Anthony Burgess A Clockwork Orange

Hook - How would you feel if no matter whether you were good or bad, you still could not fit in society, no matter how monstrous the society was.

T - By examining Anthony Burgess’s, A Clockwork Orange, one can see that the imagery of the prison, the imagery of the treatment, and the irony of life after the treatment, demonstrate the government’s monstrous control of the people in society, can have negative effects on the individual, resulting in the downfall of people affected by the government.

C.S - These three scenarios demonstrate Alex’s transformation, and how this impending transformation affects him and his role in society, and the government’s control on him.

T.S - By examining the imagery of the prison one can see how monstrous

G - The State prison is at maximum capacity, but the monstrosity of a government does not care and wants to cram as many criminals as possible in the prison. The cramming of all the men into the prison demonstrates how the government controls people, as they herd six criminals into a cell designed for three.

E.V - The government shows another monstrous side of their face when Alex explains,

“Now what I want you to know is that this cell was intended for only three when it was built, but there were six of us there, all jammed together sweaty and tight. And that was the state of all the cells in all the prisons those days, brothers, and a dirty cally disgrace it was, there not being decent room for a chelloveck to stretch his limbs...Sunday they brosatted in another plenny.” (Burgess 64)

A.N - The government already demonstrated how horrible they are with the tight quarters but when Alex announced that ‘sunday they brosatted in another plenny’, it illustrated just how monstrous the government’s control over people is, and how little they care about the people living in the cells. The government crams in as many people as they want with no regards on the consequences that may arise. This leads Alex to be disgusted and beat the new addition for getting too close, which lands Alex in a wee bit of trouble with some

Alex at first was excited and wanted to watch the films, but after a few round of films, he can no longer bear it. This treatment illustrates the hold the monstrous government has on people, as now the government will change any people they deem to be bad, and make them fit into society as ‘good citizens’.

C.S - This after-treatment life leaves Alex as a shell of what he was, not able to do anything to protect himself, and even if he wanted to, it would disgust him.

T.S - Once released from the treatment, society deems him ‘good’ so he should fit back into society with ease, but ironically he does not, which leads to negative repercussions.

A.G - Once he is dismissed from the State he attempts to adjust back to his normal life, but everything has changed during his prison time. After he gets out he heads to a library where an old victim of Alex’s is awaiting. The old man demands revenge and hopes to beat Alex, in hope of some vengeance.

E.V - Alex explains what he went through and states, “I’ve been punished since then. I’ve learned my lesson...But the crystallography veck creeched: ‘ Don’t let him go. We’ll teach him all about punishment, the murderous young pig. Get him.’...’Kill him, stamp on him, murder him, kick his teeth in,’ and all that cal.” (Burgess