The Use of “Soma” to Shape and Control Society in Huxley’s Brave New World

The Use of “Soma” to Shape and Control Society in Huxley’s Brave New World

The future of the world is a place of thriving commerce and stability. Safety and happiness are at an all-time high, and no one suffers from depression or any other mental disorders. There are no more wars, as peace and harmony spread to almost every corner of the world. There is no sickness, and people are predestined to be happy and content in their social class. But if anything wrong accidentally occurs, there is a simple solution to the problem, which is soma. The use of soma totally shapes and controls the utopian society described in Huxley’s novel Brave New World as well as symbolize Huxley’s society as a whole. This pleasure drug is the answer to all of …show more content…

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…
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. . . the police, who oddly enough control the riot by spraying soma gas to calm everyone. The irony of this scene proves that the soma is really more than just a drug, for it is truly an escape or answer to fill any void in their boring lives of “Community, Identity, Stability” (Huxley 1). Throughout the novel, the feeling arises that perhaps the use of soma is in some way the symbol of the lost innocence of society. Through science, the world directors have made considerable observations and contributions to the point where one may lose touch with reality. Soma itself is merely a synthetic drug used to ease the pain of life, for the pain is actually living a life where everything does not always go the way one plans. Not only is the drug a loss of innocence, but also it encourages the promiscuity of the whole population and the loss of the normal family unit becomes cause for radical change. The sacrifice of true art is another loss to the . . . (bartleby.com)

Note from Mike Zonta, BB editor:

I think Huxley’s use of the word “soma” for this drug of distraction/appeasement is interesting in light of The Prosperos’ use of the word “soma” as a less loaded term for the body.

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