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…
. . . 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.
The Term Soma comes from The Rg Veda and it was a sacred sacrament of the Gods, i.e. a drug.
Right, but it’s also a term for the body. There’s a link there somewhere…