A Clockwork Orange is a novel about free will and duality in society. One of the first themes that the novel addresses is that every individual in a society should be allowed to choose their own moral path. Burgess believed that choice was a morality issue and that each individual’s choices lead to a moral decision. Alex’s decision led him to a life of violence and a habitat of raping and stealing. Alex states, “ ‘A man who cannot choose ceases to be a man.’ ” (part 3, ch. 4, pg. 175). Alex believes that it is in human nature to be violent and that is why he chooses to be a delinquent. He truly believes that he cannot change the way he is even with the torture, he still believed that his inner destructive self was still inside of him. By saying that a man cease to be a man, Burgess point out that even if the choices that people make are wrong, they are still choices that separate civilized species from uncivilized species. …show more content…
The title of the book supports this theme because humans are the orange, from nature and organic but in this society the humans are part of a clockwork that does whatever their government orders them to, a clockwork orange. The second theme addressed in the novel is that the world works on duality. For example, in the novel good v. evil or immaturity v. maturity. This concept is important because it gives a small insight on how the world works. Good v. evil is represented in the novel with the idea that people are forced to be good citizens or that they choose to be evil. One quote to support that is, “ ‘The question is whether such a technique can really make a man good. Goodness comes from within, 6655321, Goodness is something chosen.’ ”(part 2, ch.1, pg.
In todays society our mistakes define who we are. With so much pressure and stress to succeed in life we often forget the simplistic things, such as integrity and good ethics. Alex Sawyer seems to forget about actions and outcomes and ends up paying the biggest price for a job gone wrong, his freedom. In this journal I will be relating three songs of my choice to Alex’s choices in the book. Alex Sawyer is a one time bully, part time burglar and full time loser.
“You are free to make whatever choice you want, but you are not free from the consequences of the choice.”-Ezra Taft Benson. This quote by Benson relates to the novel Tangerine by Edward Bloor. The characters in the novel don’t make good life choices and in the end, they pay for the mistake. Paul Fisher’s parents make bad decisions with treating their two sons.
BSTRACT All humans have the idealization of freedom and of choice. The given reason any person has this is their own free will. Giving them the option to say “yes” or “no” to whatever they please. There are no limitations to that, only obstacles and temptations. In Literature throughout history there is proof that free will can be taken away.
You see twenty dollar's fall out of a person's pocket, are you going to keep it for yourself or give it back to the unknowing person? The decision is your to make...not quite. In Lauren Slater's book, Opening Skinner’s Box, Slater studies B.F Skinner's experiments on reactions. In Slater's own research she meets Jerome Kagan who believes free will exist and even jumps under his desk to prove it. However, I disagree with Kagan's claim that by diving under his desk he is proving he has free will because he overlooks the fact that he was trained by his society to do so, people react based off operant conditioning and finally, determinism.
Racism is a significant theme that is explored through the symbolism
Like all good dystopian stories, the world of A Clockwork Orange shocks us because it is not impossible to achieve. The perfect tyrannical societies portrayed in George Orwell’s 1984, or Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, or Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, or even Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games series are all realistic because they beam present-day society into a twisted mirror and show us how close we are to becoming a daunting, hellish civilization. Similarly, A Clockwork Orange reflects English society as Burgess perceived it in the 1960s- fresh off the boat, he was startled by the prevalence of an irreverent youth subculture of coffee bars, teenage gangs, and rising incidents of juvenile delinquency. This, coupled with the fact that pioneers of behaviorism such as B.F. Skinner were gradually growing in importance, caused him to investigate the
The mind it not simple, it is not black and white. Instead, the mind is a very complex space filled with various types of emotions and ideals. Throughout The Dharma Bums, Jack Kerouac focuses his attention on an eventful journey, more specifically, enlightenment. Ray Smith (Jack Kerouac) is a man who has been through thousands of life-altering experiences and has let his mind reach its potential of free will. Thankfully, Japhy Ryder (Gary Snyder) guides him into the religion of Buddhism.
[...] after the initial terror of being locked in a closet by his older brother [...]. " Being forced into isolation in a closet by his sibling instilled a sense of fear and trauma in Alex, which he then coped with by embracing isolation as a defence mechanism. It was this darkness in his isolation that he saw as a friend and led him to his
Fifteen year old Alex de Large is the narrator and main protagonist of “A clockwork orange”, who, along with his 'droogs ' (comrades), rampages through a dystopian Britain committing random acts of 'ultraviolence ', brutal rapes, robbery and ultimately murder. Alex 's other great source of intense enjoyment is listening to classical music, and above all the music of Beethoven or 'Ludwig van ' , which seems to heighten his pleasure and intensify his savage and psychopathic impulses. He is a classic anti-hero, and this includes him having a quality of innocence, even at his most depraved. Deceived by his 'droogs ' and arrested for murder, he is then conned by his fellow cons, who lay blame on him for the murder of a new prison inmate. After
The book takes place during a future date that is unspecified and has entered a dark age. Advancements in technology has been planned out carefully and individuality is completely eliminated. Themes that occur in the novel are individuality, martyrdom value, collective impotence, and component of identity of the original creation. Freedom is for everyone. In the Declaration of Independence everyone is given equal rights and this is showed in the novel because everyone does not have more or less.
Romeo and Juliet Essay Chaos in the streets of Verona erupt again. A day after a fight with the Capulet and Montague family, Tybalt kills Mercutio. Soon after, Romeo kills Tybalt for revenge. Is this controlled by fate, or by the character
In many cases, people may be forced by external circumstances to make decisions that they would not have made if such circumstances did not present themselves. The results of such decisions can either have a positive or negative impact on the lives of an individual. Such a case is well presented in the story A &P by John Updike where the major character, Sammy is portrayed to be indecisive. In this story, Sammy, the major character continually rebels against his coworkers, his boss, customers, and sometimes himself. His rebellion appears to have more disadvantages than advantages as it complicates his life in many cases.
When encountered early in the book, the implication of this religious imagery is not fully apparent. However, once viewed in the context of the later Christian allusions found in A Clockwork Orange, it becomes clear that this is the proclamation of Burgess’ intent in this novel. Burgess views humanity as an organic thing, full of great potential to please God, and he sees the implication of conditioning, specifically, or more generally anything that would sap the essential ability of humans to choose, as a detriment to God’s
One of the most critical ideas surrounding tragedies is fate and destiny. The idea that an individual’s life is predetermined is associated with many great works of Shakespeare, and transcending through stories, if human beings have free will. If all humans carry free will, does that mean that all humans are responsible for their crimes and inhumanities. Undoubtedly, both topics are explored through the play, but Macbeth corrupts himself with his own destructive actions. The Tragedy of Macbeth stems from the fearless, hero of Scotland who then turned into a ruthless king who will kill anyone he sees as a threat.
Alex has no real connection with anyone; no one has ever been there to guide and teach him that there is a better path than the one he is on. He is overlooked by everyone in his life and has never had a meaningful relationship with anyone. The environmental and nurture concepts would both agree that Alex is a product of the world around him, apathetic and selfish. The 1971 film, A Clockwork Orange is a classic piece of work in the world of psychology.