Everyone in the World State takes soma. Soma is a drug used to create artificial happiness for anyone who feels sad or lonely. This drug symbolizes many things. It symbolizes the control that the World State has over its people, as well as the control that science and technology has over the entire community. Characters such as Bernard, Wild John, and Helmholtz refuse to take soma because they do not believe the drug can solve their problems and they desire to be truly independent people in this strange world. Sex is a symbol of many things in Brave New World. This is constantly reiterated throughout the novel. One of the fundamental roots of World State control is gender. Without reproduction, families cannot be created and therefore no problems for the World State. Families cause conflict. Another symbol is the people's faith in their god "Ford". Ford was known for its famous mass production and assembly line in the 1920s. In this world, all humans are mass produced and grown on an assembly line, the same way Ford's automobiles are. Everyone worships Ford and his assembly line, stating that he is the reason they live the way they do.