The Pleasure Drug in the Brave New World that is Only a Quick Fix: Soma
             In the Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, most of the characters including Linda, Lenina, and even Bernard consume the perfect pleasure drug named soma to overlook their problems. This one-dimensional wonder drug has no real value and only temporarily disregards an unwanted feeling so that the character is not forced to confront the problem at that time. The drug spins the user into a hallucinogenic doze and takes all their worries away. In the Brave New World, soma is the religion of the people (Campbell 4). The characters depend on soma to get them through their hardships. The drug, however, does not solve their problems. Soma only creates a state of happiness with serenity and tranquility. Before soma's purposes and effects can be revealed, soma must first be truly defined.
             Originated many years ago by the Iranians, soma has existed in earlier forms of hallucinogens and will continue to be developed in the future. Many suggestions have been made to what soma actually refers to. Some suggestions include the drugs opium, cannabis, and ephedra (Rudgley 1). Two bio-chemists actually suggest that "Syrian rue is far more likely a candidate since its hallucinogenic effects are well-known in the Indo-Iranian homeland even today." (Rudgley 1). Although many suggestions have been made, the true identity of the drug Huxley uses in the story may never be discovered (Rudgley 2). Many synthetic drugs similar to soma are being produced today and more advanced pills will eventually be created in the future. Tomorrow's neuropharmacology offers a much better form of soma than what Huxley uses in the Brave New World (Pearce 4). The exact history of the drug has not yet been found. Since pharmacology is rapidly advancing, chemists and pharmaceutical companies are very likely to create synthetic forms of soma in the future (Pearce 4). If the drug can be com...