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Compare And Contrast A Clockwork Orange And Atonement

Decent Essays

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

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