Welcome to the Korova Milkbar
Anthony Burgess knew not what he was doing when he created the futuristic and dark novel, A Clockwork Orange in 1963. The world was hardly ready for his seemingly dark, nihilistic vision of the fate of man, and it is debatable whether we can see past it even in this new century. Burgess admitted that "It seems priggish or pollyannaish to deny that my intention in writing the work was to titillate the nastier propensities of my readers." (CO, p.xiv)
This work has been controversial from the beginning, and the film version was picketed and accused of being pornographic. His title comes from London slang and was used to indicate something that was at the extreme of weirdness, odd or inverted to an outlandish degree, and the reader can certainly understand this once she has met Alex and his vecks.
While the reader must slog through a horribly bleak vista of cold impersonal urban landscape and wretched inhumanity unleashed by both the boys and society, she can also reach for the beauty and possibility which are dangled mischievously next to the vicious shenanigans of the devilish droogs and the mindless oppression of the "man." As a contemporary critic indicated "Anthony Burgess has written what looks like a nasty little shocker, but is really that rare thing in English letters: a philosophical novel.
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Chapter 2: Chapter one ends with "Still, the night was still very young." This forshadows that there will be more violence in the scenes to come. Alex and his "groogs" seem to take pleasure in stealing, raping, pillaging, and violence in general. This is twisted and so gruesome. Anothony Burgess seems to be trying to show the reader that communism and totalitarion rule does not work. Also, when Alex's groog destroys the older couples cottage, the man of the house is writing a novel called "A Clockwork Orange." The fact that this is also the name of the novel is interesting and confusing. It also struck me as terribly sick when Alex pretended like he was just trying to take care of his sick friend and needed a glass of water, then proceeded to destroy the cute little cottage. This book is graphic, depressing, and ridiculously dramatic so far.
ReplyDeleteWhile I don't particularly like what I'm reading, I'm starting to get a real appreciation for the quality of the writing in the technical sense. Though readers get hardly any description of the main character, by the second chapter, I already have a pretty good image of him and I feel as though a lot of character development has happened sort of subconciously, or at least, indirectly. The mood and tone have been executed perfectly by the action and setting, as well as the bits of dialogue. It is certainly difficult to read, with all of the strange words, but I think the language really shows a dedication to authenticity and elevates the reality of the entire story. There is a real sense of who these characters are, thugs in the classical sense, guys who are out there just not caring about anybody else, causing havoc and entertaining themselves. They are twisted, incredibly violent, disrespectful, particularly to women and elders and have a gang setup that makes them appear invincible.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Whitney about the "A Clockwork Orange," book part. It was very unexpected and I'm not sure what it contributed; perhaps it was a type of parody from Burgess on himself or maybe just a reminder to readers of the title and what they knew they were getting themselves into from the very beginning of the book. What does everyone else think about the book part?
Again, I don't really love the content, but I'm starting to see Burgesses' implied point that human nature allows that we enjoy violence and action that we ourselves could never imagine doing.
The casual attitude that Alex and the rest of his gang have towards violence and the pleasure they derive from it is, without a doubt, the most shocking (and interesting) aspect of Burgess’s novel so far. Though they are disturbing and disgusting, the graphic descriptions and appalling details that the author employs in the opening scenes of the book effectively grab the readers' attention and engage their interest. The use of the “Nadsat” language is also a very interesting technique; by disorienting readers and making them unsure as to what these words really mean, the unfamiliar phrases succeed in making these early events seem all the more intense and terrible. Like whitney and chelsea said, the appearance of the novel titled “A Clockwork Orange” in Chapter Two is very intriguing. It seems likely that the passage Alex reads aloud from the book (“The attempt to impose upon man… laws and conditions appropriate to a mechanical creation, against this I raise my swordpen”) holds a deeper meaning that will come to play a larger role in the novel and it’s message later on in the plot.
ReplyDeleteChapter 3 showed an entirely different side of the groogs. Alex tried to show his leadership that we had just always assumed he had, and was challenged by Dim of all people. He thought he had been punched for no reason, which he pretty much was. Alex shows an odd tenderness for the music the girl was singing, and gets offended when Dim starts to ruin it. After this episode we get a glimpse at Alex's life at home. His mother leaves dinner out for him and its pretty evident that he is not the way he is because of his parents. His parents are submissive and seem to not care where he is and what he is doing. Then comes the really weird part. He goes into his room and starts to listen to classical music and just relaxes to like, Beethoven and Bach and all this other music. He has pushed his parents to the point where they take sleeping pills to drown out his music. His parents are pretty much nonexistent. This chapter is full of irony by showing what a "normal" home life he has, and also this raping, stealing, murdering, maniacal 15 year old comes home and listens to classical music's masterpieces. Burgess also brings up the clockwork orange again. I'm not entirely sure what all of this means yet, but it may become more obvious later.
ReplyDeleteChapter 3: When Alex and his "boys" vandalize the train, the tone that Alex uses is nonchalant, making the vandalism very disturbing.
ReplyDeleteAlex's reaction to the woman singing the Opera song shows the reader that he has emotions and a heart. This is the first time the reader sees any sort of honest emotion from Alex. This familiar tune has a large impact on him which is why he gets so angry when Dim makes fun of the woman.
Like Adele says, the reader assumes that Alex is the leader of the gang but this scene at the milkbar shows that the rest of his gang does not necessarily agree.
Also when Alex arrives home his lifestyle seems perfectly normal. His mom leaves him food and he listens to classical music. This is an extreme contrast to the raping and pillaging that takes place during Alex's evenings.
Chapter 4: Alex's homelife may seem to be idealistic, but it is actually non-existent. Though his mother suspects Alex in the morning she cannot take time to question him and instead just submits. The tone of submission is again brought across with the State's requirement of working and Deltoid's weary entrance and questioning. Alex continuously scoffs at authority whether it is his parents, the police, Deltoid, the newspapers, or even the threat of juvenille detention. The roles are reversed as the teenage gangs take temporary control away from adults.
ReplyDeleteThe adults are just as complexed as the reader as to why Alex and his gang act the way they do. The adults are only aware of Alex's past behavior, but the reader knows of Alex's current behavior as well. Continuing his horrendous acts, he rapes two ten year old girls. After getting each girl drunk, he shoots up some drug and rapes both of them. Not only is this incredibly disturbing, this sort of behavior shows how he preys on the innocent and those that are weaker than him.
But as his dream at the beginning of the chapter suggests, Alex's problem will be when he encounters one or some ones who are stronger than him. Though he scoffs at authority, believing himself to be invisible, Murphy's law will eventually catch up to him.
Chapter 5: Burgess' theme of submission and role reversal is continued in this chapter. Alex's father timidly asks where his son is going and is willing to accept the money Alex gives him. In this situation Alex is more the father shutting the child (the actual father) up by giving him a toy (in this case money).
ReplyDeleteIn this chapter the reader learns that even the rest of the droogs find Alex sparatic. Once Georgie confronts Alex, Alex realizes his own vunlnerability by being out numbered. But once he hears Beethoven's Violoin Concerto, he impulsively pulls a razor on George and hurts Dim. Alex explains his action by saying intution should always rule out intellect. The concerto provoked his intutuion for violence. Though Alex may say it was intutuion that drove him, it is probable that is was more his propensity towards violence. His explanation gives the reader another piece of information that can be used to examine Alex's conscience. Alex's pride leads him to baost in his own way as well. He tends to Dim's wound, takes them all to the Duke for drinks, and agrees to Georgie's plan to rob the Manse.
The humor which William S. Burroughs claims “ . . may pass unnoticed” takes on a more subcutaneous role in chapter six. The lurid imagery given by Alex of his complete failure to rob the Manse and his pitiful battle with the koshkas and spilled milk creates an almost three stooges like scenario. I found it interesting as a laughed at Alex’s ridiculous struggle with the cats and the cheena’s hitting him with a broom. It felt as though Burgess wanted to simulate Alex’s experience when he is mercilessly hurting his victims. Is this what Burgess meant by the “titillation [of] the nastier propensities of [his] readers."?
ReplyDeleteThe beginning of Alex’s comeuppance begins. Burgess switches up the roles again as authority or rather the millicents regain control. The police beat and kick Alex around much like Alex’s first victim the librarian. It is Deltoid’s reaction, however, that affects Alex the most. Deltoid’s comparably passive act of spitting on him leaves a sense of confusing in Alex showing Alex’s lack of knowledge on how to deal with this subtle hatred. It is interesting however that Alex talks of his own torment and torture as nonchalantly as he does when he himself is the tormenter. Music reprises its role as an inhumane stimulant when Alex finally wearied dreams of laying in a meadow with Ludwig Van Beethoven’s Ninth Concerto blasting in the air.
Chapters 6 and 7 are when Alex finally gets caught for his absurd actions. His plan to rape the old woman and find the gold and silver in the house before letting the rest of his gang in backfires significantly. The old woman and her cats attack Alex and Alex's groogs betray him by calling the police.
ReplyDeleteThe odd part comes when Alex is savagely beaten by the police. This shows that there really is no good and evil during these times. Even the police force, the supposed "good guys", are corrupt. Burgess seems to be trying to convince the reader that the police brutality is actually worse than any of Alex's crimes. Alex has been fortunate in the past to avoid legal punishments due to his youth. But, as Deltoid warned him, his actions will catch up to him eventually and his punishment will be great.
Also, classical music comes up again in these chapters. Classical music is the sorce of his distraction at the old woman's house before she takes him down, and classical music is what makes him relax in prison. This is interesting because it shows how classical music can both harm and help Alex.
Chapters 4 and 5 (sorry this is out of order, I couldn't post this at home!)
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 4, Dr. P. R. Deltoid’s visit and the thoughts it provokes within Alex’s mind brings the notions of free will and the origins of “badness” into the novel. Alex is very bothered by people who attempt to look for the cause of the badness that has instilled itself within the youth of his era – he seems to feel that goodness or badness is inherent in one’s nature, therefore where it comes from shouldn’t really be questioned. Furthering this notion, he states “what I do I do because I like to do,” making the reader realize that there is not any concrete cause of his violent nature, but rather it is just what he enjoys and the way he wants to be. The idea of free will and the government’s obstruction of it is also brought up in this section; Alex says that “they of the government and the judges and the schools cannot allow the bad because they cannot allow the self,” explaining his belief that in trying to prevent people from being “bad,” the government is preventing people from exercising their own free will and being their true selves, an action which he feels should be challenged. This seems like an idea which could become significant in influencing Alex's actions later on in the book.
Alex’s power struggle with Dim, Georgie, and Pete in Chapter 5 also seems to be very important. Though he finally regains his control(but only for a short period of time), Alex is met with serious opposition and is eventually forced to use violence in order to get what he wants, illustrating the tenuous state of his authority. Alex’s desire to maintain this authority seems to suggest that power and control could emerge as themes of the novel and play a central role in the action of the plot (this also sort of ties back into the concept of the government’s control of free will as touched upon during Chapter 4).
Part Two gives the reader even more unbelievable violence and shocks. Alex is now nothing more than a number in the state jail where he is sentenced for fourteen years. As we discussed in class, Alex no longer has the same free will. He is beaten by the guards, and the other prisoners want to violate him. However, he still has not learned his lesson. He continues to have sick thoughts of violence and destruction. The few things that make him happy are memories of his past violent life and the news that Georgie has died. He ends up making some friends in prison and finds joy in thinking about beating Jesus and nailing him to the cross and in the sex and violence in the Old Testament. These forms of happiness are twisted but exactly the types of thoughts that the reader expects from Alex. At the end of chapter 1 Alex learns about Ludovico's Technique which would let him out of prison earlier. He is ready to leave and desperately wants this. The reader does not know much about this technique or what it entails.
ReplyDeleteAlex kills a man in prison and his "friends" betray him by ratting him out as the killer. This brings back memories of his Droogs and their betrayal, which makes him want to leave the penitentiary even more.
Alex agrees to the criminal correction program without realizing what he is doing because he will do anything to get out of his current situation. This is a new program where unknown drugs are injected into the prisoner to help correct his behavior, making him unable to perform bad deeds. In essence, a “clockwork orange” created by the government. The fact that Alex agrees without fully understanding the procedure hints to the reader that something bad will happen. Is this procedure truly as bad as Burgess is making it out to be? Is there good intention backing this test? Or is it corrupt and wrong?
The reaosn this procedure needs to be tested and implemented is because the government needs to clear out the already overcrowded prisons to make room for more people, hinting at a plan to become stricter in enforcing laws and sending more people to jail.
The Chaplain makes an interesting point that I believe to be one of the major thematic questions in this book: “Does God want goodness or the choice of goodness? Is a man who chooses the bad perhaps in some way better than a man who has the good imposed upon him?” This is, again, bringing up the idea of free will and how important or unimportant such a will is in society.
Part 2 so far is all about Alex's life in jail. He has a new group of droogs, although he doesn't enjoy being with them. There are six people that live in his cell, and when another guy got put in their cell, he pulled an attitude and ultimately ended up killing him, when they originally just wanted to beat him up. There was no guilt in Alex which shows that his 2 years in prison haven't done much so far. He gets an opportunity to be a guinea pig for a new tactic on getting criminals out of jail in 2 weeks. He thinks it's going to be a piece of cake and then he was going right back out on the streets and track down his remaining droogs (since he found out Georgie had been killed) and kill them. Alex is still mainly evil although he has no idea what he has in store for him with the new method.
ReplyDeleteChapter 1 took a rather interesting approach to incorporating the Bible into the book, something seen in almost every piece of literature. This time, instead of making allusions to it or the prisoner being 'reformed' because of it, Alex enjoys it for the violence in the stories. It's rather ironic that he takes this from the Bible, since many consider religion a way to free themselves of horror and violence. This could be another way Burgess is exposing the sadism in all of us- by exposing the violence in that which is considered 'holy.'
ReplyDeleteAlex continus to encounter violence in Chapter 2, where he once again is betrayed by his cohorts. Alex's motive for violence seems to have changed from his days outside prison, however. Instead of performing seemingly random acts of violence, Alex actually has a legitimate reason (although a petty one)- his victim was crossing Alex's boundaries and entering his 'territory' of the cell (to put it in basic terms). In a way, this shows how prison has made Alex slightly more institutionalized and common.
At the hospital, Alex shows his completely naive and ignorant side, not at all realizing what truly awaits him- a near complete lack of free will (complete with physical constraints versus political and social ones) and a process that is meant to almost 'train' him out of his one passion in life, violence. Since his passion is in everything he does, as it is with everyone, Alex's association of illness with violence renders him almost completely incapable of having a life. Just because he becomes ill with violence does not mean these people can take it from his life- it very simply mean he'll just be sick all the time. The treatment making him hate violence for all of the wrong reasons- unlike us, it's not a response out of emotions of guilt or anything normal, but is a response out of fear of physical pain/illness. And although by all purposes they have succeeded in making Alex incapable (or at least much less capable) of violence, at what cost to Alex's quality of life? Is it justice? And is he a 'true Christian' or a miserable fool rendered unable to pursue that which he loves most in life?
OK SO I HAD TROUBLE POSTING ALL OF THESE SO I JUST WROTE THEM AND SAVED THEM ON MY COMPUTER SO NOW I AM POSTING THEM BECUASE IT FINALLY WORKS! SORRY THEY ARE OUT OF ORDER AND IN A ROW...
ReplyDeleteInitially, I found the language and the actions of Alex and his droogs to be confusing and disconcerting, but I know that that Burgess intended these emotions for the reader because it helps set the tone of the feelings of Alex and the state of the times in which he is living.
The picture of a new culture is being painted in the first few chapters with Alex and his droogs and their violence and attitudes about the law and women. They act violently is such a nonchalant way as many of you already said and it supports the whole disconcerting feelings that the reader has (I definitely did). The whole Korova milkbar scene is a way for Burgess to present his opinions of young people as he highlights their drug abuse and outward sexual adventures with the young girls in the bar and the other people how are glazed over by the “milk.” The old man in chapter 2 is a reflection of this opinion of youth when he doesn’t care what the boys do to him because the youth run rampant in these times. The whole picture of the culture of the youth sets up the idea of human nature and violence vs good in the novel and Burgess lesson about the future and evil that will most probably develop with the rest of the plot.
PART 2
ReplyDeleteWhat I find most interesting so far in the book that goes along with the whole notion of human nature and the evil and violence that has come to consume Alex and his generation, is the contrasts the Burgess creates with the Bible and the chaplain and classical music that are supposed to be associated with good things. Alex delights in the violence and sexuality of the Bible and his feelings of violence seemed to be stirred up when he hears classical music. The whole idea of Jesus Christ and Alex comparing himself to him is interesting because he is definitely set apart from his other “droogs” as P.R. Deltoid points out his potential to be good. After his friends betray Alex and he is sent to Jail, these contrasts sort of combine while Alex is in Jail. The Chaplain likes to look good to the governor when he lets Alex snitch which is not an expected characteristic of a chaplain. Alex pictures himself as a roman beating Jesus when he is put on the cross. These images are very powerful to the reader as they reflect on the idea of evil and human’s choices to be violent or not. The violence that was acted upon Jesus Christ in the Bible and the betrayal by his disciples is believed to have been a good thing as it had a good result, but is the same fate going to happen for Alex? I think probably not, especially when you think about the attitudes of the characters and the tone of the plot so far. Burgess is trying to show a new future, a new result.
Alex's treatment with the violent videos and the injections that cause him to be sick is such an interesting turn in the novel. Dr. Brodsky's plan to have Alex associate sickness with violence and evil creates insight on the whole nature of human behavior and free will. Alex obviously has been stripped of his identity and his free will as he is basically brainwashed by this "treatment study." the final chapter of part 2 where the men are watching the girl and Alex be put on display not only supports this them but also reinforces the religious ties to the novel. Dr. Brodsky believes his treatment to make the patients become "true Christians" as they will no longer desire to act violently and want to escape their sicknesses by acting good, however as the chaplain points out, the patients no longer have free will or a moral choice. This comes from what Whitney pointed out about the chaplains question about goodness or the choice of goodness. I think that Burgess is trying to point out the humans need to have a desire to choose goodness, because it is not the same if the person is drugged to be good like Alex. The line between good and evil become really fine at this point in the novel especially with the contrasts of religion and also with violence. The drugs in the milk bar and Alex and the other gangs' violent behavior are just as bad as the drugs and violence that Dr. Brodsky uses in his tests, which I guess is the hypocrisy that is also evident in the suppressive government in the novel.
ReplyDeleteLudovico’s Treatment renders Alex completely incapable of committing, witnessing, or even imagining acts of violence without experiencing debilitating pain and sickness, making his earlier belief that the treatment will have no real effect on him seem extremely ironic and naïve. Though it could be argued that Alex deserves this punishment and that his new tendency towards good will benefit the rest of society, the measures that the State goes to in order to achieve this desired effect are taken to such extremes that the reader almost begins to pity Alex – he loses almost all of his free will, along with his ability to find passion in life.
ReplyDeleteAs we see more and more of the Treatment and its effects, free will and the question of whether “good” should be a choice becomes a larger issue. Under the Treatment, Alex experiences a loss of identity (like georgie said) even greater than that in the prison ; he is viewed as a nothing more than a machine by Doctor Brodsky and the rest of the State, a test subject whose deepest emotional reactions are facilitated by injections and recorded as mere measurements, taking the notion of government control to a whole new level. A particularly tragic aspect of Alex’s status as a “machine” is the fact that the administrators of the treatment do not take into account the other, unstudied effects that it has on the subjects, such as the way it removes Alex’s ability to enjoy music, since he associates this with violence as well.
The chaplain’s reaction to the Treatment’s effects on Alex brings religion and the will of God into the novel once again. While Alex is presented as somewhat of a martyr in the final parts of Part 2, it is not by his own choice – Dr. Brodsky comments that Alex is now a “true Christian… ready to turn the other cheek,” yet Alex becomes this way not by the goodness of his own heart, but because the State has made him that way. When the chaplain brings up the fact that “good” is only good when the doer chooses it by his own free will, and that Ludovico’s Treatment has made this choice impossible for Alex, Brodsky states that “We are not concerned with motive, with the higher ethics. We are concerned only with cutting down crime…”, exhibiting the government’s corruption and disregard for true morality. Therefore, in response to lia's earlier post, we learn that Alex is not really a “true Christian,” but merely the product of a government experiment – a “clockwork orange,” as he calls himself (and like whitney pointed out earlier). This is very interesting in relation to the clockwork orange book seen in Part 1, which talks about imposing “laws and conditions appropriate to a mechanical creation” upon humans, since this is exactly what has been done to Alex himself.
Sorry this is late, the site wasn't working and then the computer had issues and I had to completely rewrite it. >_<
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I already commented on the end of Part 2 in my last post, but I'll reiterate what I already said. The doctor explains Alex's treatment as essentially an induced associative disorder. The thought put into the program is quite simple- normal people feel ill when they think about or witness violence, so make the patient feel ill when they think about/witness violence. However, in reality, it's much more complicated than that. We feel sick because of the compassion we feel for others, whereas Alex is forced to feel ill physically, and acts well out of fear. The same simple-minded thought went into the use of frontal lobotomies around this time period (if my timing is correct), which mean that this could also be a comment on society on Burgess' part. Chapter 6 also shows that Alex's love for music becomes tainted as his love for violence is, and thus he is left with nothing but his poor health and anger at allowing himself to be tricked into become the equivalent of a circus monkey.
Part 3 begins with Alex standing outside of Staja, thinking back on his last day at the treatment center. This is ironic, considering that he had gone to the hospital thinking of nothing but freedom, and now he can only think of the hospital. At the cafe, Alex finds himself in the newspaper as an example of how well the treatment works. Upon his return home, Alex is first accused of escaping the prison, and then finds that everything he has owned has been taken by the police and his room is being rented to a stranger to Alex, 'Joe.' On top of that, Alex is told by his father that they can't support him, and Joe continues to yell at him until Alex leaves. Now not only is Alex left without a passion, but also without any belongings and with no support- he truly has hit the bottom of the pit. The reader and Alex finally realize just how much he relies on his parents for support. Out of desperation, Alex tries to listen to some music at the record store until he remembers the impairment Ludovico's technique caused. After drinking hallucinogenic milk at the bar, he contemplates suicide and goes to the library to research methods. Failing at this, he picks up the Bible, remembering the comfort it had given him in prison. Again he feels ill. A man talks to him until the librarian Alex had attacked two years ago recognizes him and returns the favor. It seems Alex has nothing going for him at this point- he has been beaten in every way possible, and has nothing to live for. It's true that Ludovico's method has changed him, but only in a way that is better for society.
The same question as before remains- is Alex a the 'good' human being that the treament center sought to create, or is he just a young man who has been stripped of everything that made his life worth living?
The feature that I found most interesting in this section revolves around the basis of Alex's treatment and the use of 'behvioral science' and visual association to cure him of his violent tendancies. Although Alex is, at first, fond of Branom and Brodsky, readers are compelled to realize that what they are about to do to Alex is far worse than he is imagining. Branom further elevates the theme of free will, as entangled with religious ideals, by looking at Alex as merely a set of chemical reactions, rather than as a complex person. His view of humans as robotic beings, who will respond in correlation with science, debases what readers have been wondering about why Alex is the way he is. If the answer is simply a bunch of chemical misalignments in his brain, is it really Alex's fault? Is it possible to look at his behavioral issues the same way one would look at a debilitating birth defect?
ReplyDeleteThe possibility of this treatment becoming widely-used and taking away the essence of who Alex is (whether good or not - and who really gets to decide?) is not only scary, but perhaps more disturbing than the violence Alex is disposed to revel in. It is particularly moving when Alex cannot even listen to his favorite music anymore, the sounds in which he once found joy now make him sick. This seems like a huge violation of a person's rights to choose what it is that they like, a fundamental of one's personality - it is much easier to see the unfairness of the doctors removing Alex's like of violence as shown through music, something much more relatable to general audiences.
The chaplain's grievances towards what makes a man a man are echoed and further explored in these chapters, and I think that it will turn out to be a major, if not the, theme of the novel.
As we read further into part 3, we learn that the state’s treatment plan has not at all worked successfully. Obviously, we expect the plan to not work at all despite the state’s expectations to control violence and reduce crime because of the tone of the novel thus far. The state has been portrayed as the hypocritical bad guy, so obviously they are not the ones to save the state of the violent culture.
ReplyDeleteAnother interesting, and perhaps the most important, turn that the plot takes is when Alex stumbles, beaten and in pain, to a cottage marked “home” to find the man that he once beat up before only to discover his wife died after Alex and his gang raped her. It is an interesting aspect in the novel and another contrast as Alex seems to be revisited by many people he had contact with before prison but in very different ways. He sees men he beat up in the library and they in turn beat him up. His friends are now police men and once again turn against him as they take him away and beat him. He then sees this writer, F. Alexander, in his cottage, however, the man act kindly to him. Because of his similar name and the symbol of the “home” on his cottage, the reader is led to the expectation that Alex is somehow safe. Because F. Alexander is a political dissident and listens to Alex’s story, the reader can expect that Alex will be used to combat the government. Once again, Alex is being used as a tool by someone, even though it may or may not be for good.
The idea of circles of clocks with the notion of returning and revisiting becomes evident at this point in the novel. As Alex has gotten out of jail and the hospital with a totally different life, he is revisited by people and situations and they seem to spark a totally new emotion or experience. F. Alexander, the writer who was working on the piece entitle “A clockwork Orange,” that Alex made fun of when he was pillaging his home, has now returned to his life. This time, Alex is the “Clockwork Orange” that Alex is trying to come back. I’m not sure exactly how all of this circle and clock things relate together, perhaps as a motif to support the notion of human nature? I’m pretty sure it will be a lot clearer at the end of the novel.
Part 3:
ReplyDeletePart 3 gives the reader the answer as to if free will should exist or not. Though Alex did horrible things, he would have been better off if he had stayed in prison rather than be subjected to Ludivico's treatment. The treatment ironically makes Alex try to kill himself, though the treatment is intended to make him a "good Chrisitian" who would never do such a thing. The treatment forces Alex to live without the ability to make any choices which strip him his human dignity. Alex is reduced to a puppet, not even an animal.
Alex's dream in the beginning of the novel of being beaten up his old droogs comes true. The dominance Alex once had over them is now impaired by his treatment and their new badges which entitle them to do anything they please. The tables have turned on Alex as once he convinced himself that this could never happen to him.
Another twist comes when F. Alexander, the husband of the woman Alex and his droogs raped, offers Alex hospitality. Though Alex and his droogs were arguably the cruelest to this man and his wife (especially since she died afterwards), F. Alexander unknowingly is the kindest person to him in the novel at that point. But Alex is soon used by F. Alexander and his friends when they set him up to kill himself. I think Burgess made Alex and Alexander's name similar to illustrate the similarities between the both of them. Though Alexander would seem to be the better person, he is capable of horrible things just as Alex as. I think this meant to reflect on human nature and how someone is not always just bad or good, but instead is a mixture with an emphasis on either trait. An example of Alex being good is when he asks the nurse to lie down with him. Though this does not seem to be huge, by his own choice(but he doesn't know it)Alex does not intend to do anything to the nurse and instead wants some form of comfort not violence.
I think the thing that will define Alex at the end of this novel will be how he chooses to act towards the government's offer. Will he change and be a "good Christan"? Will he seek revenge on everyone who took advantage of him and return to himself? Essentially, how will he use his free will now?
I just wrote a whole thing and it said there was an error like, with my cookies, so I'm a little upset.
ReplyDeleteI think that both Georgie and Chrissy did a good job in examining how the reappearance of many features in Alex's old life represent a sort of role reversal or cyclical play on time. I also think it's really interesting that Alex is met with the same violence and chaos that he used to produce, when he is beaten up by the men in the library and by his old droogies, it is a sort of eye for an eye punishment, which is weird because we have actually been talking about that a lot in class, particularly in the death penalty. This feature again rasies the question as to who gets to decide what is right and what is wrong and how someone who has done wrong is to be punished. Does anyone have that right over anyone? It is hard to say - seeing as both the government and police (perhaps even more so) are depicted as self-serving shams hiding under the edifice of public protection. I think it is also important to consider how Alex is received back in the real world in regards to Burgess' greater themes of what it means to be a man and the nature of life in general. Is Alex where he is now because of a set of predetermined chemicals, as a result of his own choices, outside forces like the government, or simply fate? Is there any real logic into how life plays out and is there a scientific solution for everything? So far, there seem to be contradictory conclusions, but I think that much of the final chapters will revolve around this issue.
I think it's also important to note that Alex has not really changed, or at least not in the way we'd wanted him to. When he realizes who F. Alexander (or Dim and Billybob and/or the librarian) is, he is not moved because of guilt, and in fact, doesn't experience any sympathy at all. He is only concerned with himself and what sort of consequences his previous actions might continue to have in the present (a selfishness which I think is further projected in his attempted suicide). In this sense, Alex isn't really a man at all. Instead, his treatment has debased him into a robot, an empty shell of his former self, unable to experience pain or pleasure.
One thing I found particularly interesting was in Chapter 5. In part 1, Alex acted on instinct with his love for violence, and thought of little else. He was not what you would call a 'smart criminal' seeing as he didn't seem to care whether or not he gets caught or anything. In Chapter 4, however, he begins to hope that F. Alexander does not find out that he raped his wife and was responsible for her death, because he knows the repercussions that will follow. Although he remains apathetic to her death, he is beginning to think about the consequences of his actions at least a little bit, which shows a change in his behavior. Also, he is not practiced in the art of being stealth, so he continually drops hints that he is responsible for F. Alexander's wife throughout Chapter 5. Also, Alex begins to show a bit of faith in God when he screams at him in his room. Still acting on instinct, he jumps out of the window, but he has built a bridge to religion that is not necessarily based on violence. This bridge is quickly torn down in Chapter 6, though, when he realized that he has again been manipulated into self-torture and he regains the ability to think about violence without the association of illness. I found it interesting that even though Alex is now 'free' to commit criminal acts again and has signed off with the mayor for a job and a stereo system, he is still being used as a tool. Or is he? He's now under the restraints of the government in some ways, but he can still defy that any time he wants to. Is the submissive one, Alex, have more power now? Or has he succumbed to societal pressures?
ReplyDeleteSeveral themes that I found in Chapter 7 were the age gap between the young and old and human nature/free will. In the last chapter Alex seems to cross over the age gap "bridge" when he scolds the droogs and then envisions himself as a husband and father. This idea honestly scared me a bit, because Alex is the last person I think who should be allowed to set an example for a child or be in some sort of romantic relationship. I believe this partly because I don't think Alex has completly abandoned his old ways. Why did he still hang out with droogs? After meeting one of his victims and killing his wife, why did he allow for the others to beat up that old man? I'm not suggesting Alex be placed back in prison or through another "treatment", but Burgess did not gain my trust in Alex at the end of Chapter 7.
ReplyDeleteI found the American ending to be out of synch with the rest of the novel. The British ending leaves the reader with several key questions to be answered using the themes of violence, youth, and free will. But the Alex in Chapter 7 is almost unrecognizable. He turns on his new droogs and daydreams of one day having a son. It seems as if this new Alex is not committed to being either good or bad. At least with the British version of Alex, the reader was well aware of his character and how he would react to situations. In this sense the British ending is enhanced. But the American version shows a different and changed Alex contemplating things the old Alex never would have. Though it is a relief that Alex seems to have matured, it is not as interesting because the reader is unaware of his journey to his realization of his future. Although I can see how this ending fits into "A clockwork orange." Alex does mature some which fits into the notion of age and time. His time as a violent teenager also seems to have come to a stop, just as circle "comes full circle" and now Alex seems to be starting all over again.
Endings:
ReplyDeleteThe main difference between ending with chapter 6 and ending with chapter 7 is that chapter 7 gives the reader a sense of closure. Alex seems to have finally come around and realized that he is no longer young and is even considering raising a family. He has a civilized conversation with his former droog: Pete and realizes how much he has matured. This ending greatly contrasts chapter 6 as an ending. Chapter 6 leaves the reader hanging and wanting more, which is a strategy of many authors. Alex does not seem to have changed at all. He is still reckless, carefree, and selfish. He accepts the governments offer of a high paying job which he knows little about simply because he wants their present of a stereo. He has dreams of violence and destruction and learns that he no longer feels ill. This ending leaves the reader thinking that Alex will continue to rape, pillage, and murder. Nothing has changed except the fact that he may earn a little money.
Each chapter is a unique ending. I cannot say that one is better than the other because they are so different that it is hard to compare them in that way. Chapter 6 is for the reader who wants suspense and an unexpected ending where Alex basically ends up where he started. Chapter 7 is for the reader who wants a sense of closure and the idea that Alex is changing for the better.
The picture that is painted of Alex's life after his release is a sad one. Even though you know the sorts of things that he used to be guilty of, you have to feel bad for the kid. He lost everything he thought he could come home to: his friends, his parents, his belongings.. Its pretty sad what his life has turned into. He is mentally messed up, and it becomes quite evident that he has no will to live. He doesn't care about anything, and decides to go to the library to research ways to kill yourself without pain. Talk about bleak. Then, he runs into the guy he and his old droogs beat up nearly two years before. He recognizes him and the old guy and his friends start to beat Alex up. I can't imagine getting my face kicked in by a bunch of old dudes. Then to make things even better, Alex's old droog and old enemy show up, and they are police. The government took the very slime that they were trying to get off the streets and gave them law enforcement positions. So Alex gets beaten up by them as well, and they leave him out in the country. So who's house does he stumble upon but the house of the author of A Clockwork Orange. The man shows him great kindness and the man turns out to be a great rebel against the government. He feels sorry for Alex and thinks he is some kind of experiment. Alex remembers what he did in this house 2 years earlier and hints at what he did. Alexander finally figures out that he is the one that raped his wife and ultimately caused her death, but by the time it fully dawns on him, Alex is long gone. Alexander's friend's shut him up in a room and Alex is driven crazy by the classical music that is playing. He jumps out a window in an attempt to end his life. It doesn't work. This really shows what Alex has become because of his treatment, and at this point, the reader truly is on Alex's side. The pity that is felt for him is purely human, and this is what the government is attempting to make Alex into, but instead turn him into this mess of a person with no free will and no way to take pleasure out of life. The government has created another kind of monster in attempt to get rid of another kind.
ReplyDeleteThe two endings are completely different. The first ending is too abrupt and it leaves too many unanswered questions. The second ending works at first, but then takes a very unexpected strange turn. All of a sudden Alex has a heart, a conscience... It's quite odd. I don't know if I like either of the endings. They are too extreme on both sides of the spectrum. I don't like it. Alex starts talking about love and having kids and all of that, and it's pretty much the most un-Alexlike thing I can think of. I think that the British ending is too happy and idealistic, but I also think the American ending is too abrupt and negative. It kind of just made the entire book not have a point... like he goes through all of this and nothing comes of it, but at the same time, too much comes of it with the British ending. I just think it's not realistic. I guess I am just a tough customer.
ReplyDeleteThough each ending is somewhat flawed, leaving something to be desired, each also achieves something important in its own way. Ending dramatically, Chapter six was satisfying in that Alex finally regained his free will, triumphing over those who had attempted to use him as an object to advance their political aims. It was almost disappointing that Alex once again chose to be violent and evil rather than learning from his experiences and choosing good, however there is certainly something to be said for him at least having the capacity to make such a choice. I thought it was kind of humorous when the government agents came in to show Alex the pictures of the bird’s nest and the peacock, and the extremely casual way in which he described the violent things he wanted to do to them. It was almost ironic that these agents were so pleased with this reaction, exclaiming that the once again violent Alex was “cured,” since they initially were attempting to “cure” him of this very violence. Though many readers may not be satisfied with the suspense that Chapter 6 leaves them with, as well as Alex’s lack of moral development, I thought that it was much more interesting than Chapter 7 and effectively set Burgess’s work apart from others we have read.
ReplyDeleteChapter 7 certainly brings the novel “full circle,” allowing us to witness a type of growth in Alex that would have previously been thought impossible. It plays heavily upon the theme of youth and adulthood, presenting A Clockwork Orange as a sort of coming-of-age story. I thought it was interesting in the final pages, when Alex compared the cycle of sin in youth to a clockwork orange –“And so it would itty on to like the end of the world, round and round and round, like some bolshy gigantic chelloveck, like old Bog Himself… turning and turning and turning a vonny grahzny orange in his gigantic rookers” – also bringing a somewhat religious aspect to the ending. Even though Chapter 7 gives us closure and presents a much more mature and socially acceptable protagonist that has undergone considerable growth, I felt that it was somewhat contrived. Alex’s turnaround from a young man hungry for violence and destruction to a young man who suddenly realizes he is growing up and yearns to start a family seemed a little too abrupt. Personally, I think that Burgess decreases the effectiveness and uniqueness of his novel by employing such a conventional happy ending, however other readers may be much more satisfied with this happier ending, due to the positive changes we see in Alex and the development he undergoes.
EPIC SUCCESS!!! Take that you stupid adware.
ReplyDeleteThis is from the Chapter 4-5 Section.
The question is to be or not to be. But what does it mean when an individual is restricted of his/her ability to ask this question. Burgess has clearly depicted the two sides of this epic societal battle between the importance of free will or morality even going so far as to question the very meaning of these words after all they are "only a shape to fill the lack." Can we really encompass the meaning of morality and what it is to be good within the letters themselves. Because morality in it's purest form is a decision does morality even exist? Darl's mind begins to come to mind as I read the debates on the 'is' of life. Burgess bring humour again as I can't help but laugh at Alex's pitiful lack of tact as he practically gives himself away as the identity of F. Alexander's wife's rapist. I really liked Chelsea's idea of how the name 'Alexander' is the matured form of the name 'Alex' and that F. Alexander is writing a clockwork orange. Also the idea that F. Alexander is a sort of refined form of Alex as he is just as capable of such tortures like the one he delegate to Alex. Out of all of the tortures Alex has endured and delegated to others the ones involving music have disturbed me the most. Music no matter what reaction it garners from its listeners is one of the most positive forces that we have as people. It is a common thread that can conncect everyone of any language of any culture a small reminder that above all we are human. Using this to debase and block someone off from their rightful sense of self is, to me, one of the most horrible aspects of this novel.
This is for Today . . >_>
ReplyDeleteI'm slightly confused by both endings. I do believe, however, I understand why the United States ending is written the way it is. I feel that the American audience is much more stimulated through sensational sucess stories. I find that people feel more patriotically oriented when they hear of a sucess story through impossible odds or the evolvement of an evil character from bad to good. However Alex seems to evolve really really really really quickly. All of the sudden I hear 'babies' and 'i woudln't mind being a father' and of course Burgess has to create the hilarious ironic image of Alex having these thougts as he's sitting in the Korova Milkbar drinking alcohol with his droogs after beating up someone and bullying women. Let me be the first to say I do not want Alex as a father.
The original enging is slightly more satisfying but I do feel left with a sense of non-completion. I do however enjoy that last image of Alex finally being able to find solace in his music again. I think Burgess found suffeicient enough however to portray Alex as someone who is possibly capapble in the future of making moral decisions rather than in the American version where he seems to have make the stereotypical 'I have grown through suffering' approach.
At the end of chapter six, which is the end of the American version, the government almost seems to have gained the upper hand once again. Although Alex is back to normal and restored of his identity and his free will, which is a good thing, the government had control of the situation. Their treatment plan seemed to backfire as F. Alexander and his other dissidents publicized the horrors of Alex’s life post jail, but then as we see from the visit by the minister of the interior, the government has taken F. Alexander to jail. Violence has not been cured, and violence seemed to never be cured, which I guess is a testament to the idea of human nature and free will and the right of humans to decide who and how they want to be.
ReplyDeleteAt the end of chapter seven, the reader is greatly enlightened by the deep meaning within the scene so similar to chapter 1. I think the main point of this chapter is to show the meaning and importance of Human nature and how a human has to make the choice of being good or bad. Alex sees his old friend Pete with his new life and the reader can see his boredom with his current life as he thinks about being a father. The idea of a clock comes back here as Alex has returned to his old life, but with a new outlook, similar to how a clock goes around the same minutes but has a new hour. Alex has made a circle in his realization that life is a series of mistakes that need to be learned from.
I personally think that the ending impressions of chapter 6 and chapter 7 are entirely different in terms of the overall tone set for the novel. I like the novel ending in chapter 7 best because I think that chapter 7 gives an important insight on the themes of human nature and good vs. evil that are not fully explained in chapter 6. Alex’s true experience is finished in chapter 7 and his reaction to his entire experience is reflected in chapter 7. Perhaps that is the reason that the novel ending with chapter 6 has such a different impression of the reader that the novel ending with chapter 7.
At first the strange language softened the blow of violence caused by Alex and his friends. Becoming more accustomed to the language makes one more aware of how evil Alex is. In chapters four and five the reader is aware of the brutality Alex inflicts on others.
ReplyDeleteViolence makes Alex feel good. There is no other reasoning behind his behavior. He acts off impulse to feed his addiction to violence rather than plot elaborate crimes to get money, as Georgie wants to do. In chapters four and five music inspires Alex to commit the heinous acts of raping two young girls and attacking his friends. Alex's descriptions of hearing music, it acts like sound effects in a movie warning the viewer of what is ahead. When Alex hears music he likes he is inspired to act violently.
Although the reader knows that music sparks Alex's violent acts, there is still no reasonable explanation for Alex's horrific behavior. He has a good home life and Deltoid looking after him, yet he still lashes out at society. He does not want to take responsibility of his actions, and prefers a newspaper article blaming the older generation to one that asks for more discipline of the youth. Professionals, such as Deltoid, try to find a reason behind the behavior the likes of Alex, but they fail because Alex is acting on impulse rather than thinking. Those who have the power to stop him, such as his parents, are to afraid to do anything. Alex will continue to search for more increasingly violent acts to commit for his own pleasure because no one is stopping him.
Alex's life in prison is strikingly similar to his life outside of prison. Violence, in the novel, is not confined to the streets, but can be constantly found in the prison as well. Unsurprisingly, Alex has not changed or learned from his experiences in prison, and continues to make the same mistakes while retaining his lust for violence.
ReplyDeleteBoth of the murders he commits, one outside of prison and one in his cell, are accidental results of excessive violence. He has not learned from the death of the old lady, and continues to act on impulse. Once again, Alex is surprised when fellow criminals turn on him. His friends set him up to be sent to prison, yet he walks into a tap his cell mates set. He receives the blame for the murder of a cell mate because he acted on impulse, and he put to much trust in fellow criminals. Both are mistakes he already made outside of jail.
Even in reading the bible Alex manages to quench his thirst for violence. He does not learn from its teachings, rather he searches for violent acts to fill the void he feels when there is a lack of sufficient violence. Prison did not change Alex for the better. It just added to his desire to get out, and continue committing heinous acts with a new gang. It is clear that Alex will not choose to be good. In the absence of a humane solution to his desire to be evil, more drastic measures must be taken.
The treatment Alex is receiving is only changing the way his body reacts to violence, not his mind. He has not made the connection between violence and feeling ill. Instead he blames the doctors and their instruments for his sick feeling. Alex still wants to return to the life he lead before his incarceration, and does not have any real desire to be truly good. He just wants to be free, and he sees a seemingly easy way out through the treatment program. Alex does not expect the treatment to be difficult. He still thinks he can control the situation and resist treatment.
ReplyDeleteIn prison and in the treatment facility, Alex is the victim of violence. Although the government's acts of violence are less random than Alex's, they are still inhumane. Government officials and doctors take laugh and pleasure in Alex's pain just as Alex enjoys hurting other individuals. The government's victim, Alex, is guilty of heinous crimes, unlike Alex's victims, but its actions are just as vicious. Even though Alex deserves severe punishment, the government disappoints by not taking the moral high road. It has sunk to the evil level of Alex. The government expects its subjects to be docile, while it continues to utilize brutal violence to establish power.
It is cleared in the final chapters of the novel that it is concerned with two conflicting political ideologies. Alex has to be evil so the reader can except what is being done to him as a pawn for both political parties. He is used by the State in its experimental treatment, then by the opposing party to martyr himself, and once again by the State to restore order.
ReplyDeleteChapter seven provides more of a conclusion than chapter six. Chapter six suggests that Alex will once again terrorize the streets, and the cycle of violence will continue. In chapter seven it appears Alex has learned something from his past, and violent desires may finally be coming to an end. He comments that his son will make his own mistakes in order to learn. Alex finally begins to grasp at morals as a result of his suffering. Chapter seven gives a sense of closure, and promise that the violence in Alex is dwindling. The State's power is not as ominous in chapter seven as Alex has returned to his former self. Chapter six leaves the State in power, and to be as violent and corrupt as it wishes.
Chapter seven also shows a new generation of youth filling the void of violence that Alex is leaving behind. Although it is comforting that Alex appears to be headed towards redemption, one must be aware that the violence is not over. It will continue through the State and the younger generation. Alex has learned that his mistakes and suffering are ending, and his future as a better citizen awaits. However, the youth are still acting violently. Violence in itself is not resolved in the novel. Only Alex's violence comes to an end in chapter seven.
Chapter seven ends the novel more optimistically than chapter six. It resolves the issue of violence in Alex, and the violence of the state is absent. Alex is becoming moral, and is on the path to redemption after sins and suffering.
Chapter 1-2: My first reaction when reading the opening paragraphs of A Clockwork Orange was a general feeling of confusion. The Nadsat language created by Anthony Burgess, a combination of Russian, Cockney English, and other slang, is a genuine literary achievement. Although this book has not been my favorite so far, I am definitely impressed by the out of world experience Burgess creates with his use of a made-up language. The violence seen in the first chapter makes it difficult to understand the main character, Alex, and his “droogs,” Pete, Georgie, and Dim. The gang of boys is completely merciless in attacking a man carrying books and hospitalizing a pair of shopkeepers. Another thing I found interesting was the Korova Milkbar, where milk is laced with drugs. Milk is an innocent and healthy drink whereas drugs are generally thought of as harmful and depraved. The combination of these two things is almost like the boys themselves, who should be innocent and kind, but instead roam the streets creating violence. “Still, the night was very young” prepares the reader for the violence that will occur in Chapter 2 and in the rest of the book. After beating a drunken man, fighting another gang, and stealing a car, the droogs head out to the country. Alex’s “refined manner of speech” that he uses to address the woman in her home demonstrates his truly manipulative nature. I also found it very interesting that the man in the house was writing “A Clockwork Orange.” I also find it interesting that the droogs mock the name and rip the pages to shreds. The acts of violence against the couple are terrible and difficult to comprehend. It is almost as if Alex and the droogs have no human emotions.
ReplyDeleteChapter 3: This chapter is the beginning of a turning point in Alex’s life. When he hits Dim and proclaims himself the true leader, the other droogs begin their initial thoughts of rebellion. Dim had made a vulgar gesture toward a woman singing opera, and that is why Alex had attacked him. Alex’s love for classical music shows a different side to him, although he does relate it to violence. He loves violence because it makes him feel good, but some forms of vulgarity make him angry. The true lifestyle of this future world imagined by burgess is seen on Alex’s walk home. A boys lies bloody on the street, girls appear to have been raped, and destruction is seen everywhere. This seems to be an everyday world to Alex. When he arrives home, he eats the dinner his mother has left for him. This made me wonder why his mother does not make an effort to keep him out of the streets.
ReplyDeleteChapter 4-5: After his long night of violence, Alex finds himself too exhausted to attend school. Once again, his mother’s kindness is demonstrated when she leaves him a hot breakfast. It is still strange that Alex has grown up with a normal mother and father, yet he leads an incredibly vicious and merciless lifestyle. The Communist-like nature of the state is further explored when Alex describes the work of his parents, as all adults are required to hold jobs. While missing classes, Alex has a dream that foreshadows his future. His droogs have turned on him and violently whip him, Georgie in the lead position. When Alex’s Post-Corrective Advisor, Deltoid, arrives, the origination of Alex’s violence is examined. Once again, it is noted that Alex leads a normal, and happy family life, and he has no reason to be so violent. The fact that Alex commits acts of violence for pleasure, and has no other motivation, makes him seem sick and twisted. After browsing the music selection at a store, Alex picks up two young girls and mercilessly rapes them in his apartment with a background of classical music, then falls asleep. This shows the pleasure he derives in his violence/classical music association. In Chapter 5, Alex wakes up later that evening to meet the droogs. Their initial, outward rebellion is shown when Georgie announces that the gang will have a new, more democratic organization. Alex at first avoids conflict, but then hearing classical music, attacks Georgie. He ends up injuring Georgie and Dim and is satisfied with himself, believing that he can easily win their complete respect. The chapter ends in Alex’s agreement to invade the Manse, and old house supposedly filled with treasures.
ReplyDeleteChapter 4-6 (Part III): I found it very interesting that each new section of the book started with “What’s it going to be then, eh?” I feel that this is Alex’s question to himself in regard to what he is going to do next with his tragic life. After being attacked by Billyboy and former Droog (Dim), now police officers, Alex makes his way toward a village that he finds to be somewhat familiar. He keeps saying how her wants to go home, and then he sees the same farmhouse where he attacked a couple years ago. The house has a sign on it that says, “Home.” The man does not recognize Alex because he had been wearing a mask years ago, and Alex learns that the wife had died. Hearing of all the violence, Alex struggles with the sickening feeling in his body. They talk about how Alex is a victim of the government. It is strange that the experiment that ended Alex’s violence did in fact make him a victim to his own crimes of the past. Despite the violent news of the wife’s death, Alex has a restful night of sleep. Perhaps he feels secure in this new place, and when he wakes up he is determined to find out the man’s name. He sees the name F. Alexander on a book called, “A Clockwork Orange.” Alex does not understand the meaning of the book, which is interesting, since it really applies to him in many ways. F. Alexander wants to use Alex as an example of the state’s totalitarian in order to bring it down. When left alone in an apartment, Alex hears classical music, and is driven to jump from the window. He wants to end the suffering existence that he is facing. Chapter 6 is the original ending to the American version of A Clockwork Orange. Alex’s fall has not killed him, but has left him with many broken bones. He realizes that F. Alexander tried to drive him to suicide on order to discredit the government. His old tendencies are restored to him while he is sleeping in the hospital and government officials come to apologize to him and offer peace. Alex basically agrees and it ends with him listening to classical music. This ending is incredibly abrupt and leaves the reader in a state of confusion. The direction of Alex’s future is unknown.
ReplyDeleteChapter 7 (Part III): This chapter begins in a familiar setting, the Korova Milkbar. Its opening scene is nearly identical to the one in Chapter 1 (Part I). Alex is the leader of a new group of droogs, however, his attitude seems to have changed. He shows some violence, but soon, a picture of a baby is found, and the droogs taunt him. He then ventures off alone, feeling not himself. He thinks about how his taste in classical music has changed. Alex’s meeting with Pete makes him wonder what his future could be if he had a son. He questions youth and he decides he wants to grow up. This chapter is important because it shows that Alex has shown some change in character. Altohugh the American ending is more shocking and leads the reader with questions, the original, 21st chapter truly rounds out the story and finishes the plot. It shows that maybe Alex will finally become a normal and nonviolent adult.
ReplyDelete