Symbolism In A Clockwork Orange

Anthony Burgess has been heralded as one of the greatest literary geniuses of the twentieth century. Although Burgess has over thirty works of published literature, his most famous is A Clockwork Orange. Burgess’s novel is a futuristic look at a Totalitarian government. The main character, Alex, is an "ultra-violent" thief who has no problem using force against innocent citizens to get what he wants. The beginning of the story takes us through a night in the life of Alex and his Droogs, and details their adventures that occupy their time throughout the night. At fifteen years old, Alex is set up by his Droogs—Pete,

A Clockwork Orange Journal 1: pages 3- 56 I found the first section of the novel, A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess to be confusing, but at the same time interesting. Burgess’ ideas were organized and thorough in each chapter. The use of foreshadowing was used at the end of the first chapter implying violent acts throughout the rest of the section. The constant use of slang called, “Nadsat” threw off my focus while reading due to the distraction of flipping back and forth from the glossary back to the novel.

Alex DeLarge is a vicious fifteen-year-old droog whose thirst for ultra-violence is his main catalyst in A Clockwork Orange. His savage characterization is clearly illustrated through his thoughts and actions in Anthony Burgress’ original novel, as well as Stanley Krubrik’s film rendition. However, while both interpretations follow corresponding objectives, they differ dramatically in the way they are perceived by the audience. The most prominent distinction between the two pieces of work is the way Alex is perceived by the audience throughout the story.

Meaning of Symbols Symbols can represent meaning or what the poem is about. Symbols can be small ideas or objects but contain a big meaning depending on what you want to represent with a symbol. In the poem titled “Oranges” by Gary Soto the poet uses the chocolate candy bar as a symbol to represent unhappiness. In another poem titled “Same Song” by Pat Mora the poet uses the mirror as a symbol to represent sadness. The meaning of these symbols is similar because both symbols represent something that they can not have.

The use of the phrase “viddy him swim in his own blood while we counted the takings”, shows how criminals such as Alex and his “droogs”, can get away with such vicious acts of crime so often that it has become a hobby for them as they take so much enjoyment from the acts. Also the casual tone depicted from the text suggests the careless nature that Alex has towards the vulgar acts. These combined together add to the theme of corruption in society in ‘A Clockwork Orange’.

Authors tend to have a reason for everything they do in their writings, especially when it comes to their choice of vocabulary. Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange has dialog that is very hard to follow. Instead of using everyday vocabulary, it uses words that are assumed to be slang. Burgess’ diction throughout the novel displays a sense of disconnection between Alex and his friends and the real world, exemplifies how disrespectful him and his friends are to other people, and it creates a mischievous tone along with a cynical mood.

nature, and is often blunt to the point of offense, but this makes it more

In the poem, “Oranges,” Gary Soto uses the symbolism of the oranges to emphasize the theme of love that he has for this girl as well as the theme of sacrifice. It was his first time on a date and he was already prepared as he was “weighted down with two oranges in [his] jacket,” and later when the girl wanted a chocolate bar, he didn’t have enough money, so he sacrificed one of his oranges and a nickel “and set them quietly on the counter.” Based on the fact the he had two oranges in his pocket, the reader can assume that he had planned to give her one so that they could enjoy them together. Considering the importance that the oranges held in his mind though, he loved her enough to sacrifice his plans in order to fulfill her desires and show

Burgess' A Clockwork Orange, a critically acclaimed masterstroke on the horrors of conditioning, is unfairly attacked for apparently gratuitous violence while it merely uses brutality, as well as linguistics and a contentious dénouement, as a vehicle for deeper themes.

Anthony Burgess's writing style in his most famous novel, A Clockwork Orange, is different to say the least. This novel is praised for its ingenuity, although many are disturbed by Burgess's predictions for the future. However, for many, it is close to impossible to comprehend without outside help. This is because Burgess created a language specifically for this novel, called Nadsat. This Russian-based language forms conversations between the narrator, Alex, and his teenage, delinquent friends. There are many assumptions as to why Burgess chose to complicate A Clockwork Orange by filling it with the confusing Nadsat language. Some opinions are that the language shows A Clockwork Orange readers

Imagine every night being the blackest of nights, where even the police do not stop the criminals lurking in the corners. This is the world in Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange, where a dystopian society in which juvenile delinquents roam free to terrorize the night is chronicled. Your Humble Narrator, Alex DeLarge, is a member of this appalling culture of teenagers. Over the course of the novel, he performs unspeakable acts of ultraviolence with his droogs, which land him behind bars in Staja, the state jail, for a prescribed fourteen years. After failing to reform, Alex receives an experimental corrective cure called Ludovico’s Technique, which induces a vicious physical reaction to acts of violence. When finally healed of his violent

A Clockwork Orange is futuristic look at England. Where teenagers rule the streets and neglect the somewhat standing laws of society. The novel's main character, fifteen-year-old Alex, and his three droogs (friends) Pete, Georgie and Dim, take place in all-night acts of random violence and

A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess, is one of the most experimental, original, and controversial novels of the twentieth century. It is both a compelling work of literature and an in-depth study in linguistics. The novel is a satirical, frightening science fiction piece, not unlike others of this century such as George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four or Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. However, the conflicts and resolutions in A Clockwork Orange are more philosophical than social, and its message is far more urgent.

     Anthony Burgess’ novel, A Clockwork Orange has been called shocking, controversial, and horrifying. A Clockwork Orange is controversial, but to focus merely on the physical aspects of the work is time wasted. Burgess is concerned with the issue of ethics. He believes that goodness comes directly from choice; it is better to choose the bad than to be forced into doing the good. For taking away a person’s free will is simply turning them into a piece of “clockwork”; a piece of machine containing all the sweet juices of life, but incapable of being human.

It is interesting how one's free will can be so easily altered by the people around them, but also how necessary it is to have your own commitments that shape your own standards. Anthony Burgess, the author of A Clockwork Orange, revisits the theme of free will and commitments to life commonly in his novel. Fifteen-year-old Alex takes advantage of his free will until suddenly, acts of betrayal from people around him whom he used to trust, steer his life in a very different direction. If Alex was given the opportunity to choose his life path, unaffected by others, he would have never accepted what he was led to. Acts of betrayal upon Alex contribute to the overall theme of the inviolability of free will and the necessity of commitment in life.