Themes And Symbolism In Ludwig Van Beethoven's A Clockwork Orange

A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess, develops a fictional account of a violent futuristic society, while integrating commentary on  current political and social issues.

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

Besides presenting utter terror and an extremely innovative approach to the use of language, A Clockwork Orange manages to be extremely philosophical. As Alex encounters different people throughout his process of becoming a better person through tests and manipulation, he encounters the issue of whether or not it is better to live a life of crime than to be forced into not doing so. The question presented by these various people, the main proponent of the belief being the jail chaplain, is that if a man can no longer make that decision, one which could possibly be the most colossal decision of Alex’s life, can he be considered a man? Alex eventually answers

In modern society there is much value placed on the concept of individual freedom. However, too much freedom can provide an individual with the power to interfere with the happiness of others, thus a balance between freedom and state regulated order is required. The concept of an individual struggling against an order focused society is a common topic in texts. In Aldous Huxley’s 1933 novel Brave New World, this concept is explored by John, an outsider in a dystopian world society that places high value on stability rather than individualism. In Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 film A Clockwork Orange, which is based Anthony Burgess’s 1962 novel of the same name, a similar dystopian society is explored by the aggressively individualistic Alex.

In his novel A clockwork orange, Anthony Burgess explores contradiction/duality as a ultimate reality. His understanding of this phrase reflects the world as a set of fundamental and coequal oppositions of forces, and this is evident throughout the novel (Sparknotes, 2015:1). In the following essay we will be exploring the concept of contradictions/duality as portrayed in the novella by referring to the following contradictions namely; good versus evil, commitment versus neutrality, free will versus the “Clockwork orange”, man versus government, youth versus maturity and intellect versus intuition.

Although attacks on A Clockwork Orange are often unwarranted, it is fatuous to defend the novel as nonviolent; in lurid content, its opening chapters are trumped only by wanton killfests like Natural Born Killers. Burgess' Ted Bundy, a teenage Lucifer named Alex, is a far cry from the typical, spray paint-wielding juvenile delinquent. With his band of "droogs," or friends, Alex goes on a rampage of sadistic rape and "ultraviolence." As the tale unfolds, the

Through processes of rehabilitation, hypnosis and propaganda the government creates a society conditioned for manipulation. In particular, both novels exist to manipulate information of their own people as an advantage to keep their citizens under their complete control. Prior to Alex’s attempt for suicide in A Clockwork Orange, the government composes an article addressing the prevailing success the Ludovico Technique has achieved. The government subsequently restores Alex back to his old self in order to protect itself from blame on his attempted suicide. Knowingly still a threat to the government, Alex is ultimately released back into a society once again as a consequence of the government's inaccuracy and guilt. In an attempt for innovation,

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

A Clockwork Orange demonstrates the philosophically issues of free will and determinism through how the main character was treated in the movie. It also addresses important issues such as ethics, philosophy of the mind, free will and determinism, and the problem of perception. Philosophers such as John Hospers, B.F. Skinner, and Jean-Paul Sartre have different views on the issue through their theories of how individuals are or are not responsible for the free will choices that they make in life. The main character in the movie was a very violent , and reckless person. He participated in sinful acts such as being a gang member, raping women, being involved in fights, etc. These actions resulted in him being sent to prison and eventually being brainwashed into doing things out of his character. The three philosophers have very different interpretations of how the main character should have been dealt with and the reasonings behind his actions.

In today’s society, there is an evil that hides in the minds of rulers, governments-even everyday people. This evil lies in the crimes committed by thousands of people each year, the corruption of governments, and the suffering of innocent people. The laws and regulations that we live by today are put in place in order to prevent crime from encompassing everything people hold dear-to stop the bad people. In the story of A Clockwork Orange the narrator, Alex, gives us a criminal’s view of the world. Throughout the course of three years, Alex takes part in numerous robberies, murders and rapes people of all ages. In his mind, the disturbing acts he commits fill him with satisfaction and pleasure. When reading this novel through his eyes, the

In the novel A Clockwork Orange, the author Anthony Burgess tells a story about a young man name Alex and his friends, every night they go around and start committing violent acts. In the novel Alex expresses his freedom of choice between good and evil. The freedom of choice is a decision that every person must make throughout his life in order to guide his actions and to take control of his own future. This Freedom of Choice, no matter what the outcome is, displays person power as an individual, and any efforts to control or influence this choice between good and evil will take way the person free will and enslave him. In this novel the author uses this symbolism through imagery. He shows that through the character of

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 individual’s 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 Alex’s identity, either through compliance to a group’s 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

This summer, I chose the novel A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess for my assigned reading. While the text addresses multiple important themes and lessons for society, the most important is the idea of free will or lack thereof throughout the plotline. Burgess’ use of a dystopian mix of the capitalistic and communistic systems of government to create the totalitarian regime in his novel as well as various developments and character paths, and finally, the use of his own invented slang in the form of Russian-influenced English are implemented to provoke thought in the reader not only about the mindless state of the characters, but show them how simple it is to become trapped in a mindless state as people

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.

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.