How Is Soma Used In Brave New World

Soma is a fictional drug in the novel Brave New World by Aldous Huxley used to provide a few hours of happiness with little to no side effects. Soma is used throughout the novel as both a tool for storytelling, and a symbol of hollow happiness. Huxley utilizes the drug Soma to challenge drug use and religion in the modern world by presenting it as an alternative to religion and true happiness..
Soma is an integral part of the fictional society created in Brave New World, acting as a temporary release for the citizens who take it quite often. Soma is provided by the government and helps the otherwise mundane society to properly function. The drug fills the user with a feeling of overwhelming happiness, “[making] the average man feel better with

This transition was the World Controllers, as they “were well aware that the religious emotion is an ‘organic function’.” (Congdon 19) Religion was described in the book as an unreliable source of happiness, and Soma, a reliable source, was the key to converting the world. The drug was designed to replace religion entirely, and is even described in religious terms in the book as it “assuages religious emotion, allowing its users to ‘periodically escape from the pressure of routine and worldly cares’,” (Congdon 19) just as religion did but more reliably and effectively. The main difference between religion and Soma is, of course, the humane aspect, but the society of the book was quick to drop that, as Soma “[has] the advantages of Christianity and Alcohol; and none of their defects.” (Huxley 37) By removing religion entirely, soma soon became the citizen’s new dependence, and became a part of everyday life as it slowly turned the society to tyranny.
Soma is primarily used throughout the novel as a symbol for instant gratification. Of course the drug also helps develop the plot, but the main purpose is to demonstrate these ideas of control. The World Controllers are described in the novel as the ones that control everything, but in reality, that title belongs to Soma. The idea of self gratification manifests itself in the drug, and

“Psychoactive drugs seem dangerous because they can be habit forming,” (Alcabes 2) which, while also true in the novel, is far more dangerous with real drugs due to the side effects. However, even knowing this, many people will still use drugs. The closest parallel to the fictional soma in our world is cannabis, or marijuana, even more so as years go on. Marijuana has very few notable side effects, as “they are relatively short, [and] tend to be predictable.” (Casarett 3) Marijuana is also now regulated and distributed by the government, just as soma is in the novel, and finally, it is widely used by many people with “a 2015 survey [finding] that 11% of American adults consider themselves marijuana users, and about 44% have used marijuana at some point in the past” (Alcabes 3) and the numbers growing every year. So how do the end results of the two drugs stack up? Well that’s hard to say, it is unlikely marijuana will become what soma is in the novel, but comparing the two can give insight on what to look out for. Making this real life comparison also gives the reader insight to the morality of soma, and how it affects the characters and story of Brave New