In A Clockwork Orange and The Matrix, various techniques and the plots are employed to examine freewill. Juxtaposition and the storyline are used to explore whether freewill is possible. To exhibit that free will is important, the authors utilise the plot and similes. To demonstrate the consequences of free will, Burgess and the Wachowski Brothers use dialogue, similes and onomatopoeia, The Wachowski Brothers and Burgess both consider whether freewill is truly possible through the use of similes and plot. In A Clockwork Orange, Alex feels as though others around him are trying to take away his freedom and control him. Therefore, he proceeds to commit violent and immoral acts as to him, it is the only choice that others - especially the government - does not try to make him do. Burgess even …show more content…
Burgess illustrates the importance of free will by declaring that without choice, a man “ceases to be a man” (p. 63). This is exhibited through the use of similes and onomatopoeia as Alex describes the imprisoned criminals to be “like animals” going “marrrrre and baaaaaa” (p. 61) as if they are sheep following a shepherd without any control over themselves. This gives the reader a negative perception of the government and their controlling methods. Additionally, F. Alexander and his friends refer to Alex as a “device” (p. 120) to be “installed” (p. 123). Using language often regarded with machinery gives Alex an inhuman quality which therefore stops him from being a real man. Similarly, Mouse states that “to deny all impulses” or a human’s choice, is to “deny the very thing that makes [them] human”. Neo is also cited as a “machine”, giving him the same robotic effect that Alex has. As demonstrated through similes, onomatopoeia and plot, man does not “exist” (p. 120) without free will and
In todays society our mistakes define who we are. With so much pressure and stress to succeed in life we often forget the simplistic things, such as integrity and good ethics. Alex Sawyer seems to forget about actions and outcomes and ends up paying the biggest price for a job gone wrong, his freedom. In this journal I will be relating three songs of my choice to Alex’s choices in the book. Alex Sawyer is a one time bully, part time burglar and full time loser.
Inmate #11187-424 In 1993, twenty-four year old Piper Kerman flew to Belgium with a suitcase full of money that would be passed off to a West African drug lord. After that happened Kerman left the business and decided to turn herself in. In February of 2004, Kerman was named part of an international drug ring, and she was incarcerated at the age of thirty four. Sentenced to a year at a minimum security women's prison, Kerman set out to blend in the best she could to make her way through her sentence without causing any trouble. During her time Piper met people of all races, ages, religions, and walks of life.
The Glass Castle When being put on this Earth, there is one of two options that can be made. To follow our fate and let life take us there, or chose the power of free-will. In Jeanette Walls’ memoir, The Glass Castle, the Walls family are faced with stimulating and challenging decisions that can greatly affect the rest of their lives ahead, depending on which path they chose. It’s all a matter of fate or free-will.
For example, on page three it states, "I contemplate amputating my arm, I lay all my tools around me and think about their use in surgery. "Following this quote, Aron thought of all if his options before choosing the most beneficial one. If he would of picked his first thought he could later regret not picking a better option. In addition, on page five the story quotes, "There is nothing that gives even a slight hint that this awful stillness will break. I can make it break.
You see twenty dollar's fall out of a person's pocket, are you going to keep it for yourself or give it back to the unknowing person? The decision is your to make...not quite. In Lauren Slater's book, Opening Skinner’s Box, Slater studies B.F Skinner's experiments on reactions. In Slater's own research she meets Jerome Kagan who believes free will exist and even jumps under his desk to prove it. However, I disagree with Kagan's claim that by diving under his desk he is proving he has free will because he overlooks the fact that he was trained by his society to do so, people react based off operant conditioning and finally, determinism.
Clockwork orange really tells readers more about predicting the future in stories made long ago. Clockwork Orange takes place in a small, hard governed dictatorial city. In this story citizens of the city are brainwashed not really paying attention to the corrupt society run by the youth. The entire city is getting destroyed slowly by violent crime committing youth. This story really told the future because in the story it talks about a futuristic city taking place in the future.
The author portrays himself, Douglas Adams, as a dynamic character throughout the story. This can be proven by Douglas’ thoughts about the matter before and after he had realized
In the novel Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell successfully writes six interconnected stories in different eras. Each chapter was told through the perspective of a narrator who portrays a belief in either, choice or destiny. This raises awareness on Mitchell’s view of the novel –free will or determinism? – shown by the characters’ actions.
Romeo and Juliet Essay Chaos in the streets of Verona erupt again. A day after a fight with the Capulet and Montague family, Tybalt kills Mercutio. Soon after, Romeo kills Tybalt for revenge. Is this controlled by fate, or by the character
The pledge of allegiance is not a form of orwellian conditioning because it is optional to participate in, its contents and use are governed by the people, and it promotes positive values rather than those used in orwellian conditioning. Being optional, saying the pledge of allegiance is completely different from elements such as the hate in 1984. is In 1942, the supreme court of the united states ruled that students could not be compelled to say the pledge in schools. Conversely to the point at hand, in 1984 it is said that there are “no laws anymore”, but, because not participating in the hate or practicing disobedience in any form is thought crime, there are rules in place to govern the population and participating in the hate is one of those rules. This, when juxtaposed with the supreme court decision in 1942, forms an incredibly stark contrast.
In many cases, people may be forced by external circumstances to make decisions that they would not have made if such circumstances did not present themselves. The results of such decisions can either have a positive or negative impact on the lives of an individual. Such a case is well presented in the story A &P by John Updike where the major character, Sammy is portrayed to be indecisive. In this story, Sammy, the major character continually rebels against his coworkers, his boss, customers, and sometimes himself. His rebellion appears to have more disadvantages than advantages as it complicates his life in many cases.
He believes that he should have the freedom to shoot whatever he wants and do whatever he pleases. Alex cannot stay in one place for a long period of time so he starts going on foot onto his next adventure. After a month walking through the woods and
Fate and Free will are both two ideas that have a questionable outcome. Whether one has free will or fate the outcome for both is unknown until the end. In the Matrix, the computer generated world which humans "live" in, it appears that fate is key. The computer system is prewritten, predesigned, and already programed. However, free will starts to take place in the minds of the individuals who begin to escape.
He states in his essay, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, that “a man in respect of willing, or the act of volition, when any action in his power is once proposed to his thoughts...cannot be free” (§23). That is, a man is not at liberty to decide whether or not to will. For instance, if he is presented with a thought, which leads to the willing of an action or nonaction (that is in his power) in accordance with that
In this essay, I will argue from a compatibilist perspective arguing that free will does exist, and it is consistent with determinism. Compatibilism means that free will can exist with determinism [177]. Incompatibilism means that it is not possible for free will to exist with determinism [172]. Free will occurs when people’s actions come from their second order volition [184]. Second order desires requires you to first desire something, and to then have a desire about your first desire [184].