Soma In Brave New World

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new Brave New World is a book that centres on the idea that if we allow science to take control of too much of our lives, then science will control us. It is not simply a warning of what could happen to society if things go wrong, it is a satirical look of the society that we live in as well as the society that Aldus Huxley, the author, lived in. From the incompatibility of happiness and truth, shown through the use of soma, to the attempt that the world state makes to control and muffle any attempt by a citizen to gain any sort of scientific truth, we see how serious the matter is when it comes to a society controlled by technology and/or science. It causes one to wonder if the theme of two of the most bloody and ruthless pieces of literature,…show more content…
With the Brave New World society, they used soma as a replacement for both depression and religion. Using soma gave the taker instant gratification and kept everyone in check with the society. No one would question what was happening, nor would they question why they were taking soma - stability at its highest level. In Lord of the Flies, a leader could act as the soma in order to maintain solidity. Unfortunately, there were two leaders and this created indecision among the boys on the island. There was also the suggestion that a horrible beast lived on the island. They did not know who to follow nor did they know who to believe about whether or not a beast existed, thus creating insecurity. It is most evident when Simon tries to voice his opinion "What I mean is... Maybe it's only us.'... Simon became inarticulate in his efforts to express mankind's essential illness." (Golding 89) Eventually, Jack prevails as the leader of an anarchic type society where rules and laws are not required except where the leader irrationally directs. The symbol of authority, the conch, is fittingly destroyed at this point in the novel and Ralph discovers what Simon was trying to say. The beast did not exist in the beginning but was created by the boys in their acts of savagery and…show more content…
Macbeth allowed his conscience and want for power to subdue him into a state where nothing could stop him in his climb to the top. This sends the entire country into chaos. In Brave New World the want for stability causes the World Controllers to create a dystopia where no one can feel reality. The truth is camouflaged behind a thick layer of soma. The World Controllers decided that they never wanted their world to go into chaos as did the world of Macbeth. Thus, they made the society so stable that it became bland and boring. Lenina discovers some of the truths of her society when she wakes up as a small child only to hear the conditioning tape that was being played, "Every one works for every one else. We can't do without any one. Even Epsilons are useful. We couldn't do without Epsilons. Every one works for every one else. We can't do without any one" (Huxley

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