A CLOCKWORK ORANGE :: essays research papers

Many of us like to think that humanity as a whole is progressing to a better future where we will live united and in peace with one another, a time of a more enlightened society. But there are those among us that do not share these beliefs. In A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess, the futuristic world is displayed as a world turned upside down and in shambles. This 1962 classic is a frightful depiction of what our society could become and possibly what it already is. Drugs almost seem to be legal and unregulated and subsequently are widely used. The prison system is overcrowded with young punk criminals who are inherently evil with no regard for humanity, or any part of society for that matter. The youth takes over the streets at night and beat anyone they encounter. The elderly sit around in bars and drink the remainder of their lives away. The people have become desensitized to violence, because it is so prevalent in their lives. A Clockwork Orange is a very intriguing story tha t deals with many social problems, not offering a solution, but pointing out obstacles in the way of the creation of a more perfect society. A Clockwork Orange is written in the first person by the main character, Alex. This makes the story more personable by allowing the reader to see into the mind of Alex as he goes through the many changes that he does. Three of his friends or droogs that help him in his crimes are Dim, Pete, and Georgie. Throughout the story the author creates his own language called nadsat, which is used by the youth of the futuristic world and is at the height of fashion. Nadsat is a mix of Russian, English, and the slang words of both. It is meant to set the violence apart from reality, making it almost cartoon like. The story begins at the start of a wild and violent night with Alex and his friends sitting in a diner. To start off a typical night they encounter an old man walking the streets, so they harass and hit him. But this is not just any ordinary harassing episode but more of a complete and utter pounding. They beat the defenseless man until he is all bloody and disoriented. They then send him on his way, half naked and crawling home, later that night they saw an old drunken man sitting on the ground and they decided to beat him until he was delirious.