Brave New World
Universal happiness is the key to stability, and in the novel Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley, the World State ensures its citizens get exactly what they want, all the time, Community, Identity, Stability (1). The citizens of this world seem to be genuinely happy due to ignorance and blindness. This reoccurring theme is important because it emphasizes the idea that happiness and truth cannot coexist.
The World State begins at making people happy right from birth, or more creation. They genetically tamper with embryos depending on what caste they are destined to be in. For example, if an embryo is destined to be an Epsilon, the lower of the castes, more oxygen will be exposed to the embryo diminishing that persons intelligence so they will therefore be content in performing the monotonous and simple job they are destined to perform the rest of their life. When an embryo is destined for a higher caste they are exposed to little to no oxygen, providing them with more intelligence. Not only does the state use biological science, they also use psychological conditioning, this way not only will the subject be suited for their job role, they will prefer it to anything else. That is the secret of happiness and virtue-liking what youve got to do. All conditioning aims at that: making people like their inescapable social destiny (22). Just like the Director of Hatcheries says, happiness is liking what they do, and if they prefer it to all else they therefore wont want anything unattainable, because they already have what theyve been conditioned to want.
Another way the World State ensures stability is throughout the promotion of promiscuous sex. Every one belongs to every one else (40). By getting rid of sexual tension in the world, and by conditioning everyone to believe they can have whomever they please, whenever they please, the citizens are provided with instant gratification. The World State has also eliminated families, and all long-term relationships; this results in prevention of anyone facing intense, unpleasant, and unreciprocated emotional or sexual desires. This way no one is ever upset, and everyone is always equally content. When citizens are provided with instant gratification in all aspects of their daily lives, they never yearn for anything more, never think or act outside of the rules, because everything theyve been conditioned to desire is readily available at all times.
People are happy, they get what they want, and they never want what they cant get theyre blissfully ignorant of passion, theyre plagued with no mothers or fathers, theyve got no wives, or children, or lovers to feel strongly about (220)
Automatic satisfaction of every desire creates superficial happiness, which in turn creates stability by diminishing new ideas, deep thought, and passion. As long as the population remains ignorantly blissful, stability will continue. Stability in this novel is the number one priority and by making sure that everyone gets exactly what they desire all the time creates a community that is without questions or concerns.
And if ever, by some unlucky chance, anything unpleasant should somehow happen, theres always soma Anybody can be virtuous now. You can carry at least half your mortality about it a bottle. Christianity without tears-thats what soma is (238).
When a citizen despite their conditioning may happen to feel the least bit melancholy the government distributes soma. Soma is a drug that causes temporary euphoria, and gives the user a holiday from whatever emotion they might be feeling. This is one of the easier ways that the World State controls the feelings of their population, by drugging them. It numbs the citizens so that they will no longer experience or dwell on any misfortune they may have stumbled upon. Its an escape that the government hands out like candy to keep every citizen happy and content, so should any problem arise a dose of soma will take it away painlessly and joyfully. Even in death the citizens of this world have been conditioned to never mourn and to accept death as an everyday occurrence, that way when someone dies, there are no emotions, no one gets depressed, and on the off chance they may get a little sad, their government is more than happy to give them a nice dose of soma.
The world that we are introduced to in Brave New World is a consumer society completely reliant on stability. Keeping the citizens conditioned, ignorant, satisfied and drugged ensures stability, which is the World States top priority. By conditioning their citizens to only want what they can have, provide them with instant sexual gratification, and give their citizens as much soma as they want, the World State ensures that people are continuously content, eliminating any other emotions that may come along. The only emotion that exists in this world is happiness, without truth, to provide stability. Happiness and truth cannot coexist in this world, the truth is never revealed, thought to be too dangerous, and the happiness is caused by mindless obedience. Universal happiness keeps the wheels steadily turning, truth and beauty cant (228).
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