"'What's in those' (remembering The Merchant of Venice) 'those caskets?' the Savage enquired when Bernard had rejoined him. 'The day's soma ration,' Bernard answered..." Brave New World (p. 164)
Throughout the novel, the New World has always turned to this substance called soma whenever something bad occurs or someone feels stressed out.
Personally, I have been extremely confused about what this "soma" stuff is. Obviously, it is pretty powerful. I'm just going to assume that it is something like drugs or alcohol.
If this this is the case, the author may be making a point of the dangers of drugs and alcohol. These people who constantly feed on soma have become corrupted in mind, body, and spirit. In fact, they do not even believe that the body posses a soul. In the excerpt at the top of this post, John is confused because he can not believe all the caskets being carried around. Bernard tells him that those caskets carry the daily supply of soma.
I thought it was pretty ironic that soma was carried in caskets. Caskets are usually a symbol of death; therefore, Huxley is probably trying to point to alcohol and drugs as the cause of the death of mind and spirit.
Even in a self proclaimed "perfect" world, drugs and alcohol still preside. Danger will always be around, but I think Huxley is telling us it is the individual's job to avoid it.
I also believe soma is some kind of drug that they use in the New World to avoid things they find unpleasant. This habit cannot be healthy in any way. I do not know why they are all so reliant on it either becasue after they take it, the damaging effects are obvious. I agree that the author is providing an underlying message that drugs and alcohol are harmful.
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