Discuss Burgess’s language in the opening chapter: how does he depict the world of Alex and his friends as being in conflict with the “outside”? (10 marks)

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A Clockwork Orange: Chapter One

An Analysis

Discuss Burgess’s language in the opening chapter: how does he depict the world of Alex and his friends as being in conflict with the “outside”? (10 marks)

One gets an initial impression of Alex and his friends from the first page: Alex says, “There was me… and my three droogs”. Immediately this suggests that he and his friends are close, like a gang, and this leads on to the idea of conflict.

The closeness of Alex and his friends is elaborated upon throughout the chapter. He frequently uses the phrase “The four of us” and, when speaking to Pete, Georgie and Dim, he says, “Oh my brothers”. Their close camaraderie is summed up on page six, where Alex describes it as being “usually one for all and all for one”.

Then he begins to describe three “devotchkas”, whom one presumes to be members of a rival gang (the reader is told that Alex and his friends are “malchicks”). There is no brevity in Alex’s description, and he goes into detail when describing the clothes and make-up. It is likely here that Alex has a certain respect for these gang members, indicated by his lengthy description of their bright uniforms, and by the fact that he speculates on the large cost of these uniforms. But there is also a clear element of mockery. This is especially apparent in the sentence “These were supposed to be…”, with an emphasis on the word “suppose”. He is putting the credulity of the gang into doubt, debunking their claims. This is quite childish in some respects, and reminds the reader of his tender age.

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Alex and his “droogs” also wear uniforms, and Burgess describes them in a way that makes them unique to those four – by telling the reader what design each of the four had for their “jelly mould”, he is putting them apart from the rest of the world, giving them a uniqueness and style that no one else possesses.

The uniforms are also a barrier between them and the rest of the world. This is also true of the “maskies” that the four often wear. As well as the more practical use of hiding their face from recognition, ...

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