Brave New World Essays

In today’s society, people are controlled and dominated by their desire. One example of this is through the use of drugs to alter feelings and thoughts, which can eventually cause addiction. Huxley, the author of Brave New World, a book about a futuristic society where all of its inhabitants are controlled through the use of the drug Soma, himself experimented with acid when he wrote the book. In an article titled “Brave New World, 85 Years later,” Alastair Roberts explains how humans are dominated by their desire and that this desire is what destroys them rather than fear (Roberts 3). Though today’s world doesn’t have soma, its citizens use drugs to suppress feelings of shame or guilt, have instant gratification and take away one’s desire, just like the citizens of the World State in Brave New World.

In brave new world citizens in the society are constantly struggling with feelings of shame or guilt and suppressing them. The novel shows that in order for a utopian society to obtain a state of stability, there must be a loss of individuality. By successfully engineering these conditions it produces a world where people are finally living ‘happily ever after,’ but at a great cost.The principle component of what makes an individual human and remarkable are the feelings that occupy their brains, which they can control somewhat. In the book while John is at the lighthouse the night before he participated in an orgy and whipped Lenina. He took some soma and when he woke up in the middle of the night once the soma had worn of he remembered the things he did and felt guilty so he killed himself, and the author described his body as, “just under the crown of the arch dangled a pair of feet “Mr.Savage!” Slowly slowly slowly, like two unhurried compass needles, the feet turned towards the right…” (Huxley 259). The author is explaining how John hung himself and his body turns like a compass as it moves side to side. John took some soma after the orgy he participated in and whipped Lenina so he would not feel guilty, but the soma wore off in the morning. The feelings of guilt hit John immensely that he could no longer handle. John was filled with much despair and self-loathing that he kills himself. For instance in the article titled, “Brave New World predicted 2018 better than any other novel”, by Hendricks he says, “ humans are on drugs for anti-depressants and many other mental illnesses. Huxley would suggest we encouraged drug use of soma to use as a powerful tool for the treatment of suppressing guilt” (Hendricks 3). The people in the society use soma to suppress feelings of guilt or shame. They do this as a way to dehumanize them so that there cannot be any individuality and everyone will think alike. It raises vertone to the saem thinking capacity and not having other perspectives on the way things are ran by the Director of the Hatchery. Ultimately when the society in Brave New World suppresses feelings of shame or guilt they are losing the human experience. As a result soma works as a drug to alter the brain therefore giving instant pleasure.

As the human generation goes on involving daily so does the time people want things done quickly. Humans are all able instant gratification such as heating up food in a microwave or using the internet to search for answers to an assignment. Instant gratification is what society revolves around. For example, Lenina at the reservation, after she witnesses the boy’s death, says, ‘Too awful…Too awful! That blood…Oh, I wish I had my soma” (Huxley 145). This shows her need for instant gratification because she needed to use soma as an escape immediately. The use of soma alters the way the mind feels and makes society feel good. The government also brings the instant gratification issue upon its citizens by encouraging constant use of soma. The citizens are used to having their desires fulfilled quickly without having to wait. One can see this as Lenina quickly wanted to use the soma which fulfilled her need for instant gratification. Huxley brings important issues that are even revolving in the real world. Not only can instant gratification be seen in Brave New World, but also in the use of genetic engineering children. In an article titled, “ Brave New World predicted 2018 better than any other novel”, by Hendricks it talks about humans are evolving in the sciences. One is now able to customize genetically the outcome of their child by modifying certain details about their physical appearances. In the article talks about how genetic engineering is advancing it says, “As this article suggests, some choice in baby design is already here and more will be available soon” (Hendricks 2). Hendricks points out how the ability for one to design their child is accessible to the human society already and much more soon more will become available. This shows how it is in human nature for one to not have patience, but rather be used to the context of things being instant. By scientist being able to genetically engineering children the needs for ones desire is instantly being gratified. Not only does soma give instant gratification, but it also takes away one’s desire.

Soma is the answer to all of life’s problems and was invented in an attempt to distract society from worry, pain, and self desire.The desires that is within one is what makes every human uniquely different. Taking away desire stored in humans causes for them to become dehumanized. In the novel as the Assistant Predestinator is speaking with John Foster he says, ‘But, my dear chap, you’re welcome, I assure you. You’re welcome…Everyone belongs to everyone else, after all (Huxley 50). The hypnopaedic platitude ‘Everyone belongs to everyone else’ is a great example of the sort of confinement we see in Brave New World. No one can be free because everyone is subject to the desires and urges of every other person. How can you have freedom when you’re considered property? By everyone being subject to fulfill the desires of everyone else, everyone is left with no desire themselves. Soma itself gives pleasure, so it takes away the desire for their to be intimacy when having sex. They do not consider it love making when having sex, but rather just as the other person fulfilling their desire. Not only is this issue seen in the Novel Brave New World, but it can also apply to real life. The internet serves as soma itself as it causes humans to feel addicted to technology, just as soma. The internet can take away one’s desire as well. In the article titled “ Is Google Making Us Stupid”, by Carr he says, “My mind isn’t going—so far as I can tell—but it’s changing. I’m not thinking the way I used to think…The deep reading that used to come naturally has become a struggle” (Carr 4). Carr explains how the use of the internet caused his desire for deep reading to stop. This goes to show how the internet can case one to feel with no desire as the internet takes it away. Just as soma took the desire for society to have desire intimacy when having sex, so does the internet serve as taking away human societys desire. Not only can the internet serve to take away the desire to think deeply, but also take away the desire for intimacy. The internet proveides many attractions that can become addicting and one of these is pornography. Pornography takes away ones desire to have real life physical intimacy and these can cause dehumization in one. As soma makes one suppress feelings of guilt, have instant gratification and take away one’s desire so does the internet do the same thing when no boundaries are set.

In the society of Brave New World by Huxley they are provided with soma which is a drug that has no after effects like many drugs, but rather suppresses feelings of guilt one may be feeling, giving instant gratification as it provides pleasure and takes away the desire one may have. The use of soma causes dehumanization because the ability for a human to feel guilt or shame is what shapes one. Not only this ,but also since it gives instant gratification it causes for their to be no patience. Just as soma takes away the feelings of guilt , in the same way soma also gives instant gratification as it gives pleasure instantly, so does the way science is today in the real world. The access to genetic engineering allows for parents to customize the way their child’s physical appearance traits will be. Lastly soma also serves to take away one’s desire in the same way the internet does. The internet can take away the desire for their to be critical thinking when reading and not have real life physical intimacy by using pornography as a replacment. Brave New World makes aware many issues that society may not realize are happening in the real world that are a problem.