Soma In Brave New World

Religion holds a dominating influence on a global scale. In Aldrous Huxley’s novel, Brave New World, the drug soma influences the World State with falsely constructed hallucinations of pleasure. The soma’s originally unchallenged authority develops a conflict with John the Savage as the two symbols in Huxley’s novel struggle for power within the sinful civilization of the World State. The drug, soma, is representative of a Christ figure in Huxley’s novel that captures supreme dominance in society. Soma holds dominance over the World State by creating the ideal please drug. Soma is introduced when Bernard Marx states that soma has “[a]ll the advantages of Christianity and alcohol; none of their defects” (Huxley 54). Soma is declared in Huxley’s novel to be an ideal blend of religion and stimulating narcotics. The idea of god has been replaced entirely by soma induced pleasuring stimulations and delirium. Marx further states that “’there is always soma, delicious soma, half a gramme for a half-holiday [… and] three for a dark eternity on the moon” (Huxley 56). The World State is ensnared by soma in major events, celebrated similar to traditional holidays with addition of the drug, and in the minor designs of the
Bernard first observes how John “’refuses to take soma’” (Huxley 160). His refusal to take soma institutes a direct conflict with soma; he begins a war with one of the most powerful figures in Huxley’s novel. John’s conflict with soma parallels conflicts between religions in reality, and the choice between them. Lenina, is the first to make the choice between soma and John, when she takes three half-gramme tablets after being rejected by John (Huxley 171). Lenina demonstrates how both John and soma cannot exist within society. After Lenina is rejected by John she promptly returns to the security of her original, familiar Christ figure and takes three half-grammes of