Anthony Burgess's novella "A Clockwork Orange", written in 1962, explores the destruction of the lives of the protagonist's private worlds and presents a potential nightmarish society. The reader sees the mindless violence preformed by Alex and the Droogs
English Literature Coursework
Jessica-Sue Shawcross
Mrs Hill
The real nightmare of dystopian literature lies in its destruction of individual' private worlds. In what ways does the passage selected for study present this horror?
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Anthony Burgess's novella "A Clockwork Orange", written in 1962, explores the destruction of the lives of the protagonist's private worlds and presents a potential nightmarish society. The reader sees the mindless violence preformed by Alex and the Droogs during the scene in which they destroy the writer, F Alexander, and ravage his wife. The lives of the gang seem to create a contradiction as they are trying to create an alternative society with those who he decides are acceptable, it appears to the reader as a dystopian one. A question seems to arise as to whether the protagonists have free will, or whether their actions are pre determined by fate. Alex believes that every one is born evil and therefore capable of wicked things. The evilness in the world is inevitable; he does not view this of his own actions. Burgess’ novella poses the question; is a man who chooses the destruction of others perhaps in some way better than a man who has the traditional ways imposed upon him? This is a dilemma that is never solved in Alex's private world.
Burgess created a character that has to go to the furthest extent to feel free; it seems that he was made evil by the government, perhaps presenting an artist, as he approaches the ultra violence as though it was a piece of art to be admired, the “malenky crèches” from the wife with the beating of “Dim’s fisty work” seem like music to Alex, Emphasised by the “dancing around” Dim did at the same time. This scene can be eluded with the real life experience of the author’s wife’s brutal attack, where she was beaten and raped in the early 1940'. Burgess states -"it was certainly no pleasure to write”. Burgess uses the experience of his wife to the destruction of the protagonist, "While I ripped away at this and that." shows the violence. Even if it was in simple words, make the act itself seem like a simple one to Alex. The act of rape itself is a primitive, atavistic act, a nightmarish vision celebrated by Alex and the Droogs and it is more like an animal act as they were “roaring like some animal” before it began While the book itself is a prophetic tale where bands of adolescent hooligans roam, and rule over the towns at night. Although this is ironic due to the violent nature of the protagonists and it shows Alex as an atavistic There seems to neither be aspects of the bystander effect especially in this scene, as the violence is known but the government does not get in the way to prevent from happening. Alex has a robotic quality, like the title he is also "clockwork," linking to the "malenky toys." toys usually being for children, showing Alex’s young age of 15 when he describes the crime in this passage. We can say Alex exercises his free will here. He choose to some extent evil, and is then robbed of his free will when sent to prison and used as an experiment, thus making him nothing more then a shell of who he was.
