In the hospital scene, what does John do after the deltas fail to respond?

• A. Emergency meeting
• B. Seizes soma
• C. Leaves hospital
• D. Orders staff

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is how John reacts when the usual social controls fail him. In Brave New World, soma is the government’s tool to keep people calm and docile, masking pain and distress. When the deltas don’t respond, John grabs soma to numb his distress and to push back against a system that won’t meet his needs or acknowledge his feelings. This moment shows the clash between his raw humanity and a society that relies on artificial happiness to maintain order.

Quickly, the other options don’t fit the scene: there isn’t an emergency meeting initiated by John, he doesn’t walk out of the hospital, and he doesn’t order staff to do anything. His instinct is to use the very substance the World State uses to control people, highlighting the tension between individual emotion and societal control.