Clockwork orange, from breakthrough novel to breakthrough film

Essay by nylaxCollege, UndergraduateA+, April 2004

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A Clockwork Orange, a breakthrough novel by Anthony Burgess, seems to be a story about a horrific future where evil rules the streets, when in actuality it is a story between the give and take of freedom and control. The book pushes the boundaries of modern literature by tackling subjects that were previously taboo. He covers nearly all forms of sexuality and violence, but at the same time tries to show the reader there can be humor in these unmentionable acts. For example, in one point in the story our main character Alex actually kills one of his victims with a 4-foot statue of a large penis, however horrible the murder actually is, you cannot help but find some humor in it. The book was first released in 1962 when America and the rest of the world were going through many changes. People were questioning the government's control and trying to protect their freedoms.

The book caused a lot of controversy because while it spoke to one side of the revolution, the people questioning their government, it spoke against people who wanted things to stay the same. The book broke many barriers in the writing world by opening up many new topics that were previously taboo to write about.

The book has had a cult following among young people ever since it was published. Some of the book's popularity could be credited to the language of the book, also known as nadsat. The Specific form of speech that the gang uses is a combination of ol' timey English and Russian. It gave young people more ways to say things they weren't suppose to talk about. The author said he used this language so that the reader is not as stunned by the outrageous amounts of violence and sex in...