A clockwork orange is a dystopian novel written by Anthony Burgess in 1962. There are 4 main heroes or anti-heroes in the book: Alex, Dim, Pete, and Georgie. Despite their young age, these teenagers are prone to violence and lead aggressive lives. But, like everything, it comes to an end. We watch what is happening through Alex’s eyes.
Alex loves classical music, especially Beethoven, and enjoys committing crimes such as rape, robbery, and murder. However, his violent lifestyle comes to an end when he is betrayed by his friends and arrested by the police. After two years in prison, he commits a crime again, which shows that he has become more ruthless than ever.
At that time, it was said that a new technique could be used in the country’s prisons, and in this way, prisoners were treated as if they would not commit a crime after a short time. Thus, Alex was voluntarily selected as the first practical participant in this theoretical hypothesis under the supervision of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and doctors. But there is someone who is not happy about it. The churchman who doesn’t like it. Churchman saw the treatment as a form of mind control that went against the principles of moral agency and autonomy. He argued that individuals have a right to make their own choices, even if those choices are harmful or immoral, and that it is not ethical to impose values and behaviors on someone against their will.
In prison, he volunteers for an experimental treatment called Ludovico’s Technique, which is supposed to cure him of his criminal tendencies. The treatment involves injecting him with a drug that makes him sick and then forcing him to watch films of extreme violence.
Alex has been given special care from the day he was brought to the new prison. A variety of food, comfortable bed, clothes, etc., is provided with the necessary products. Doctors say that he is being treated and will be released in a little more than two weeks. The process is simple. Every morning, a nurse injects Ludovico’s substance into his arm. Then they put him in a wheelchair and brought him to a movie theater. There, he is fixed to a table, and his eyelids are held open with silicone grips. After that, some movies are shown on a screen that completely covers the entire wall. Extreme violence movies.
Alex is numb and unable to get up from the chair he was tied to and is forced to watch these movies. Previously, he liked these scenes. He enjoyed the shows. Later, although he tries not to react, the same day, these short films start to disgust and bring hate to him. As a result, Alex becomes unable to enjoy or even tolerate any form of violence, even in self-defense. He is released from prison as a reformed citizen, but he soon faces the consequences of his past actions. He is attacked by his former victims and friends, rejected by his parents, and exploited by the government and the media. He also loses his ability to enjoy music, which is his only source of joy. He becomes depressed and suicidal until he meets an old friend who offers him a chance to start a new life.
The novel explores various themes, such as free will, human nature, morality, and the role of the state in society. The title of the novel refers to the idea that Alex is turned into a clockwork orange, a mechanical device that looks natural but has no free will or choice. Furthermore, Churchman believed that the treatment did not address the underlying causes of Alex’s violent behavior and only suppressed his ability to act on his impulses. He saw the experiment as a flawed attempt to control human behavior rather than addressing the deeper social and psychological issues that lead to violence and aggression.
the role of music in human life, and how it can be a form of expression and emotion for individuals, but it can also be manipulated and distorted by external forces. The novel shows how music is an important part of Alex’s personality and identity, as he loves classical music, especially Beethoven’s works. Music is a way for him to express his feelings and emotions, such as joy, anger, sadness, or love. Music is also a way for him to connect with something higher and more beautiful than his violent world. However, music can also be manipulated and distorted by external forces, such as Ludovico’s Technique, which makes Alex associate music with violence and sickness. Music becomes a source of pain and torture for Alex, who loses his ability to enjoy it. Music can also be used as a symbol of freedom and humanity by the state, such as Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, which features the famous Ode to Joy chorus. The state uses this music to celebrate its achievements and to mask its oppression. Some interesting observations from the book:
According to the author, adequate violence can be a source of pleasure, like in sex, music, and power for some people, but it can also have negative consequences for themselves and others.
The point of view can change everything. The novel shows how different characters have different views on what is right or wrong and how they justify or condemn violence.
The novel shows how the state manipulates Alex for its own purposes, first by making him a guinea pig for an experimental treatment that is supposed to cure him of his criminal tendencies, then by using him as a propaganda tool to showcase the success of their policy; then by using him as a scapegoat to deflect the public criticism of their policy; then by using him as a bargaining chip to make a deal with their political opponents; then by using him as a puppet to stage a fake recovery and a fake reconciliation. The state does not care about Alex’s feelings or opinions and only sees him as a means to an end. The state also uses other criminals as tools for its own benefit or agenda, such as Dim and Billyboy, who become police officers after being released from prison
The novel also uses a slang language called Nadsat, which is a mixture of English, Russian, and other languages. The language creates a distance between the reader and Alex’s violent actions but also invites the reader to empathize with him and understand his point of view. The novel raises moral questions about whether it is better to be good by choice or by force and whether human beings are inherently good or evil.
The novel was also adapted into a film by Stanley Kubrick in 1971. The film is faithful to most aspects of the novel, except for the ending.
If you are interested in reading dystopian books, A Clockwork Orange, could be good choice. ⚠️ The book includes some disgusting, bloody scenes and uses gore language scenes. Please, keep in mind before the reading.
I hope you enjoyed this blog post and learned something new about this novel and its themes. If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to leave them below. I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions on this novel and its messages. Thank you for reading and have a great day!
Some quotes from the book:
- “If he can only perform good or only perform evil, then he is a clockwork orange—meaning that he has the appearance of an organism lovely with colour and juice but is in fact only a clockwork toy to be wound up by God or the Devil.”
- “We can destroy what we have written, but we cannot unwrite it.”
- “It’s funny how the colors of the real world only seem really real when you watch them on a screen.”
- “Tomorrow is all like sweet flowers and the turning young earth and the stars and the old Luna up there and your old droog Alex all on his oddy knocky seeking like a mate. And all that cal. A terrible grahzny vonny world, really, O my brothers. And so farewell from your little droog. And to all others in this story profound shooms of lipmusic brrrrrr. And they can kiss my sharries. But you, O my brothers, remember sometimes thy little Alex that was. Amen. And all that call.”
Thanks for reading! I wish you a great day ahead!😊