Abstract A critical analysis of the controversial novel, "A Clockwork Orange" by Anthony Burgess. The writer examines the issues of morality vs humanity and how the character in "A Clockwork Orange" manages to swing back and forth from good to bad. The paper examines how this piece of literature still manages to shock people until today because people are amazed at how much they can identify with the main character.
From the Paper "Throughout history authors have used their works to explore various aspects of society. One of the most controversial yet analyzed works of literature in history is, A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess. The work has inspired and provoked many literary conversations around the world, and treated its readers to a uniquely brutal look at the dark side of human nature. In A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess portrays how man deals with conflict, which leads to the understanding and acceptance of differences through the use of conflict, theme, and philosophy."
Abstract This paper discusses "A Clockwork Orange: The Visions of Anthony Burgess and Stanley Kubrick". The paper suggests that while the original and the screen adaptation both masterfully capture the troubled and violent life of Alex de Large, both versions do have some strong variations on points of emphasis that a person familiar with both will most certainly vividly notice.
From the Paper "A Clockwork Orange: The Visions of Anthony Burgess and Stanley Kubrick As an example of Twentieth Century Novel writing and Cinema, A Clockwork Orange stands as a classic in both genres. While the original and the screen adaptation both masterfully capture the troubled and violent life of Alex de Large, both versions do have some strong variations on points of emphasis that a person familiar with both will most certainly vividly notice. On the other hand, if an individual were to only experience one and not the other, the basic thematic structure would still be experienced from either work in itself."
Abstract This paper explains that, in Anthony Burgess' novel "A Clockwork Orange", the protagonist "criminal" Alex is portrayed as a victim of British colonization or having to live the right way. The paper relates the purely nonsensical colonization process by which puritanical Britain believes that it can save a criminal or a nation from savagery and turn them into humans. The paper argues that, in the novel as in real life, the British government fails because identity cannot come from colonizing or the Ludovico's technique but rather from growing up and being able to see youth as something other than a piece of clockwork.
From the Paper "After the treatment, Alex becomes the epitome of what it means to be colonized. With no identity of his own and a confusion of being pulled between the desire to return to how he once was, but unable to break the physical inability is not uncommon to colonies who have completed their treatment. Wanting to move away from the British culture and become sovereign, there is still a physical barrier and the British culture being only they really know. Everything becomes "committed to socially acceptable acts, a little machine capable only of good." "
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts Anthony Burgess' novel "A Clockwork Orange" (1962) with Stanley Kubrick's film (1971) based on the novel. The paper points out that when the book was originally published, the publisher left out the final chapter. In its second publication, the novel was printed with Burgess' intended amount of chapters, twenty one, the supposed age of human maturity. The paper explains that this provided a more optimistic ending to the original, more cynical book. It maintains that Burgess intended to write a story of human maturity and progression, and believed that Kubrick's film lacked a balance between goodness and evil. To conclude, the paper questions whether or not Kubrick had the right to alter Burgess' meaning.
From the Paper "The film, on the other hand, does not include this rebirth. The film closes with, "I was cured all right." This sarcastic statement completely changes the theme of the film from a positive message of genuine change to a pessimistic view of the world. It illustrates that evil will ultimately prevail over morality when free-will is granted. It also ends the film on a rather unrealistic note, suggesting that people can be completely evil, without a hint of internal goodness. Yet we as humans are a mixture of good and evil. This idea reflects Kubrick's cynical view on life; that people are driven by greed and violence."
Tags: literature, violence, pessimistic, optimistic, world, view, good, evil, moral
An application of the themes in Anthony Burgess' "A Clockwork Orange" to the current American society that supports the idea that the country is a failed utopian experiment.
Abstract The paper examines Anthony Burgess' "A Clockwork Orange" as a reflection of society today in the United States. The paper discusses the theme of the lack of free will and argues that the American government is seizing the free will of Americans by the proposed "Patriot Act." The paper then turns to Burgess' use of torture that reminds us of the torturous practices used at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and at the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba. The paper also points out the constant use of narcotics in Burgess' society that reflects the widespread drug abuse today. The paper posits that Burgess did an amazing job of portraying a distopian society to which modern individuals can relate. The paper suggests that this book serves as a warning of what may lie in store for the world if things continue as they are.
From the Paper "The United States Declaration of Independence states that all men are subjected to the same indispensable rights that are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. ("The Declaration of Independence" 1) These exist as the fundamental principles for any utopian society. Inversely, the foremost goal of any distopian work of literature is to illustrate a society lacking these ideals. Since the creation of these ideals in 1776, the United States has failed miserably in producing a society that could be considered utopian in any way. In his novel, A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess does a phenomenal job of identifying some different aspects of modern society that represent distopian themes. Many of the themes in A Clockwork Orange can be seen in current American society, further supporting the idea that the country is a failed utopian experiment. One of the most prominent themes in Burgess's novel is the idea of free will."
Tags: torture, free, will, narcotics, drug, abuse, United, States, Constitution
Abstract A look at the novel by Anthony Burgess and the film representation by Stanley Kubrick. The author discusses Burgess's moral message, unique use of language, and plot structure in comparison to Kubrick's use of cinematography, visual symbolism, and plot alteration. The author argues that Kubrick's film is successful in representing Burgess's narrative.
From the Paper "Kubrick's adaptation of Burgess? novel would obviously be viewed as incomplete to someone who read the novel prior to watching the movie. However, Kubrick's film comes complete with all the elements needed to create a full literary tale, making it successfully stand on its own as an individual work of art. The fact that Kubrick paid attention to much of the detail, such as symmetry, shapes, and other symbolism, further validates the film in being considered by serious critics as a thought-provoking piece of work, and a reliable account of Burgess? intentions concerning free will."
Abstract This paper offers a review of Anthony's Burgess' article on the state of America, called "American Dream". In his assessment of the state of America, Anthony Burgess paints a picture of America as a country in neurosis. For Burgess, America is a young country that places a great premium on individualism. This gives rise to an unchecked consumerism, to the neglect of public utilities and services, to unhealthy alliances between governments and the elite.
From the Paper "Three decades after the Burgess article, the America is still far from being a socialized country. However, while Burgess's argument for socialization has merit, he makes a mistake in ascribing the cause to an ethic of individualism. One of the great social developments since 1971 was the growth of various grassroots and citizen movements, aimed at giving previously disenfranchised citizens a voice. For example, the women's movement and various ethnicity-based groups began to organize and air their grievances. As a result, people began to devote more attention to social structures and practices that maintained existing social hierarchies."
Tags: society, united, states, capitalism, history, politics
Abstract This paper examines examples of operant conditioning in "A Clockwork Orange" by Anthony Burgess. The paper discusses those examples in terms of Burgess's interpretations, as well as in relation to behavioral psychology as a whole. The paper presents Burgess's view of operant conditioning and behavioral psychology as a dangerous, deadly pursuit of sameness and control over mankind.
From the Paper "First, it is important to discuss what is meant by conditioning. In the mid-twentieth century, psychologist B.F. Skinner, in the footsteps of such scientists as Pavlov and Watson, sought to examine ways to achieve the ideal society. According to Skinner, the way to achieve this was through the restriction of personal freedoms through behavior modification. This modification included the use of systematic rewards or punishments, and the use of those rewards and punishments with behavior association. As Skinner described, humans could be modified to act in specific ways by encouraging those behaviors through rewards. Conversely, humans could be just as easily manipulated away from given behaviors through the use of punishments. If the stimuli were presented consistently in association with any given behavior, Skinner theorized, those behaviors would become intertwined with the stimuli (Zimmer, 1999)."
Abstract This paper examines two great works, "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens and "A Clockwork Orange" by Anthony Burgess, as novels that fall under the Bildungsroman genre, which is a genre of novel that deals with the growth of the protagonist. The paper explains that the Bildungsroman novel chronicles the life of the hero from childhood to adulthood and the conflict that he meets and resolves on his way to wisdom. The paper then points out that some novels come under the umbrella of Bildungsroman but may contain few deviations such as Burgess' "A Clockwork Orange" and Dickens' "Great Expectations". The paper also looks at how compared to "A Clockwork Orange", "Great Expectations" is certainly a more conformist form of Bildungsroman but the one place where it deviates from tradition is the choice of narrator. The paper analyzes each novel in relation to Bildungsroman, and concludes that both novels are masterpieces in their own right, but Dickens's work is a better example of a true English Bildungsroman than Burgess' work.
From the Paper "Dickens has used an adult voice to narrate the experiences of a child which is starkly different from other examples of the genre where narrator is either a third person or is the protagonist himself who grows with the novel. Buckley, in his book, Seasons of Youth explains the origin of Bildungsroman and its three distinct categories. He further adds that English Bildungsroman tradition was different from that of German's since the former was "in its broadest sense . . . a convenient synonym for the novel of youth or apprenticeship" (13). Buckley's intensive research indicates that English bildungsroman was not always completely autobiographical."
Abstract This paper provides an analysis of Anthony Burgess' novel, "A Clockwork Orange". The author discusses the plot, setting, language, themes, and pays close attention to the psychological aspects of the book-morality pitted against absurd practices in a society that needs change. The paper examines Modernist literature, and categorizes Burgess' novel as a social satire, much like Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal".
From the Paper "All the literature that has ever been written can be reduced to a few essential plots ? perhaps indeed merely two plots. There is the story of the quest ? for everything from the Holy Grail to the maiden whose foot will fit inside the enchanted crystal slipper. And there is the story of the battle of good versus evil and which of these forces may win in the end. Anthony Burgess's 1962 novel A Clockwork Orange is an especially creative version of this latter archetype. This paper examines the author's use of plot, characterization and setting to demonstrate both his inventiveness and the ways in which he is pouring the new wine of this dystopic world into the old bottles of Good versus Evil. "
Abstract There have been many novels which attempt to give the reader a moral lesson in life, while also telling a story at the same time. The paper shows that while many of these attempts do not work, the classic novel, "A Clockwork Orange" by Anthony Burgess uses this method of getting the author's point across to the reader and uses it quite well. The paper explains that by showing us the world that Alex lives in, Burgess is able to portray to the reader a sense of what the main antagonist of the story goes through and perhaps even why he rebels against society.
From the Paper "So, what is it that the author wishes us to see in Alex? Does he want us to see Alex as a simple minded thug who does not deserve to be a member of society? I pose a different question. I ask you if Burgess is even trying to get us to analyze Alex. To me, A Clockwork Orange is a look at society through the eyes of Anthony Burgess. He wishes us to see a world in which we no longer allow people to think for themselves. We force people to conform to the standards of society. We will no longer allow people to be rehabilitated through punishment, they will be rehabilitated through force."
Abstract The novel, "A Clockwork Orange," by Anthony Burgess, is quite intriguing and also a little strange. It speaks of a world where violence lurks just around the corner and where large amounts of crime take place on a nightly basis. In this story, some people simply seem to do as they please without questioning whether their actions are right or wrong. This does not just occur in the story, but it also happens in real life. This is so because people have the power to choose. In other words, people have free will. Along with the power to choose, people also possess flaws in their character, which can have a very negative affect on a person's life. This paper discusses how Anthony Burgess's "A Clockwork Orange" is a story about a boy and his downfall, overconfidence, love of classical music, and the importance of free will.
From the Paper "The narrator's second downfall, which becomes obvious by the end of this passage and chapter, is his love for classical music. When Alex is inside the old woman's house, he suddenly sees a bust of "Ludwig van himself," which becomes the sole focus of his attention for a moment (Orange 62). This shows how the protagonist's passion for music distracts him so much that he slips on the milk saucers and falls down. When this happens, the old lady takes her chance and begins to hit him. The struggle between Alex and the old woman gives the police enough time to arrive and for Alex to be arrested. This is a perfect example, and there are many more throughout the story, of how the narrator's love of music disrupts what he is trying to accomplish. This particular downfall is partially the reason he ends up in prison."
Abstract This paper is a character examination of the protagonist Alex, from the novel "A Clockwork Orange". It specifically deals with the role that music plays in this character's life. It shows how Alex develops a need for control over himself and over his friends as well and how he finds it through music.
From the paper:
"In the dystopian future that Anthony Burgess creates in the novel "A Clockwork Orange", our protagonist, Alex, shares with us his passion for violence. Alex finds an aesthetic quality in the physical torture and rape of faceless victims. Alex has other passions as well. As a child of the new ultra-violent generation, chaos is ever present in this young droog's life. Because of this, Alex develops a need for control over himself and over his friends as well. It is through music that Alex finds this control and it is through music that we learn the most about his character."
From the Paper "This study will use examples related to the topics of religion, self-identity, freedom, and ethics from Anthony Burgess's novel A Clockwork Orange to illustrate the same concepts in Robert C. Solomon's Introducing Philosophy.
Solomon writes of freedom that it "has the most practical consequences . . . of all abstract problems of philosophy" (455). In other words, if a person is free, he is responsible for his actions, and if he is not free, then it would be irrational or even cruel to hold him responsible for what he does. The central issue in Burgess's novel is this question of freedom and responsibility. The novel champions freedom, even if the individual expresses his freedom in anti-social and destructive ways.
Such a vision reflects the thoughts of Dostoevsky, from..."
This paper provides a brief summary of Anthony Burgess' "A Clockwork Orange" and describes the behavioral problems of central character , Alex and his coping efforts.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 2 sources, 1991, $ 47.95
From the Paper "This study will provide a brief summary of the plot of Anthony Burgess' "A Clockwork Orange", and will then describe the significant symptoms which indicate behavioral problems for the central character, Alex. The study will discuss, among other issues relating to these symptoms and problems, the psychological stresses facing Alex, the nature of these stresses (situational, experiential, interpersonal, etc.), the means by which Alex copes with these stresses, the effectiveness of his coping mechanisms, therapeutic intervention attempted by society, and the classification of Alex's behavior patterns (normal? abnormal? reasonable in the social context?).
As Burgess himself writes in his Introduction to the Ballantine publication, "Life is, of course, terrible" (vii), and that is basically the message of the novel as it is expressed in .. "
