This book is a horrifying and amazingly keen insight to what and where our society is taking us. Throughout Brave New World, the author, Alduous Huxley, demonstrates the theme of technology being used to replace humanity. This is evident through his usage of symbols such as Somas, the ultimate drug from which to escape reality. It is also seen in the vast, intricate fertilization and cloning process that is the base of their society. Another thing that shows the theme is how religion, a human concept, is totally replaced by technology. .
The first symbol demonstrating the theme is the mind altering Soma. The director of the fertilization plant is lecturing some students. He tells them about how there was a need for a drug that let people escape reality. He then explains the discovery of Somas. "The perfect drug. Euphoric, narcotic, pleasantly hallucinogenic. All of the advantages of Christianity and alcohol; none of the defects. Take a holiday from reality whenever you like, and come back without so much as a headache or a mythology.""(Pg 36) The state sponsored usage of this drug is saying that the state encourages that whenever one is feeling down, just pop a pill and you'll be fine. This prevents people from experiencing the whole range of human emotions, such as fear and sadness. The director continues to lecture his students, when he explains, " Not a moment to sit down and think-or if ever a crevice of time should be available, there is always Soma, delicious Soma, half a gramme for a half holiday, a gramme for a weekend - (Pg 37) The state is suppressing any real thoughts that people may have. This is done in order to prevent anybody from realizing how miserable their life may be or how dissatisfied they are with the way things are. After this, one of the main characters, Henry, is on a date with a woman, Lenina. They are at a café and, "Soma was served with the coffee. Lenina took two half-gramme tablets and Henry three.
