American philosopher Corliss Lamont once said, “I believe firmly that in making ethical decisions, man has the prerogative of true freedom of choice” (BrainyQuote). In A Clockwork Orange and Atonement, the protagonists of each novel make ethical decisions that fundamentally change the plot of novel and the characters themselves. Anthony Burgess’ book A Clockwork Orange features a fifteen-year old delinquent by the name of Alex who continuously looks for trouble, but when he tries to assert dominance over his gang, he is betrayed. After getting caught by the police, he spends sometime in jail before getting brainwashed and becoming incapable of doing anything evil. Meanwhile, Atonement written by Ian McEwan stars a thirteen-year old girl named Briony Tallis who falsely accuses Robbie Turner of being Lola Quincey’s attacker. After Robbie spends time in jail and eventually dies in WWII, Briony is never able to live down the guilt she feels for accusing him. A Clockwork Orange and Atonement are similar books in that both of the stories’ protagonists illustrate the themes of maturity and establishing moral principles.
Both novels illustrate the theme of maturity by starting out the story through the eyes of a young child and then having that same child reflect on his/her growth through the progression of the story. Before spending time in jail and undergoing treatment using the Ludovico Technique, all Alex was concerned of was getting into trouble with his gang throughout the
What is interesting is how later in the novel, Alex happens upon Alexander's home again, forgetting exactly why it seems so familiar. Alexander gets his revenge on the poor Alex, who opens up to the horrors he suffered in prison, unknowingly telling Alexander ways to harm him. Alexander represents Burgess' desire for vengeance; Burgess is able to take out his anger on Alex, a murdering rapist.
For me, I think “O” movie was a god modern-day translation of “Othello” by William Shakespeare. The themes and ideas of Shakespeare Williams were translated to the movie and that he will agree with the modernization. I’ m going to compare and contrast the characters, plot and setting from the book and movie to prove my point.
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
The stories of Othello by William Shakespeare and American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis could not be any more different. But at the same time their characters are so much alike in some aspects. Fueled by things like anger and hatred leads Othello and Patrick Bateman to commit horrible acts. These two characters show the darkness that can reside in a lot of human beings. These two very different men somehow end up going down the sort of same path.
Stanley Kubrick's 1971 film production of the Anthony Burgess novel, A Clockwork Orange, is a truly unforgettable film. It is narrated by one of the most vicious characters ever put on screen, Alex DeLarge. The promotional poster for the film advertised it as "The adventures of a young man whose principle interests are rape, ultra-violence, and Beethoven" (Dirks 1). Needless to say, music plays a very important role in A Clockwork Orange. The expressive use of music in this film gives the viewer a look into the psyche of the vicious Alex, a psyche that equates violence with art. By doing so, the film shows us the complexity and duality of the human mind through a character who loves both
Both texts delve deep into the workings of the human condition. While one boy fights to break apart from the uniformity of society, the other craves to be one with the normality of it. Yet, strangely, both
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.
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 both Nineteen Eighty-four and A Clockwork Orange, free will and the misuse of power are two intrinsically linked themes which are woven throughout and that govern everything that happens within both novels. The different reactions of different characters are an area that both George Orwell and Anthony Burgess focus on with interesting parallels between the two main protagonists, Alex and Winston.
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
However, youth like Alex cannot be caught in the expected rubric of life and hence, they retaliate. Nevertheless, one cannot justify Alex’s actions worth applauding but Burgess seems to favour their actions as the only possible outlet for suppressed angst. In the first act, fourth chapter, Alex says,
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 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
With the help of Alex’s perspective, the film also criticises the choices society makes. Going back to Nietzsche’s views on morality, it is worth noting that he condemns the Judeo-Christian morality as too strict and unhealthy. However, using that philosophy A Clockwork Orange again shows the opposite as the society and law system’s ethics are very much radical and they believe that the only way they could eradicate the crime and chaos in society is to take people’s right of choice. In their criminology analysis of A Clockwork Orange Lichtenberg, Lune and McManimon (2004) sum up the main issue concerned in the film with the statemen confirmed by the prison chaplain that: If there is no choice, there is no morality. Therefore, Kubrick’s film focuses on some important questions and problems that are shown as issues of a dystopian society but are also truly problems present in contemporary society as well such as: could the spectator blame the establishment for being cruel and immoral if they are trying their hardest to eradicate relentless crime or is taking someone’s free will and right to choose an inhuman thing to do overall? The title of the film ties in with Alex’s journey and character development as he is transformed and programmed as a machine not able to
In his environment Alex does not represent a stereotype of Modern Youth. Unlike his droogs he has significant intellectual and artistic potential. He is smart and calculating and indulges himself with vivid poetic visions through classical music, the height of which is represented by Ludwig van Beethoven. He is an artistic self confined in an environment that severs him from self-expression and self-definition. His artforms and mediums of expression become vandalism, rape, and ultra-violence. In his unrestricted state Alex is truly a-lex, outside the law.