ipl-logo

A Clockwork Orange Research Paper

1974 Words8 Pages

A Clockwork Orange Thematic Research Essay
Anthony Burgess’ dystopian novel, A Clockwork Orange, takes on the theme of free will and why it 's highly crucial to people in society. In his novel, Anthony Burgess explores the absence of free will from a government project leading the main character, Alex, to become sick whenever he thinks of violence, leaving him defenseless, and having suicidal tendencies. After the undergoing the experiment, Alex finds the violent acts that he once loved are now unenjoyable and sickening whenever they are upon his mind. After his release from prison, Alex is left alone in the streets where he is unable to fight back without getting sick. Lastly, realizing the effects of the experiment on his body, Alex concludes …show more content…

In Anthony Burgess’ novel, A Clockwork Orange, Alex volunteers for an experiment in return for an early release from prison. Alex becomes a victim of this experiment after unknowingly losing his freedom of choice. He becomes sick whenever he thinks of violence or wants to commit a violent act. Many times in history, people have seen countries that harshly limit the citizens’ rights; one prime example is China’s harsh violations to human rights. Since Alex becomes sick and disgusted whenever he thinks or wants to commit an act of brutality, he decides to try to live a violence-free life. China has dealt with the same issue. In 1989, Chinese scholars he;d a peaceful protest against their government for change. They were met with the army, which fired upon the protest. This event, know as the Tiananmen Protest, killed many citizens. From this experience, the citizens restrain themselves from protesting to prevent an incident analogous to the Tiananmen Protest from occurring. Because Alex undergoes the experiment, fighting and causing injury to somebody will make him sick. This is has a disadvantage on him because he cannot fight back against the people he harmed before he was imprisoned. The citizens of China comprehend with incidents similar to this when they are pawns of forced evictions. They just have to deal with it like Alex had to deal with his

Show More
Related

  • Compare Gandhi And Susan B Anthony

    573 Words  | 3 Pages

    All throughout history we have witnessed those exceptional beings whom have taken steps to better our society despite risking their lives and putting the lives of their family members at risk. Peaceful resistance and civil disobedience, as weak as it may sound can just be as powerful as the sword itself. Notably, we are fortunate enough to have had so many notable precedents where acts of peaceful resistance have successfully impacted society and made a mark in history. These remarkable figures have shown that acts of peaceful resistance can be just as significant and positively impacts a free society. Speaking in terms of today’s society, opposing laws that one believes to be unjust seems to be more effective because our citizens are aware

    Read More

  • Voting Rights Dbq

    280 Words  | 2 Pages

    Peaceful protests turned violent because of the pressure from the authority, like the Bloody Sunday protest

    Read More

  • Essay On First Amendment In College Campus

    754 Words  | 4 Pages

    In rarer cases some will protest on things that may cause fights. The college campus has the right to shut down a protest if it may cause a fight. This is said under the category “Fighting Words” in the first amendment. Its states that if the protest may cause the intended audience to commit an act of crime, the protest should be dismissed.

    Read More

  • Martin Luther King Nonviolent Resistance

    752 Words  | 4 Pages

    After seven weeks of marching, The People 's Liberation Army of China opened fire on the protesters. The exact death toll of the massacre is still unknown; estimates range from 200 and 10,000. (Oliver Noble, 2011) In conclusion, “Three Ways of Meeting Oppression” by Luther King is crucial in understanding the ways people use to resist the opponents, whereas failed nonviolent movements such as The White Rose and Tiananmen Square clarify that most of the nonviolent resistance protests end up badly when the opponent is merciless. Michael Stratford draws a line in the sand by stating that: “Although nonviolent resistance to Nazi occupation produces some limited achievements, there is little to indicate that these occupations could have been ended by nonviolent means alone, or mainly by nonviolent means.”

    Read More

  • Impact Of Bloody Sunday On Civil Rights

    1128 Words  | 5 Pages

    The consequences of peaceful protesting is, the marchers from Selma to Montgomery, had to go back and march three times. The first march wasn 't what they wanted to achieve and got sent back to the bridge. The second march was when they were crossing the bridge. The police officers attacked them with stick, teargas, clubs, arrested innocent people, guns were fired, knocked people to the ground, whips, rubber tubing wrapped in barbed wire was a weapon that the police officers whipped at the marchers. The third time they went to march, they won Federal Protection and they successfully marched for their cause.

    Read More

  • Civil Disobedience: The Boston Tea Party

    567 Words  | 3 Pages

    Accounts of civil disobediences have made their way into the paper many times since the start of this country: the Boston Tea Party, Thoreau's refusal to pay a poll tax, and Rosa Park's decision to stay seated on the bus. All of these examples represent a time of distress when people responded in non-violence to prove a point. But many would ask if this is really proving a point or if it is simply disregarding the law and setting a bad example? Well let me ask you this: would it be better to sit back and to hope that someone will speak out about the problem, or to go forward in violence thinking that that is the only way to achieve something? It seems that an act of non-violence is a way of being heard without coming across as irrational or

    Read More

  • Conformity In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Essay

    1380 Words  | 6 Pages

    Social Conformity in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest “He Who Marches Out Of Step Hears Another Drum” (Kesey 154). In this modern world, to come to terms with society is to conform to its standards. When a person does not fit the standard mold of a society, they are scrutinized for their divergence.

    Read More

  • Allusions In A Clockwork Orange

    1245 Words  | 5 Pages

    A Clockwork Orange, written by Anthony Burgess, deals with the essence of humanity and morality. Being difficult topics to grapple with, many turn to a religious perspective to inform their beliefs on these subjects. Burgess himself is a strongly Catholic individual and this ideology shows through in the ideas presented by A Clockwork Orange. The book contains a number of allusions to the Bible, Jesus and God’s intentions for humanity. These religious references build upon each other to develop Burgess’ notion that God created humans with free will, and how this leaves humankind flawed and prone to evil tendences.

    Read More

  • One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Analysis Essay

    1288 Words  | 6 Pages

    “One flew over the Cuckoo’s nest” is a film directed by Miloš Forman, based on the novel by Ken Kesey. The Film was released in 1975. It is the story of a convicted man, trying to outsmart the American legal system by playing mentally ill. The film starts at the beginning when the main character, Randle McMurphy, enters the mental institution. It won 6 Golden Globes as well as 5 Oscars and many other nominations.

    Read More

  • Watson's Brave New World: Classical Conditioning

    1272 Words  | 6 Pages

    While this movie may not be for everybody it does contain an interesting and controversial commentary on society. It seems that the primary message argued in A Clockwork Orange is that through abuse Alex has been considered cured, people must not be used as scientific experiments even if the experiment is for the greater good of society. The needs of the many do not outweigh the rights of one and by breaking this moral code by the elected officials drastically changes the way the society favors their government and its practices. Social engineering is not the answer to eliminate a disruptive youth culture and maintaining order within society. Violent impulses, sexual urges, the enjoyment of music, participating in social camaraderie are all essential parts of the human experience and eliminating any part of that experience would eliminate what it means to be a

    Read More

  • A Clockwork Orange Psychological Analysis

    786 Words  | 4 Pages

    The 1971 film, A Clockwork Orange, consists of many psychological concepts. Two concepts in particular seem to have the biggest impact and role throughout this film. These concepts being, classical conditioning and the idea that our environment and our experiences of nurture are what shapes us. A Clockwork Orange is the story of a group of young men who take pleasure in committing crimes and causing others to feel pain, they call themselves the “Droogs”. Alex, the group leader, suffers from Antisocial Personality Disorder, a disorder also known as “psychopath”.

    Read More

  • A Clockwork Orange Violence Essay

    661 Words  | 3 Pages

    Alex’s violence is a sign of a revolt. However, Alex is just one of the examples of individuals who do not yet understand what they are revolting against. He believes that violence is a way of expressing himself freely and a sign of his freedom. When the government takes that from him, he loses his sense of self. Even though droogs do despicable things in the novel, government’s violence is much more serious problem than the gang’s: government takes Alex’s freedom of choice, which is basically a crime against humanity.

    Read More

  • Catcher In The Rye Research Paper

    628 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Catcher in the Rye Final Essay (Draft) In J.D. Salinger's fiction book, The Catcher in the Rye, Holden, a teen living in the 1940’s, experiences his teen years in strange and unusual ways. Holden teaches us that everyone experiences frustrations throughout life but can always manage them. Some readers of the novel believe that the book has lost its significance due to the fact that it was written so long ago.

    Read More

  • To Kill A Mockingbird Marxist Analysis

    1514 Words  | 7 Pages

    Marxist Within the Mockingbird Today the world is open to people of all races, economic classes and much more, but in the 1930’s the world was not as accepting. To Kill A Mockingbird, is a book by Harper Lee which takes place in the 1930’s. Throughout the story there are issues with feminism, racism, and injustice. It starts with a young girl and her family, and as the book progresses the reader gets to find out some of the things that go on in their life and around them. Such as a stressful case which includes, a black innocent man who is accused for something he did not do.

    Read More

  • A Clockwork Orange Dystopian Analysis

    1007 Words  | 5 Pages

    A Clockwork Orange is set in a dystopian society, controlled by a restrictive, tyrannical government and denotes a substantial disaccord between the citizens and the state. The novel is narrated by fifteen-year-old Alex, who speaks in a fictitious argot known as Nadsat. Alex and his ‘droogs’ (5) – Dim, Pete, and Georgie – venture the streets in ‘ultra-violence’ (5), attacking, robbing, and raping whoever they please. One night, Alex is arrested amidst another criminal act, putting his ‘ultraviolence’ to an end. In prison, Alex is offered to take part in an experimental behaviour modification treatment, known as the Ludovico’s Technique (91) – an aversion therapy believed to eradicate his violent tendencies – in return for a reduced sentence.

    Read More

More about A Clockwork Orange Research Paper

Open Document