substance was strong was able to control the brain. The drug was successful in giving the people the ability to not remember the problems they have faced. The drug was a gateway for the people of the World State to have no idea of what occurred while in the trance of the drug, but it was a way for the people to come together as one. The Perfect Drug was mostly everyone's way of realizing their stress and problems which is why it is considered a gateway drug. According to the author, Lenina and Henry were yet dancing in another world the warm, the richly colored, the infinitely friendly world of soma-holiday. How kind, how good-looking, how delightfully amusing every one was! (5.79). As shown above, the drug has a strong influence on the people of the World State because they get corrupted by soma. The drug had the people lose their way of thinking, they had lost their minds and let the drug take full control of what they do. Under those circumstances, soma is the citizens of the World State way to have fun.

All things considered, the novel Brave New World, written by Aldous Huxley raises questions about drug use in society in the fictional narrative of how society may come to be in the future. The World State is consumed and corrupted by the drug soma, it is used by mostly all the citizens there and it is deemed that they will keep using soma. Huxley believes that there will be a drug like soma that will eventually take over all types of human emotions away from the user. The purpose of the drug soma is to help the people avoid their pain, distress, depression or hatred. Soma was able to improve joy, arousal, and an overall insight of well being. Huxley explains the use of soma due to the escape from reality into a trance-like state, the resistance obeys what is the norm of their society, and how giving into a group like a mindset or a peer pressure can take its toll on an individual.

Did you like this example?

Cite this page

Soma in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. (2019, May 13). Retrieved April 23, 2024 , from
https://studydriver.com/soma-in-aldous-huxleys-brave-new-world/

Save time with Studydriver!

Get in touch with our top writers for a non-plagiarized essays written to satisfy your needs

Get custom essay

Stuck on ideas? Struggling with a concept?

A professional writer will make a clear, mistake-free paper for you!

Get help with your assignment
Leave your email and we will send a sample to you.
Stop wasting your time searching for samples!
You can find a skilled professional who can write any paper for you.
Get unique paper

Hi!
I'm Amy :)

I can help you save hours on your homework. Let's start by finding a writer.

Find Writer