Religion In Aldous Huxley's Brave New World

Albert Einstein is famously quoted, “all religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man's life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual towards freedom." In the same fashion, Aldous Huxley illustrates the role of religion in modern society in his novel, Brave New World. The plot centers around the World State, a utopian society that has seemingly relinquished all the ramifications of religion. Ironically, the citizens engage in acts akin to those of religious acts of devotion and most citizens are stripped of individuality and humanity. In the time of the novel's publishing, 1932, the number of individuals who identified with a religion was at a record low (Huffington Post). Huxley wrote the novel as an allegory about a world without religion. The recurrence of god in Aldous Huxley's, Brave New World, reveals that religion is ubiquitous and uniquely human, thus cannot be completely removed. …show more content…
The World Controllers' efforts are flawed because independent minds still exist. Bernard Marx and Hemholtz are excommunicated because they are upset about the condition of the World State. The existence of an island where religious thinkers are sent proves that enough individuals resist for it to be a problem. Furthermore, the World State's method of removing religion, inducing a narcotic trip to citizens who crave an ounce of emotion or science, is "poison to the soul as well as body." (Huxley 91) Soma poisons the body through stunting mental growth to prevent free thinking. It poisons the soul because it takes away the unique human features of its citizens. It eliminates the purpose of a