The United States of Dystopia

Paper Summary:

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."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Burgess, Anthony. A Clockwork Orange. I. New York, New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1962.
• Ferguson, David. "Is National ID Unconstitutional?." The Right Angle. 16 Mar 2007. HumanEvents.com. 24 Sep 2007 <http://www.humanevents.com/rightangle/index.php?id=21509&title=is_a_national>.
• "LII: Constitution." United States Constitution. 27 Apr 2002. Cornell School of Law. 24 Sep 2007 <http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.preamble.html>.
• Hersh, Seymour M.. "How Antonio Taguba, who investigated the Abu Ghraib scandal, became one of its casualties." The General's Report. 25 June 2007. The New Yorker . 24 Sep 2007 < http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/06/25/070625fa_fact_hersh?printable=true >.
• "The Bill of Rights." usinfo.state.gov. 23 May 2003. Federal Government . 24 Sep 2007 <http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/funddocs/billeng.htm>.

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