This novel shows us that truth and happiness don't go together. From the common use of soma in order to escape reality we can see that most citizens choose happiness over truth because that is what the government teaches them. John's mother, Linda, for example, used soma because she was so ashamed to be coming back to civilization after giving birth to a child. (Huxley 105) The government also puts thoughts into their heads by using the hypnopaedic method. They find that if one hears a phrase enough times while asleep, he or she will eventually recognize it as his or her own thought. Outside of the World State, Shakespeare clouds the truth for John, making him believe that Lenina is virtuous and pure when he first meets her. He compares her to Juliet at first (Huxley 98) but later calls her an "impudent strumpet" when she comes on to him. (Huxley 134)
From the discussion with Mustapha Mond in Chapter Sixteen, we can see the extreme power of the government through its control over the lives of the people. For example, all old books are destroyed including Shakespeare because "beauty's attractive, and we don't want people to be attracted by old things. We want them to like the new ones." (Huxley 152) The World State has eliminated art as well because beauty does not help consumerism so it is deemed worthless by the consumption-based society. By letting the government have complete control of its people, they lose their personal freedom and even the desire to attain freedom. The people are made so happy by the satisfaction of every desire that they don't realize they are lacking freedom.
Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York: Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2006. Electronic.
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