Huxley’s critique of humanity and society in Brave New World reveals our desire to have others think for us. In order to deal with our fear of freedom, we use drugs and sex to distract us from reality. In today’s society, these weaknesses are just as present as they were in the World State.
Sexual tendencies and actions are used to cover up the need of emotional comfort and personal pleasure of getting accepted in society. The urge of having to be acknowledged or accepted by society or feel emotional comfort is shown in Brave New World, “THE LIFT was crowded with men from the Alpha Changing Rooms, and Lenina’s entry was greeted by many friendly nods and smiles. She was a popular girl and, at one time or another, had spent a night with almost all of them.”
Lenina appears popular in society due to being one to sleep and have sexual intercourse with many people. In some psychological research people see one having many sexual relationships is due to the need of emotional comfort in being recognized or emotional desires of being loved and cared for. Although Brave New World has it’s sexual battles, so does American society having the need to cover up their emotions and feel like one with society’s views on normalizing sexual intercourse to cover up the need for emotional comfort. In “Brave New World is looking pretty good, all things considered”, “The citizens of New London seem to have no dysfunctions at all. Not only are they incredibly sexually active (to the point of it being their primary source of entertainment, because “everyone belongs to everyone else” and after-hours life, night after night, is one big party)” Sexual needs can be normalized like a drug due to the urge of being one with society and it’s views on normalizing sexual intercourse due to the need of emotional affection and love to just feel normal.
Drugs play a big part of Brave New World by normalizing the right to not feel any negative emotions due to the fear of not being able to handle it properly. In Brave New World;
“A man–one man.” “But he’s the one I want.” “As though there weren’t millions of other men in the world.” “But I don’t want them.” “How can you know till you’ve tried?” “I have tried.” “But how many?” asked Fanny, shrugging her shoulders contemptuously. “One, two?” “Dozens. But,” shaking her head, “it wasn’t any good,” she added. “Well, you must persevere,” said Fanny sententiously. But it was obvious that her confidence in her own prescriptions had been shaken. “Nothing can be achieved without persever-ance.” “But meanwhile …” “Don’t think of him.” “I can’t help it.” “Take soma, then.” “I do.” “Well, go on.” “But in the intervals I still like him. I shall always like him.
Lenina keeps taking soma to feel no emotions towards John because she is afraid of falling in love because it would be her first ever time to do so. When looking Lenina is trying to run away from her emotions even though soma isn’t working for her. American society nowadays normalizes taking drugs to not feel anything because people always see society as one to be happy even though they all are on a pill called “the followers pill.” In Aldous Huxley Foresaw America’s Pill-Popping Addiction with Eerie Accuracy states, “As these simple media examples demonstrate, the widespread use of Valium rapidly extended the range and scope of psychiatric medicine as pills were increasingly prescribed to treat a wide range of common everyday anxieties, thereby transforming psychotropic pills into a commonplace staple of modern American life.” Normalization in running away from our feelings is shown throughout American society and it’s views on how relaxation is the key to a better way to live life without worrying about how to feel.
In both Brave New World and today’s society they both lack individuality and freedom due to the fear of always being put down by one another and the outcomes of those feelings. In Brave new world, . “Don’t take that horrible stuff. It’s poison, it’s poison…“Poison to soul as well as body….Don’t you want to be free and men? Don’t you even understand what manhood and freedom are?” Rage was making him fluent; the words came easily, in a rush. “Don’t you?” he repeated…” Throughout Brave New World characters used soma to escape their feelings and personal problems due to the fear of always being wrong and messing up allowing higher power to control them to feel like they aren’t one in wrong all the time. American society also uses drugs to escape reality and it’s harsh consequences. In both societies sex is a drug and drug is sex. Drugs and sex are the main used things to either escape or feel emotions.
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