A review of A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

Essay by SpliffyJunior High, 9th grade December 2004

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Set in the future the book 'A Clockwork Orange" (written in the 1960's by Anthony Burgess) displays savage criminals and gangs who rule the streets... especially after dark. These young troublemakers, with 'ultra-violence' gleaming through their minds, commit rape, murder, robbery, grand theft auto, and an awesome yet scheme of helping old ladies. This fictionous novel comes amazingly close to reflecting contemporary society.

A rather well known hooligan named Alex is the central character of this classic. He speaks the slang of the future, developed by Burgess, which brilliantly shines up the world for these crooks. An example of the slang:

"There was me, that is Alex, and my three droogs, that is Pete, Georgie, and Dim, Dim being really Dim, and we sat in the Korova Milkbar making up our rassoodocks what to do with the evening... O my brothers..."

-Alex in the opening scene

All through the book Alex loved watching ultra-violence as well as taking part in it.

One day Alex is committed to the staja, or state jail, after taking part in some unfavorable nastiness. A new way of redeeming criminals to send them back into society was developed and promised a shortcut out of jail. Alex was sentenced to fourteen years of jail time, but he wanted a quick way out, and so he allowed himself to take part in this new system. Alex is afterward, as promised, placed back into the world... but a free man?

Although Alex was freed into the world he was not truly free because he was sick to the very thought of hurting a fly. This book defines the meaning and importance of human freedom. A clockwork orange is something, or someone, who is pure good or bad, and this, however, is not possible. A man...