A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley are both novels that deal with the theme of dystopia. Both novels depict societies in which mind control is used to create social stability. There are also individuals who rebel against this loss of freedom and identity. However, these individuals lose their fight for freedom because of unsuccessful escape methods, acts of violence and effective conditioning. Character in both novels use unsuccessful escape methods to cope with their loss of identity. Alex, the protagonist in A Clockwork Orange, turns to classical music such as Beethoven when his gang members question his hierarchy within the group. Alex describes his bedroom where he goes after an argument with his gang members : "the little speakers of my stereo were all arranged round the room, on ceiling, walls, floor, so, lying on my bed slooshying the music, I was like netted and meshed in the orchestra." (Burgess. 37). We see Alex return to his bedroom many times after confrontations where his identity is disputed. Eventually, Alex is conditioned to feel sick whenever he hears classical music so Alex loses this escape method as he can no longer listen to classical music. Also, Alex relies heavily on the use of drugs when he is unable to deal with his loss of identity, " officially sanctioned "milk bars" that serve a variety of drug tonics to send one off on incoherent fantasies" (Gottlieb). These "milk bars" are locations where young
When readers read Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, they are taken the World State, a dystopian society where the citizens are attracted to material goods, immediate happiness, and drugs that distract themselves from reality. Do Readers begin to wonder if the society we live in today become a dystopian society? While comparing societies, we begin to realize that our society is almost identical to the World State. Our societies are very similar, but we will never become a dystopian society like the World State, for we are not controlled by material goods, immediate happiness and drugs, we are controlled by our emotions.
A Clockwork Orange, a novel written by Anthony Burgess in the 1960’s takes place in dystopian future in London, England. The novel is about a fifteen year old nadsat (teenager) named Alex who along with his droogs (friends) commit violent acts of crime and opts to be bad over good. In time, Alex finds himself to be in an experiment by the government, making him unable to choose between good and evil, thus losing his ability of free will, and being a mere clockwork orange. A “clockwork orange” is a metaphor for Alex being controlled by the government, which makes him artificial because he is unable to make the decision of good verses evil for himself and is a subject to what others believe is right. In A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess
“And that," put in the Director sententiously, "that is the secret of happiness and virtue — liking what you 've got to do. All conditioning aims at that: making people like their unescapable social destiny.”
Aldous Huxley’s book, Brave New World, is a futuristic dystopian novel based upon science and technology. The society created in the work produces humans with specific qualities to make sure that everyone fits into the system. The overall happiness of the people is favored above the rights of the individual. “Universal happiness keeps the wheels steadily turning; truth and beauty can’t. And of course whenever the masses seized political power, then it was happiness rather than truth and beauty that mattered” (Huxley, 228). The women’s rights movement seeks the advancement of socialism and the expense of individual rights, just as the “Brave New World” described in Huxley 's book sacrifices the rights of man for the contentment of society.
In Brave New World, Aldus Huxley develops a society that manufactures happiness among its citizens through the elimination of individual ideas and desires. Mustapha Mond contends that adults should sacrifice their individual knowledge, beliefs, and desires in exchange for a superficial sense of happiness. Mond is a villainous leader who denies his citizens a chance to develop as fully rounded people, who not only contribute to society’s stability and well-being, but also spend sufficient time growing as an individual.
Anthony Burgess’ 1963 novel A Clockwork Orange, orbits around a extremely dynamic character that goes by simply, Alex. Alex does have three other droogs that he drags along with him, “Pete, Georgie, and Dim, Dim being really dim” (Burgess 3). Burgess brilliant mind drags the reader in by starting the novel at The Korova Milkbar, which is a mesto, place, where Alex and his droogs drink some milk with a little surprise of liquor in their beverages.
This theme is present in Catch-22, A Clockwork Orange and A Man For All Seasons. According to Ryan (2014), a dystopia is a society that has been corrupted by basic human flaws and is a location where people live dehumanized and fearful lives. One of the most prominent characteristics of a dystopian society is the presence of a totalitarian dictatorship (Akman, 2013). According to Friedrich and Brzezinski (1965), a totalitarian dictatorship exists when a government exercises absolute control over individuals and enforces a lifestyle onto people that lulls them into obedience. Both the plots of Catch-22 and A Man For All Seasons revolve around the biddings of a totalitarian state.
The use of music as a motif in (Stanley Kubrick, A Clockwork Orange 1962)] creates a lens so that the viewer is able to recognize the trend that violence has to destroy an individuals identity. Although Alex (Malcolm McDowell) clearly associates violence with his own individual identity and sense of self, he consistently reveals the impossibility of remaining an individual in the face of group-oriented violence. The images that music create coincide the destruction of Alexs identity, either through compliance to a groups style of violence or through failure to embrace the similarity of group actions associated with violence. As the movie progresses, musical imagery follows the exit and return of his personal identity as a role of his
Linking the fundamental conflict between individual identity and societal identity with musical imagery in the story “A Clockwork Orange” by Anthony Burgess, creates a lens through which one can recognize the tendency that violence can destroy an individual’s identity. The main protagonist and narrator of the story is Alex and although he associates violence with his own individual identity and sense of self, he consistently reveals the impossibility of remaining an individual in the face of group-oriented violence. Images drawn from the realm of music parallel the destruction of Alex’s identity, either through conformity to a group’s style of violence or through failure to embrace the homogeneity of group actions associate with violence. As Alex’s narrative progresses, the musical imagery follows the decline and re-emergence of his personal identity as a function of his involvement in violence. Musical references underscore the power of violence to negate individual identity in favor of group identity, thereby illuminating the destructive effect that violence as on the human personality.
In A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, Alex, the protagonist is a fifteen-year-old boy who commits ultra-violent acts out of pure pleasure. The allegory present throughout the novel shows that Alex is ruthless and does not feel pain when experiencing the deaths of others. Throughout the journey of a small portion of Alex’s life, vivid representations of settings are used to portray the dark deeds done by Alex and his friends. Burgess also uses distinct dialect to individualize Alex and his friends from the rest of the community to represent their violent actions with their dialect. He uses a configuration of symbolism to represent the violent nature of Alex’s surroundings which cause him to commit these violent actions throughout the story. Through the use of these elements, Burgess proves how violence becomes a crucial element of surviving amongst society.
In A Clockwork Orange this was a very complex piece of literature narrated by a boy named Alex. In the span of his adolescent life we learn of a very tragic time in Alex's life. Compared to the movie the book even though foul and vuglar, made me less uncomfortable than the movie. One difference this is a huge difference in A Clockwork Orange when Alex is in prison for about two years now he finds out that Georgie was killed because of a heist that turned south. Now, in the film Alex after being reformed and released into the world. He ends up getting beaten up by a group of homeless old men lead by the first guy Alex and his had beaten up. The police are called and Alex seems to recognize them, its Dim and Georgie his ex friends. Now that's a huge difference a character killed off now has a second chance at life. Another difference is what occurs after. Now after an unpleasant reunion between friends or should I say ex friends. Alex is beaten up and soaking wet he seeks help and ends up getting help from an unlikely ally. The man who helps Alex is unfortunately another victim of what Alex and his friends did for fun. They had beat up the husband who is a writer; they raped the wife while he was focused to watch and now confined to a wheelchair. Now fast forward, while Alex is taking a bath to warm up he's singing the sake song that one of the intruders we're singing while this terrible tragedy took place. Now in this example these, are subtle but,
The society of A Clockwork Orange is constructed upon struggles for power. Crime is a part of the everyday. Violent street gangs seek power through anarchism, direct authority is represented by a network of corrupt police, and on the highest social level a struggle for political and administrative power is fought. Alex reflects: "Power, power, everybody like wants power." As a microcosm of the social mentality, he seems to fit the notion of being a product of his environment.
The Clockwork Orange unfolds in the streets of a dark, mysterious, futuristic city. Alex, the 15 year old leader of a violent gang that goes on a rampage involving: mugging, a convenience store robbery, a rival gang fight, grand theft auto, gang rapes, vandalism, and arson. Alex who entice himself with all these violent acts eventually gets jailed for his crimes. Alex will undergo in a "reform" treatment called Ludovico's Technique. A behavioral-brainwashing procedure involving certain types of elements to his learning, the treatment would last roughly two weeks, after which the criminal is to be completely unable to even think of committing crime either so complete one. Alex will change his way of
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess takes up many themes throughout the novel. It is known for its candor with violence and its expressive nature regarding it. The novel is narrated by Alex, a fifteen-year-old boy, who tells the story of his ultra-violent acts and journey through reformation by the state. Alex belongs to a violent subculture created by teenagers and lurks the night with his droogs (gang members) in effort to rape, steal, assault, and abuse drugs. In the novel, Burgess argues that the existence of good and evil cannot be modified through force and deprivation of free will, using imagery, metaphors, and satirical devices of communism, youth, and other elements to support his claim.
Alex, the protagonist and narrator of the story is fifteen years old and enjoys violence, rape, drugs and classical music such as Beethoven ninth. His friends also known as droogs in the language of Nadsat which is how the book is written, a mix or English and Russian, were Georgie, Pete, and Dim. They were apart of Alex’s gang. Alex could be easily manipulated and is immature. The story is about how during the night time, teens in the world run the streets in a failing society. Alex gets arrested and starts to realize the mistakes he has done in the past. He does a treatment called Ludovicos treatment which made him sick and had to do many types of tests to see how he would react. He becomes harmless but after being realized he forms a new gang as he got beaten up by his old friends who were now cops. He realizes again that he does not want to live that life and then had thoughts about getting married and his future kid. A Clockwork Orange was written in 1962 by Anthony Burgess. Anthony Burgess liked music, specifically classic which was also an interest of Alex’s. His mom and sister died when he was a baby. He served for the military during World War 2. (Aggeler par.6) Burgess was influenced by Russian gangs in 1961. (Pearson par.8) Burgess thought it was important to have a free will, make their own decision and moral choice. As in the story, Alex chose his path from evil at the beginning to good at the end. (Olsen par.11) Burgess expressed that the type of