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Brave New World Analysis

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In Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, the World Controller, Mustapha Mond, employs many techniques that work to provide for the happiness and stability of his society, including sedation, censorship, social engineering, and indoctrination. Whether or not this society is one we should strive for is often a point of contention, however, it is my belief that the world state presents a utopian civilization that comes at the expense of aspects of the human condition that are no longer important or necessary. In this paper, I will not only enumerate and explain the measures by which the society is maintained, but I will also present the most common and logically sound objection towards the society, ultimately showing how it can be refuted. The most easily identifiable method of controlling the society is through the drug soma. This substance is rationed off to the population, and the effects are described by Mustapha as “Christianity without the tears,” and identified as alcohol without the side effects by Linda. In other words, this drug is pure happiness, and serves as a transient vacation for the user, as well as a distraction from any minor inconvenience that happens to plague them. This sedation of the user is conditioned to be the first response when relief is desired, and ensures the passivity of the population by instilling raw bliss in its consumers. Analyzing Mustapha’s comparison of soma to
Christianity elucidates its effect on the society, as religion is often seen as

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