Alex and Jack in A Clockwork Orange and Lord of the Flies

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A Comparison of Jack and Alex

The thoughts and actions of Alex in the novel, A Clockwork Orange are both alike and different from the character Jack in Lord of he Flies. Alex a young man at the age of fifteen is a bane on society. Rape, violence, and Beethoven are his main joys. Jack is a choirboy on a deserted island. Jack’s world, before arrival on the island, consisted of a “ voluntary adherence to a pragmatic pact of nonagression…which passes for civilization, but maintained only through fear';(Whissen 140). Once the fear of objection from society is taken away so is the pact of nonviolence and the civilized being reverts to savage barbarism. This evil only takes place when all his restrictions were removed. Alex is the hoodlum that has a love for violence and rape. He wages rampages in the night throughout his city. Once apprehended Alex is subjected to a series of treatments that make him incapable of violence, and rape. Alex and Jack are both sadistic leaders of there own groups. Jack is the head of the hunters. Alex has a band of “droogs'; which are friends and enemies. Society plays an important part in both of their lives. It is ironic that Alex starts as a savage and Jack as a civilized human being, But when their society’s and surroundings affect them each of them becomes what the other was. Alex becomes unable to commit evil and Jack assumes leadership of a savage group that commits acts of brutality.
Alex and his “droogs'; set the town ablaze by committing horrific acts of violence. He loves doing what his society says is wrong. During one of their night rides, Alex and his droogs, ripped out an old man’s teeth. Then to show real malice crunched them under his boot. If that was not enough they then treated the old man to a knuckle sandwich (Burgess 7). Torturing old people is just one of there outrageous escapades. Another incident is when Alex and his droogs broke into this couples house. After beating up the husband he turned to his wife. “O my brother while I got untrussed and got ready for plunge. Plunging, I could slooshy cries of agony and this writer bleeding veck that Georgie and Pete held on to nearly got loose';(Burgess 23). He thought as he violated this man’s wife. He has no remorse or even knowledge that what he is doing is wrong.

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