This is a place for critical discussion about the novel.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Chapter 3
A. What is the purpose of Lenina’s Malthusian belt? Why must she wear it?
B. What is soma? What can it be compared to in today's society?
27 comments:
Anonymous
said...
A. The belt Lenina wears has many purposes; like many of the different styles of clothing in Brave New World the Malthusian belt shows Lenina is of the higher caste. Lenina, being of the higher castes, will only wear the most fashionable of clothing because since her “birth” she has been taught she is better than those in the lower caste and therefore must be treated to the best. The main purpose of the belt however is it stores her birth control. Making it easy to carry on the days it may be required; which is why Lenina must wear it on her date with Henry Foster. In the world they live in sex is causal, this is all but programmed into them but to become pregnant is scandals.
B. In the book soma is a hallucinogenic drug. “The warm, the richly coloured, the infinitely friendly world of soma-holiday.”was an escape from of daily life. It also was veiwed by the government as a method of control through pleasure. This veiw made the drug legal and mass produced. It is use throughout the book as a way to be happy in times of sex, relaxation, concentration, and confidence. It can be compared to a number of drugs and combinations of drugs, such as opium and magic mushrooms, due to its affect on the characters. But I would compare it to weed due mainly to its casual status with the govermant in today’s society. ^^Kayla
Soma is a type of drug. But, they used it as a drink a long time ago for religious reasons .In the novel it is a symbol of the use of gratification to control and dictate the World States population. It can also be determined to be a symbol of the influence of technology and science. It seems to me that it represents some kind of religion the people believe in. In today’s society soma can be compared to wine, beer, or liquor. People now often drink these substances to cope with problems or feel good for a while. Soma in the novel is like alcholic beverages today.
A. The purpose of Lenina’s Malthusian belt is to provide her with contraceptives so she can be safe if things go too far. The belt also represents her purity and shows how responsible she really is. In a way her wearing the belt has an influence on others because her friend Fanny says that she “must get one like it” (Huxley). That shows she wants to be responsible too and be safe just in case. Lenina must wear the belt because she is not a freemartin and therefore she needs to be safe when she’s with a guy. Also, she wears the belt because she does not want to end up with a child. But Lenina also wants to be able to have fun and do what she wants.
The Malthusian belt contains, “regulation supply of contraceptives” (pg50) and since Lenina is not, “a freemartin” (pg50) the belt serves as a drug of impregnating her. Therefore, it would be the ultimate shame and disgrace because they are not supposed to get pregnant. Soma is a, “euphoric, narcotic, pleasantly hallucinant” (pg53) drug. People in the novel use soma as a way of escaping their stress and soma supplies fantasy dreams and it keeps them always happy. In today’s society it can be compared to alcohol or smoking. Numerous people turn to alcohol or smoking as a way of escaping their problems and stress. It transforms to be a way of them being in their Utopia for a few moments and have nothing to worry about. Xhesika Ademi
In the novel, Soma is a drug. It is used by the government as a way to control the masses. Through pleasure the people in the world states could be influenced to do what the leaders want.this drug can be compared to some designer drugs in today's world such as exstacy and and other opium evolved drugs. It is close to these drugs because of its easy access-ability. But in some ways it is not due to todays government not approving of these drugs. So in relation to "legal" drugs in today's society, I would say it is close to alcohol or over the counter drugs. (Danny)
In Brave New World, Soma is a drug that can be described as hallucinogenic. It was used by the government as a way to control the common people. Its effects made the user produce hallucinations and induce dreams. Soma can be compared to marijuana in today's society because it is used for similar reasons. For example, it lets users "yawn in the solid substance of their distractions" (55) meaning it and marijuana can be used as an escape from the real world. They are used as distractions to ease peoples' stress in their everyday lives.
Vicky, I do agree with you that Soma was used to dictate the World State's population. Yes, it is true that this "perfect" drug was a symbol of the advancement in modern science and technology seeing as it has little to none side effects from usage. What I don't completely agree with is that soma can be compared to alcoholic beverages today for a few reasons. One, alcohol does not cause hallucinations, it causes the brain to become less functional which is similar to hallucinations, but to a point. Also, one is a drink and the other is an actual drug that can be taken. But I do agree that both soma and alcoholic beverages are used by people to escape their realities and feel stress free for a while. That is, until the hangover the next day.
In the book soma is a drug that makes you hallucinate. if you take so many grammes at a time you go to sleep for so many hours. they call it going on holiday. It was seen throught the government to control people. So soma can be referred to as "shrooms" or weed or any other opiate type drug
I tihnk the belt reveals alot about Lenina. Lenina is a good, healthy member of society. She is very into her attire and the way people precieve her. To me, the reason Lenina wears the belt is because she not only wants people to know that she is rich but she also wants to show it off. Thats why Fanny admires Lenina's Malthusian belt. It is also reveals her character. She wears contraceptives on her belt as an good indication of her sexual habit. This is kind of weird to me because why would she want some to know she is on birth control?
soma is represented as a drug and is a symbol of the use of instant change to control the World States population. It is also a symbol of the powerful influence of science and technology and its effects on society. It also represents the use of religion to control society. it can be compared to as alcohol in todays society
The belt serves two purposes. the first is that its a fashion statement. she has been conditioned to wear the belt because its better then the other classes and shes showing that shes better then them. she also wears it becuase it hold her birthcontrol. soma is a medicine that could be compared to prozac.
Lenina's Malthusian belt literally is a belt that holds her contraceptives. I did reasearch to see where Huxley might have come up with the name and found out that it came from a philosopher names Thomas Malthus. He believed that the population grows faster than the food supply. The Malthusian Belt is similar in that that the author uses the word to mean contraceptive to limit the population from growing.
Soma is a drug used as an escape when situations get "sticky". It can be compared to marijuana in today's society because it has the same effect from what I've read. Soma causes the mind to go into another state while marijuana does the same. Lenina uses it to relax while she is flying to the Reservation in harsh weather conditions. Today doctor's perscribe medical marijuana to people with anxiety as a way to get them to relax; soma might be similar to that. or maybe Huxley was a secret pot head.... ;)
B. Soma was a drug used in order to make people feel relaxed. Aside from being a relaxation drug, it also caused hallucinations. In today's society I feel that marijuana is most like soma. People most commonly use marijuana to feel relaxed. People who are high off of marijuana most commonly feel relaxed unless they have a bad reaction. A bad reaction to marijuana can cause hallucinations, and even panic attacks. Although marijuana is illegal for street use, it is prescribed for certain instances to relax patients. Marijauna can have both the relaxed and hallucination reactions that soma causes in the novel.
In Brave New World, soma is a legal drug that is used in everyday life to escape from the troubles and seek pleasure. Soma can be compared to marijuana in today's society. Marijuana is not a hallucinogenic like soma, but it alters the state of mind and is seen as a drug of self pleasure by the government. As the drug soma is described in the book it could easily be compared to mushrooms as well. When eating the mushrooms you escape reality and enter an unnatural world. The soma was an easily accessed drug just like our over the counter drugs these days.
B) In Brave New World, soma is a drug that dulls the passions and understandings of the people and creates a flase sense of happiness. It is frequently consumed to escape reality, mainly in the form of tablet, serving as a tool of preserving social stability for the state. Soma can represent many flaws in todays society such as the variety of drugs used by people in today's society either for self pleasure, or, like in Brave New World, to escape from society's harsh reality for a short period of time. Soma in my opinion mainly stands as pain killers in today's society which generally come in pill tablets used by doctors for patients as stabilizers for extreme pain, which is where pain killers are supposed to be used. People misuse pain killers in today's society as a way to get away from everything and to feel "high", which can relate to what soma stands for in Brave New World.
Lenina's belt serves two functions,it shows her style and also shows others she is in a high caste. She must wear the best things because she is in a high caste. Also the belt holds her birth control. In the life style of the people in the novel sex isn't considered a big deal but getting pregnant is a huge no no.
A. There are two purposes to Lenina's belt. One is to show her style and the other shows that she is in the higher caste. She must wear it on her date with Henry because it is basically her birth control. While it is very casual to have sex in their everyday life, not only with just one partner for life, it is considered criminal to become pregnant. B. "Soma" is a drug in Brave New World. It's purpose is to enduce dreams or hallucinations to cause happiness when your relaxing, concentrating, having sexual relations, et cetera, et cetera. It can be compared to many things like shrooms. But since the government mass produced it, its more like weed in a sense because weed is used today as a medical drug. While I personally believe it's unnecessary, hey, if it works, it works.
A. Lenina must wear a Malthusian belt for many reasons the most important being it holds her contraceptives so that she will be prepared when she goes on a date with Henry Foster. Since birth and being pregnant is so frowded upon she must always wear it when she goes out. It also is what people of her status wear, the belt is very fashionable and also useful.
Danny: I agree with you that soma is used to “control the masses,” as well as to find pleasure and escape from reality. Also, ecstasy is a very nice example of a comparison drug to soma. They both require to be taken in tablet form, unlike the drugs that are smoked. However, I disagree that the access-ability has to do with the fact whether the drug is illegal or not. Marijuana is illegal, but is the most easily accessed drug besides alcohol, in today's world.
Anonymous, I disagree with you. The Malthusian Belt is not a reference to Lenina's higher caste nor is it soley for her birth control. The Malthusian Belt is a reference to Thomas Malthus. He philosophized that the population is growing faster than our food supply. The belt is symbolic in the same ways that it hold her contraceptives which keeps the population from growing.
Carrie- I agree with you about Lenina being a responsible adult. She is becoming a character in the novel that Fanny does look up. Also, it seems that she wants to follow into Lenina's footsteps. I like that Lenina is being looked up upon by Fanny because Fanny is young and she can learn from her own mistakes and Lenina's mistakes. Since Lenina is older than her she has more experience than Fanny and she can see certain situations with a different perspective.
Vicki: I disagree with your answer for question B. I disagree that soma represents a type of religion. I think soma is a means by which the World State limits the citizen’s thinking abilities so that they may not consider religion. I also disagree that soma is like alcohol today because our society has negative consequences for those who abuse alcohol , and it is certainly not the acceptable norm for everyone to drink alcohol on a daily basis.
In Brave New World, soma is hallucinogenic drug. It is completely legal and even, "produced commercially". The drug is distributed by the government as a means of controlling society. It is given to the people so that if they ever have free time and get bored they wont start to think to much. The effects of the drug allow you to, "take a holiday from reality". It is made in the form of a tablet, and leaves the user with no after effects once the drug has worn off. In our world today I would compare soma to weed, because it is so common in todays society, though not as much as soma in the book.
B) I agree with your views on what soma represent in today's society. Soma can be compared to many different drugs and hallucigens, but alcohol drinking really does show what soma is all about; coping with your problems and to feel good for awhile. Soma can be a concept viewed differently by different people but your view on it seems very accurate and well thought out.
I agree with vicki on her viewpoint of soma. I hadn't thought of it being similar to alcohol in todays society. People drink all the time, whether it's because they want to have fun, or to relieve some stress. The people in Brave New World take soma for the same reasons.
<----- Kayla, i entirely agree with your hypothesis on Soma. i consider Soma to be like "magic mushrooms" also! you did a great job thoroughly explaining the topic! GOOD JOB!
27 comments:
A. The belt Lenina wears has many purposes; like many of the different styles of clothing in Brave New World the Malthusian belt shows Lenina is of the higher caste. Lenina, being of the higher castes, will only wear the most fashionable of clothing because since her “birth” she has been taught she is better than those in the lower caste and therefore must be treated to the best. The main purpose of the belt however is it stores her birth control. Making it easy to carry on the days it may be required; which is why Lenina must wear it on her date with Henry Foster. In the world they live in sex is causal, this is all but programmed into them but to become pregnant is scandals.
B. In the book soma is a hallucinogenic drug. “The warm, the richly coloured, the infinitely friendly world of soma-holiday.”was an escape from of daily life. It also was veiwed by the government as a method of control through pleasure. This veiw made the drug legal and mass produced. It is use throughout the book as a way to be happy in times of sex, relaxation, concentration, and confidence. It can be compared to a number of drugs and combinations of drugs, such as opium and magic mushrooms, due to its affect on the characters. But I would compare it to weed due mainly to its casual status with the govermant in today’s society. ^^Kayla
Soma is a type of drug. But, they used it as a drink a long time ago for religious reasons .In the novel it is a symbol of the use of gratification to control and dictate the World States population. It can also be determined to be a symbol of the influence of technology and science. It seems to me that it represents some kind of religion the people believe in. In today’s society soma can be compared to wine, beer, or liquor. People now often drink these substances to cope with problems or feel good for a while. Soma in the novel is like alcholic beverages today.
A. The purpose of Lenina’s Malthusian belt is to provide her with contraceptives so she can be safe if things go too far. The belt also represents her purity and shows how responsible she really is. In a way her wearing the belt has an influence on others because her friend Fanny says that she “must get one like it” (Huxley). That shows she wants to be responsible too and be safe just in case. Lenina must wear the belt because she is not a freemartin and therefore she needs to be safe when she’s with a guy. Also, she wears the belt because she does not want to end up with a child. But Lenina also wants to be able to have fun and do what she wants.
The Malthusian belt contains, “regulation supply of contraceptives” (pg50) and since Lenina is not, “a freemartin” (pg50) the belt serves as a drug of impregnating her. Therefore, it would be the ultimate shame and disgrace because they are not supposed to get pregnant. Soma is a, “euphoric, narcotic, pleasantly hallucinant” (pg53) drug. People in the novel use soma as a way of escaping their stress and soma supplies fantasy dreams and it keeps them always happy. In today’s society it can be compared to alcohol or smoking. Numerous people turn to alcohol or smoking as a way of escaping their problems and stress. It transforms to be a way of them being in their Utopia for a few moments and have nothing to worry about.
Xhesika Ademi
In the novel, Soma is a drug. It is used by the government as a way to control the masses. Through pleasure the people in the world states could be influenced to do what the leaders want.this drug can be compared to some designer drugs in today's world such as exstacy and and other opium evolved drugs. It is close to these drugs because of its easy access-ability. But in some ways it is not due to todays government not approving of these drugs. So in relation to "legal" drugs in today's society, I would say it is close to alcohol or over the counter drugs. (Danny)
In Brave New World, Soma is a drug that can be described as hallucinogenic. It was used by the government as a way to control the common people. Its effects made the user produce hallucinations and induce dreams. Soma can be compared to marijuana in today's society because it is used for similar reasons. For example, it lets users "yawn in the solid substance of their distractions" (55) meaning it and marijuana can be used as an escape from the real world. They are used as distractions to ease peoples' stress in their everyday lives.
Response to Vicki's comment:
Vicky, I do agree with you that Soma was used to dictate the World State's population. Yes, it is true that this "perfect" drug was a symbol of the advancement in modern science and technology seeing as it has little to none side effects from usage. What I don't completely agree with is that soma can be compared to alcoholic beverages today for a few reasons. One, alcohol does not cause hallucinations, it causes the brain to become less functional which is similar to hallucinations, but to a point. Also, one is a drink and the other is an actual drug that can be taken. But I do agree that both soma and alcoholic beverages are used by people to escape their realities and feel stress free for a while. That is, until the hangover the next day.
In the book soma is a drug that makes you hallucinate. if you take so many grammes at a time you go to sleep for so many hours. they call it going on holiday. It was seen throught the government to control people. So soma can be referred to as "shrooms" or weed or any other opiate type drug
I tihnk the belt reveals alot about Lenina. Lenina is a good, healthy member of society. She is very into her attire and the way people precieve her. To me, the reason Lenina wears the belt is because she not only wants people to know that she is rich but she also wants to show it off. Thats why Fanny admires Lenina's Malthusian belt. It is also reveals her character. She wears contraceptives on her belt as an good indication of her sexual habit. This is kind of weird to me because why would she want some to know she is on birth control?
soma is represented as a drug and is a symbol of the use of instant change to control the World States population. It is also a symbol of the powerful influence of science and technology and its effects on society. It also represents the use of religion to control society. it can be compared to as alcohol in todays society
The belt serves two purposes. the first is that its a fashion statement. she has been conditioned to wear the belt because its better then the other classes and shes showing that shes better then them. she also wears it becuase it hold her birthcontrol. soma is a medicine that could be compared to prozac.
Lenina's Malthusian belt literally is a belt that holds her contraceptives. I did reasearch to see where Huxley might have come up with the name and found out that it came from a philosopher names Thomas Malthus. He believed that the population grows faster than the food supply. The Malthusian Belt is similar in that that the author uses the word to mean contraceptive to limit the population from growing.
Soma is a drug used as an escape when situations get "sticky". It can be compared to marijuana in today's society because it has the same effect from what I've read. Soma causes the mind to go into another state while marijuana does the same. Lenina uses it to relax while she is flying to the Reservation in harsh weather conditions. Today doctor's perscribe medical marijuana to people with anxiety as a way to get them to relax; soma might be similar to that. or maybe Huxley was a secret pot head.... ;)
B. Soma was a drug used in order to make people feel relaxed. Aside from being a relaxation drug, it also caused hallucinations. In today's society I feel that marijuana is most like soma. People most commonly use marijuana to feel relaxed. People who are high off of marijuana most commonly feel relaxed unless they have a bad reaction. A bad reaction to marijuana can cause hallucinations, and even panic attacks. Although marijuana is illegal for street use, it is prescribed for certain instances to relax patients. Marijauna can have both the relaxed and hallucination reactions that soma causes in the novel.
Kelly Evans
In Brave New World, soma is a legal drug that is used in everyday life to escape from the troubles and seek pleasure. Soma can be compared to marijuana in today's society. Marijuana is not a hallucinogenic like soma, but it alters the state of mind and is seen as a drug of self pleasure by the government. As the drug soma is described in the book it could easily be compared to mushrooms as well. When eating the mushrooms you escape reality and enter an unnatural world. The soma was an easily accessed drug just like our over the counter drugs these days.
B) In Brave New World, soma is a drug that dulls the passions and understandings of the people and creates a flase sense of happiness. It is frequently consumed to escape reality, mainly in the form of tablet, serving as a tool of preserving social stability for the state. Soma can represent many flaws in todays society such as the variety of drugs used by people in today's society either for self pleasure, or, like in Brave New World, to escape from society's harsh reality for a short period of time. Soma in my opinion mainly stands as pain killers in today's society which generally come in pill tablets used by doctors for patients as stabilizers for extreme pain, which is where pain killers are supposed to be used. People misuse pain killers in today's society as a way to get away from everything and to feel "high", which can relate to what soma stands for in Brave New World.
Lenina's belt serves two functions,it shows her style and also shows others she is in a high caste. She must wear the best things because she is in a high caste. Also the belt holds her birth control. In the life style of the people in the novel sex isn't considered a big deal but getting pregnant is a huge no no.
A. There are two purposes to Lenina's belt. One is to show her style and the other shows that she is in the higher caste. She must wear it on her date with Henry because it is basically her birth control. While it is very casual to have sex in their everyday life, not only with just one partner for life, it is considered criminal to become pregnant.
B. "Soma" is a drug in Brave New World. It's purpose is to enduce dreams or hallucinations to cause happiness when your relaxing, concentrating, having sexual relations, et cetera, et cetera. It can be compared to many things like shrooms. But since the government mass produced it, its more like weed in a sense because weed is used today as a medical drug. While I personally believe it's unnecessary, hey, if it works, it works.
A. Lenina must wear a Malthusian belt for many reasons the most important being it holds her contraceptives so that she will be prepared when she goes on a date with Henry Foster. Since birth and being pregnant is so frowded upon she must always wear it when she goes out. It also is what people of her status wear, the belt is very fashionable and also useful.
Danny: I agree with you that soma is used to “control the masses,” as well as to find pleasure and escape from reality. Also, ecstasy is a very nice example of a comparison drug to soma. They both require to be taken in tablet form, unlike the drugs that are smoked. However, I disagree that the access-ability has to do with the fact whether the drug is illegal or not. Marijuana is illegal, but is the most easily accessed drug besides alcohol, in today's world.
Anonymous, I disagree with you. The Malthusian Belt is not a reference to Lenina's higher caste nor is it soley for her birth control. The Malthusian Belt is a reference to Thomas Malthus. He philosophized that the population is growing faster than our food supply. The belt is symbolic in the same ways that it hold her contraceptives which keeps the population from growing.
Carrie- I agree with you about Lenina being a responsible adult. She is becoming a character in the novel that Fanny does look up. Also, it seems that she wants to follow into Lenina's footsteps. I like that Lenina is being looked up upon by Fanny because Fanny is young and she can learn from her own mistakes and Lenina's mistakes. Since Lenina is older than her she has more experience than Fanny and she can see certain situations with a different perspective.
Vicki: I disagree with your answer for question B. I disagree that soma represents a type of religion. I think soma is a means by which the World State limits the citizen’s thinking abilities so that they may not consider religion. I also disagree that soma is like alcohol today because our society has negative consequences for those who abuse alcohol , and it is certainly not the acceptable norm for everyone to drink alcohol on a daily basis.
In Brave New World, soma is hallucinogenic drug. It is completely legal and even, "produced commercially". The drug is distributed by the government as a means of controlling society. It is given to the people so that if they ever have free time and get bored they wont start to think to much. The effects of the drug allow you to, "take a holiday from reality". It is made in the form of a tablet, and leaves the user with no after effects once the drug has worn off. In our world today I would compare soma to weed, because it is so common in todays society, though not as much as soma in the book.
--Vicki Dobis--
B) I agree with your views on what soma represent in today's society. Soma can be compared to many different drugs and hallucigens, but alcohol drinking really does show what soma is all about; coping with your problems and to feel good for awhile. Soma can be a concept viewed differently by different people but your view on it seems very accurate and well thought out.
-Miles Ard
I agree with vicki on her viewpoint of soma. I hadn't thought of it being similar to alcohol in todays society.
People drink all the time, whether it's because they want to have fun, or to relieve some stress. The people in Brave New World take soma for the same reasons.
<----- Kayla, i entirely agree with your hypothesis on Soma. i consider Soma to be like "magic mushrooms" also! you did a great job thoroughly explaining the topic! GOOD JOB!
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