Banned for social reasons in many conditions and in many school systems, Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange first seems to pierce the mind with its bizarre linguistic orgy of debauchery, brutality, and sex, and for some, refuses to affect them above the level of pure voyeurism and bloodlust (either for reveling in it or despising it). Sadism seems to twist the male protagonist; his mind becomes alive with brutal fantasies whilst listening to seemingly innocuous classical music ( “There were vecks and ptitsas, both young and starry, lying on the ground screaming for mercy, and I was smecking all over my rot and grinding my boot in their litsos.”). Many arguments have been made about the censorship of this novella which “glorifies sex and violence;” however, these elements are clearly manipulated for plot development and character development, and ultimately, the story does pose a moral lesson. By psychological definition, people affected with anti-social disorder (also known as “sociopaths” or “psychopaths”) have incredible manipulation skills; they also fail to “conform to social norms,” are deceitful and aggressive, and seek to destroy with little remorse. Sex, cruelty, and dominance define parts of anti-social behavior, and the odd near-antithesis of a hero, Alex, exists as the beloved psychopath in this cult story. He vigorously goes on nightly rampages with his band of “droogs” after consuming spiked “moloko,” tearing down what society has morally built and ripping holes into the reasoning of random citizens. Here, Burgess utilizes a unique method of writing by making the readers realize their affection for this teenage criminal, even in the midst of his violent perversions. As stated in many other summaries and analogies of the book, the ethics derived from the book revolve around the topic of choice. Is a person truly moral if their “benevolence” comes from forced conditioning as opposed to their personal choice for compassion? Does programmed decency towards people ultimately possess superiority over a natural psychosis? It can be argued that programmed decency protects the happiness of the main population, but natural psychosis comes from the choice of the individual, and protects their happiness (if the psychosis served as a source of joy for the individual to begin with, not insanity that brings about manic-depression and whatnot). Building the character of Alex to fully express the story and the questions the book will eventually pose doubtlessly requires the use of savage raping, theft, and the vicious, bloody beatings administered to many common people; these portions of A
There have been many books published solely on philosophy, and many more than that solely written about human nature, but very infrequently will a book be published that weaves these fields together as well as A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess. In this Book Burgess speculated on the fact “the significance of maturing by choice is to gain moral values and freedoms.” He achieved this task by pushing his angsty teenaged character, Alex, through situations that challenge the moral values of himself and his friends. In the novel, A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess, Alex himself, must choose good over evil in order to gain moral values which will allow him to mature into a “man” in the latter of his two transformations.
chosen to undergo a new “treatment” that the State has developed to “reform” criminals. After the State strips him of his choice to choose between good and evil, Alex can only do good now and even thinking of doing something bad makes him violently ill. Then, Alex is “rehabilitated” considered “rehabilitated”. Afterwards Alex is released where he encounters an “ex-droog” and one of his enemies, they beat him to a pulp and leave him out in the middle of nowhere. After coming to his senses, Alex makes his way to a house and in that house, right before Alex went to prison, h...
trumpets do not call. The poet is trying to make the start of war a
I think that A Clockwork Orange is a book worth reading because it is relatable, makes you think, and is interesting. The author, Anthony Burgess, was born February 25, 1917. At the young age of two his mother passed away. He was brought up by his aunt and later his stepmother. Even with such an unstable childhood Burgess continued on to enroll in college and major in English. He had a passion for music, which he expressed in the main character of A Clockwork Orange. Burgess wrote several accomplished symphonies in his day, as well as over fifty books. He was diagnoses with a brain tumor at about age 40 but well outlived his doctor’s expectations continuing his artistic output until his death from lung cancer at age 76.
Betrayed by his cohorts Alex is beaten by local officials and confesses to all the crimes. As a point to retribution a sergeant states, "Violence makes violence" and proceeds to through Alex back into the cell.
to find the plan that God has set for them and let faith be their
The Meaning of Discipleship In this piece of coursework I will be writing about the meaning of
whole life to God and the Church. This is one major Cost of being a
This essay will discuss the process of scrutinising Parliamentary Bills in the United Kingdom and the extent to which this process has been effective throughout the years.
How Shakespeare Makes an Effective Use of the Soliloquy to Increase the Audience's Understanding of Character and Plot in Twelfth Night
...t is a gift to have a choice between the two. Alex still participated in acts of violence however he did not see them as appealing or as important as he did in the beginning of his life. Becoming normal, meaning balancing the good and evil in his life, allows Alex to have thoughts about settling down and starting a life of his own with a child whom he will teach about life. Alex’s journey can also teach one about the importance of choice in life and how to use it wisely. Without choice, humans would be nothing but beings walking the earth devoid of a conscious mind, thoughts, and a full life. Individuals would not be able to truly live without the freedom to choose as they would like and have free will which can determine their fate. A person’s fate should never be taken from them nor chosen for them. Choices are the most important thing a person can have.
A society often reveals its own perversity in the way it treats those who stray too far away from its mainstream. In Jean McCord's story, "The Cave", the leader of a small-town gang beats up the narrator after he befriends a homeless man. In "The Hammer Man", two disgruntled policemen harass the narrator after she admires the basketball skills of a disturbed boy on her street. In both cases, the violence of the characters who represent mainstream society -- the gang and the police -- forces us to question our underlying assumptions about what is normal and what is not. While both authors invite us to label particular characters as deviant at the start of their stories, they force us to see by the end that there is no way to measure deviance in a society that is itself morally skewed. In an insane world, these stories remind us, the only sane people are crazy.
for each other and for the people that they see as the weak in society
As Christians, we try to think that since we are saved we are living a life like Christ but, we are missing the key points of living. In the book, “The Spirit of the Disciplines” author, Dallas Willard emphasizes the spiritual disciplines of our lives and to live like Jesus did. He mentions how the people of the world are missing the disciplines that are set for them in their lives. In Genesis 1:27, “So God created man in his own image.” We are the people of the Lord and must do works to please our God it is a way to show our gratitude for all he has done for us. We are placed on this earth to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. Based off religion, we are negatively defined as sinners and broken people while science
calling from God, and if we stay faithful, God will lead us to that calling. Everybody