A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
Anthony Burgess’ novel, A Clockwork Orange, is without a doubt a masterpiece of modern writing. Made doubly famous by Stanley Kubrick’s controversial film adaptation, the original text caused just as much of a stir when published as it became the first book of its kind.
This is Alex’s story: a tyrannical, Mozart-loving youth, who roams the streets at night with his ‘droogs’ committing ultra-violence. However, raping and pillaging soon take Alex to prison, where he undergoes a brainwashing experiment to reform him into becoming a good citizen.
The novel is, on a basic level, a discussion of good and evil and the freedom of choice. Burgess looks at the imposing levels of state control in an age that is extremely relevant to today’s society: the age of technology. It is a society restricted by heavy laws, indoctrinated by the media and living in fear of a seemingly uncontrollable sub-culture of rebellious, violent youths. Sound familiar?
However, when the state starts to try and reduce the numbers in its crowded prisons by brainwashing criminals into feeling physically ill at the sight and thought of violence, individual liberty is jeopardised. Burgess looks at the frighteningly real possibility that as the state becomes more desperate to control its citizens and ‘protect’ them from violence, freedom of choice will become a thing of the past. Alex becomes mechanical, a ‘clockwork’ being under someone else’s control, so could we all become the same?
Burgess’ protagonist tells his story in a language (Nadsat) created for him and his fellow teenagers. It is related to Russian, as the book was written in the Cold War, and with it Burgess creates a completely unique style for the book. Nevertheless, the anglicised words are easily recognisable and you find yourself connecting with Alex and sympathising with him and his violent ways.
Alex’s journey throughout A Clockwork Orange is an interesting one, which portrays life from the side of the ‘bad’. What he does he does out of choice but when that choice is removed, Alex becomes as much a victim of society as the victims of his own violence. Burgess forces us to rethink what makes the good and what makes the evil, but whatever you might think, this novel is an absolute must-read.
This is Alex’s story: a tyrannical, Mozart-loving youth, who roams the streets at night with his ‘droogs’ committing ultra-violence. However, raping and pillaging soon take Alex to prison, where he undergoes a brainwashing experiment to reform him into becoming a good citizen.
The novel is, on a basic level, a discussion of good and evil and the freedom of choice. Burgess looks at the imposing levels of state control in an age that is extremely relevant to today’s society: the age of technology. It is a society restricted by heavy laws, indoctrinated by the media and living in fear of a seemingly uncontrollable sub-culture of rebellious, violent youths. Sound familiar?
However, when the state starts to try and reduce the numbers in its crowded prisons by brainwashing criminals into feeling physically ill at the sight and thought of violence, individual liberty is jeopardised. Burgess looks at the frighteningly real possibility that as the state becomes more desperate to control its citizens and ‘protect’ them from violence, freedom of choice will become a thing of the past. Alex becomes mechanical, a ‘clockwork’ being under someone else’s control, so could we all become the same?
Burgess’ protagonist tells his story in a language (Nadsat) created for him and his fellow teenagers. It is related to Russian, as the book was written in the Cold War, and with it Burgess creates a completely unique style for the book. Nevertheless, the anglicised words are easily recognisable and you find yourself connecting with Alex and sympathising with him and his violent ways.
Alex’s journey throughout A Clockwork Orange is an interesting one, which portrays life from the side of the ‘bad’. What he does he does out of choice but when that choice is removed, Alex becomes as much a victim of society as the victims of his own violence. Burgess forces us to rethink what makes the good and what makes the evil, but whatever you might think, this novel is an absolute must-read.
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