The Truth Of Feelings In Brave New World

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universal use of the drug soma is apparently the most prevalent example of such willful self-delusion. Soma clouds the realities of the present, and replaces them with peaceful hallucinations. It is, consequently, a tool for promoting social stability. But even Shakespeare can be used to avoid facing the truth, as John demonstrates by his insistence on viewing Lenina through the lens of Shakespeare’s world, first as a Juliet, and later as an “impudent strumpet.” Evidence arises at the commencement of Chapter 16 that Mustapha Mond also believes that truth is unsatisfactory. He says, “Beauty’s attractive, and we don’t want people to be attracted by old things.” (p.219) According to Mond, the World State prioritizes happiness at the expense of truth by design. He believes that people are better off with happiness than with truth. It seems clear enough from Mond’s argument that happiness refers to the immediate gratification of every citizen’s desire for food, ...

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