This paper is about the two aspects which could be removed from Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" so that the society of world state becomes much better.
DOES UTOPIA REALLY EXIST?
Brave New World the novel written by Aldous Huxley is a dystopian novel. The society is shown as very cheerful and happy. The concept of soma, Malthusian belt, etc has been introduced to control and shape the society. In order to make a utopian world, the world state ended in making a dystopian world. There are always some limitations of the utopian world. We can head towards utopia but cannot make a utopia. People of world state are apparently enslaved and the interesting fact is they themselves are not aware of this fact. The reason is the hypnopaedic conditioning they went through in their childhood. And to keep their thoughts in check soma is the sweet and reliable weapon used by world state. There is more to come about soma later in this paper. The society hypnotic? The conditioning instilled them with the feeling of everyone is for everyone else which is one of the most depressing features of this society. The living beings of the world state are the interchangeable part of society. People are not creative anymore their originality, individuality and creativity are being curbed heavily. When this happens the person is no more a unique personality. It's just a living being following the order of his master. Hypnopaedic conditioning, sections in society, over dominance of men over women are some of the undesirable features. The modification of Christian holy cross to T which symbolize Ford as a God. This shows the promotion of an assembly line, invented by Henry Ford, where the exact same products are manufactured over and over.
Soma, the perfect example of escapism, is a drug by which after having it people forget any complexity about the society and make them feel happy. It helps them to avoid the bitter reality of life and the fact that they live in a dictatorship. It actually distracts a person from realizing that there is something very wrong with the society, as they are enslaved. It is a drug which reinitiates the thought process of the clowns of the world state. Soma is frequently used in the novel. It emphasizes the fact that it is a necessary and essential part of the society of the world state which does not have any side effects. In the novel Brave New World it is described as having “All the advantages of Christianity and alcohol; none of their defects”(46). A soma holiday refers to the removal of anything which is upsetting or the harsh reality of the day to day life. “Euphoric, narcotic, pleasantly hallucinant”(46). Happiness and unhappiness are the two alternate phases of life. Life is like a roller coaster ride, just imagine would you have enjoyed the roller coaster ride if it would have transversed in a linear path. I hope not. Why we suffer every day? Why we have to face the harsh realities of life? Why it can’t be just soma? Isn’t our life better? For some readers, it might be but the reality is that these sufferings and pain make us a better and better every day. No pain no gain. Aldous Huxley quotes “Christianity without tears—that's what soma is”.
The first time we come to know about soma is in chapter 3 where Henry Foster in order to bait Bernard offers him a soma. When Marx denied Foster described it as “Take a holiday from reality whenever you like, and come back without so much as a headache or a mythology” (46). The motto of the world state is “Community, Identity, Stability” and the soma very well ensures that the motto is strictly followed. According to Henry Foster after having a gramme(measuring unit) of soma “Stability was practically assured” (46). Soma created the impenetrable wall between the reality of the world and the minds of them. A lot of instances are there when Lenina insists Bernard Marx to have soma pills whenever he becomes philosophical or say something gloomy. But Marx being a defective alpha have a different thought process.
The death of John the savage is a strong point which helps in advocating against the use of soma in the world state. Soma made him lose control over himself and after coming into his senses the guilt and sense of despair went through him. Soma is the reason for his death. Still, he exercised his decision-making ability which people of world state don’t have, due to soma. The people of world state thinks that death could come only through murder.
Linda after returning to civilization was traumatized and wanted nothing other than soma. The doctor informed she will die in a month or two with the doses of soma. When John argued over why the officials wanted to reduce her life the answer was as expected. Soma will keep her happy and allow her to live fullest the remaining few days of her life. Soma took her into another world of her own in which she was happy with her lover. When John the savage visited her she thought of him as an intruder. She hallucinated and died in front of John . At the time of death, the only phrase on her lips was ‘every one belongs to every one else’. This shows how strong the hypnopaedic conditioning is, at the time of death and living away from civilization for 20 she didn’t forget her motive in life. This is another aspect which should be removed from the new world of world state which will make the society much better. There will be some sense of individuality existing. In the novel Brave New World, the concept of every one belongs to every one else is the idea of expressing that there would be no individualism in the future. Everyone belonging to the same social class is the same and always will be. One of the apparent example is Lenina sleeping with most of the men. Women in our world, fortunately, do not have this mentality. The individuality is utmost important.
Linda while narrating her experience in reservation reveals that the women there slaughtered her for sleeping with their men. The individuality and the sense of possession existed in reservations. Linda from the civilization was not able to understand the mentality of those women. Men from reservation visited her and had sex with her which was not acceptable in the reservation. The self-respect of women must be retained. In Brave New World, t he women should have given more freedom and self-respect. John the savage admired Lenina as a lover. He never thought of Lenina as a sex object. When Lenina visited John in his apartment, to sleep with him, he made the right choice to not to sleep with her. He is a proper individual and represents the real world in we live. He has the ability to exercise his freedom.
Bernard Marx, the defective alpha male, is the most interesting character in the novel. Being an alpha with alcohol in his surrogate he has mixed feeling. He is much more original than the anybody else in the world state. Soma and the phrase ‘every one belongs to every one else’ disgusts him. Many times he denied taking soma and got jealous or angry when he sees Lenina with some other man. He showed his happiness when he thought he is going to Iceland because he wanted to be alone and live a life in his way. Where there will be his own women and no soma pills.
If we have soma in our world surely there will be benefits of it. The suicide attempts will go down significantly. The urge of revenge will come down in people because after taking a soma pill they will forget the rage. Soma will help elevating lot of people from going through the depression. In India lot of students commits suicide every year under the pressure of performing well. But what will happen if soma takes over the world? No one will be tensed anymore. Farmers of India will forget their misery and poverty and start living a happy life apparently. Seeing so many benefits of soma why we in our life don’t have one? or do we? The medicine named Prozac is very common which elevates the feeling of depression or despair from individuals. But here we cannot have access to this drug without the medical prescription which makes it limited to use. Is it the only thing or we have much more? We have much more in form of alcohol and illegal drugs. Students especially university students tend to come under the influence of drugs and alcohol more easily than anyone else. What are the chances that they will be successful in the future? The poor people in India are heavily inclined towards alcohol. Alcohol allows them to forget their poverty and hardships and help them to sleep in the peace of mind. Whereas on the other hand, the individuals who are facing their fears and fighting against them are becoming better and better every moment. Their originality and creativity helping them to move forward in with a better understanding of themselves and the world.
If in our world the policy of everyone belongs to everyone else is instilled we will see many effects. I am pretty sure that the number of rape and murders cases will significantly come down. Just like we have an alternate of soma in our world do we have a substitute for this also? In novel every one belongs to every one else is basically the women having sex with any man. In the brave new world, the sex is absolutely free while in our world it is not the same. The one way in our world the worldly needs of men are satisfied by something called prostitution. For that also you need money and for that, you are required to work and earn.
Our world is heading towards utopia or dystopia? What should I call the present scenario? Surely these questions are not easy to answer. Answers to the following questions might make our job easier. Do we exercise our freedom? Are we provided with sufficient choices? Do we hon our creativity? Are our thoughts original? Does individualism still exist? If the answer to these questions is yes then I can say we live in a much better world irrespective of it being utopia or dystopia. Though our actions are influenced by the string of our life experiences still we have the ability of decision making and are wise enough.
Works Cited
Frequently Asked Questions about Aldous Huxley's Brave New World
What is the main argument of the text?
The text explores the concept of utopia and dystopia, using Aldous Huxley's Brave New World as a case study. It argues that attempts to create a perfect, utopian society often result in dystopian outcomes, highlighting the limitations of utopian ideals.
What is Soma and what role does it play in the novel?
Soma is a drug in Brave New World used to control the population by providing escapism and suppressing negative emotions. It helps people forget the complexities of society and the fact that they live in a dictatorship, distracting them from realizing their enslavement. The text emphasizes Soma's role in maintaining stability and ensuring the motto of the World State ("Community, Identity, Stability") is followed.
How does the text analyze the concept of "everyone belongs to everyone else" in the context of individuality?
The concept of "everyone belongs to everyone else" is presented as a means of suppressing individuality in the World State. The text argues that this principle, exemplified by the free and casual sexual relationships, diminishes personal uniqueness and creativity. This lack of individuality is contrasted with the values and sense of possession found in the Savage Reservation.
What does the text say about Bernard Marx's role in Brave New World?
Bernard Marx, the defective Alpha male, is presented as an interesting character due to his mixed feelings and originality. He is portrayed as someone who is disgusted by Soma and the idea of "everyone belongs to everyone else." His desire for solitude and unique relationships makes him stand out from the other characters in the World State.
How does the death of John the Savage relate to the use of Soma?
The death of John the Savage is a critical point advocating against the use of Soma. Soma caused him to lose control, leading to guilt and despair. This ultimately resulted in his death, highlighting the dangers of Soma's influence over individual freedom and decision-making.
What is the text's perspective on Linda's experience with Soma after returning to civilization?
Linda's experience highlights Soma's negative impacts. After returning to civilization, she becomes addicted to Soma to escape trauma, ultimately leading to her death. Even in her final moments, her adherence to the conditioning phrase "everyone belongs to everyone else" demonstrates the pervasive influence of the World State's ideology.
Does the text compare soma to modern-day drugs?
Yes, the text draws parallels between Soma and modern substances like Prozac, alcohol, and illegal drugs. It discusses how these substances can provide temporary relief from negative feelings but can also hinder personal growth and understanding of the world.
How does the text evaluate the current state of the world in relation to utopia and dystopia?
The text questions whether the current world is heading towards utopia or dystopia. It suggests that assessing factors such as individual freedom, available choices, promotion of creativity, originality of thought, and the existence of individualism can help determine the current state of society.
What is the significance of the modification of Christian holy cross to T in the book?
The modification of the Christian holy cross to a 'T' symbolizes Ford and his assembly line. It represents how Fordism's mass production, and standardization is elevated to a religious status in Brave New World.
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- Chirag Mittal (Autor:in), 2018, Does utopia really exist? A reading of Aldous Huxley's novel "Brave New World", München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/449135
