Soma In Brave New World

In Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley, the citizens of the World State are kept artificially happy by the government. In this society, there are no social problems or even worries about the future as everybody is perpetually elated. Every human is predestined from decantation and perfectly fitted and incorporated into society. Everyone knows their place and is content with their status in life. The blows of people’s daily problems, occurrences, and discomforts are cushioned with the drug soma. However, personal satisfaction and contentment does not come freely. Citizens sacrifice their freedom to be a part of the State’s created happiness. Advancements in science and the arts are greatly affected by this pursuit. The development of literature

People have become dependent on the drug to the point where they can not function properly without it. John’s mother, Linda, was raised in the World State society and grew up with soma. After returning back to civilized society and a seemingly endless supply of soma, Linda becomes a different person: "Linda had been a slave, Linda had died; others should live in freedom, and the world be made beautiful. A reparation, a duty" (Huxley 210). Linda becomes a slave to the soma. The drug takes away the rest of Linda’s new civilized life with her son. In the days leading up to her death, she escapes reality to a world of with a plethora of soma, unable to give anything else her full attention. The drug also makes users complacent to suggestion. Any action is deemed acceptable and okay in their minds. While on a date with Henry, Lenina Crowne takes her dose of soma to further separate herself from reality. Huxley writes, "Swallowing half an hour before closing time, that second dose of soma had raised a quite impenetrable wall between the actual universe and their minds. Bottled, they crossed the street; bottled, they took the lift up to Henry's room on the twenty-eighth floor" (Huxley 77). Lenina takes the soma to become suggestible as well as to distract herself from other outside influences. She becomes oblivious to the world around

Citizens are "born" through a process of decanting. An assortment of chemicals are added to every bottle and are exposed to specific environments to condition the citizens for their future purpose in society. Every fertilized embryo can be split up to ninety-six times to produce ninety-six twins. These children, before they are even decanted, are predestined to a caste by the government. The Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning says, "'We also predestine and condition. We decant our babies as socialized human beings, as Alphas or Epsilons, as future sewage workers or future… '" (Huxley 13). A person’s course in life is decided based on the World State’s need for balance in society. If more low-level workers are needed, the World State is able to create a new generation of Epsilons or Deltas to fulfill this need. The children are brought up knowing their purpose and only have the mental and physical capacity to complete the task that are assigned to them. The government also instills a love in one’s caste through infantile conditioning. Children are subjected to repeated, specific, caste-individualized suggestions for months. While the children are asleep, a machine reads