Brave New World 17

"Twins, twins. . . Like maggots they had swarmed defilingly over the mystery of Linda's death." pg. 209

This simile expresses John's true disgust and hatred with the World State. In realizing his feelings about this place, he decides to take action. I'm glad to see that someone is able to see past all the lying and superficial happiness and is willing to attempt to stop it. While reading this chapter, my initial feeling that this society was a cult was reemphasized. The workers are brainwashed into liking their minimal role in society. Then, when someone tries to help them become free, the police come and arrest the person (John) and fill the air with soma so that everyone is "happy." How is this society not a cult? I finally understand the purpose to this novel now. John is sent to help free the citizens in the World State. Without him, the people will never experience what it is like to connect to someone, to be a free man, or to have a soul.  John, like myself, realizes that the main element of brainwashing is soma. In order to rescue the people, he will have to find a way to either eliminate all the soma, or convince the people that they do not have to depend on it.