Free Essays - Anthony Burgess A Clockwork Orange :: Clockwork Orange Essays

Clockwork Orange In Anthony burgesss A Clockwork Orange, Burgess creates a dark-skinned future full of violence, rape and destruction. In this dystopian novel, Burgess does a fantastic job of constantly changing the readers allegiance toward the books narrator and main character, Alex. written material in a foreign language, Burgess makes the reader feel like an outsider. As the novel begins, the reader has no emotional connection to Alex. This non-emotional state comes to a sudden halt when Alex and his droogs begin a series of merciless acts of violence. The reader rapidly begins to form what seems to be an irreversible hatred toward the books narrator. However, as time progresses, Burgess cleverly changes the tone of his novel. Once wishing only the harshest punishments be bestowed upon him, it is these same punishments that begin to change how the reader feels. In fact, by the end of the book, one about begins to have pity for Alex. The same character that was once hated soon emerges as one of many victims taken throughout the course of the book. Throughout Alexs narration, Burgess manages to change the readers allegiance toward a once seemingly evil character. Alex is the type of character one loves to hate he makes it all too effortless to dislike him. He is a brutal, violent, teenage criminal with no place in society. His one and only role is to create chaos, which he does too well. Alexs violent nature is first witnessed during the first chapter, and is soon seen again when Alex and his gang chose to brutally beat an innocent drunkard. This beating off the homeless person man serves no purpose other then to amuse Alexs gang. The acts committed were not performed for revenge, the one reason given was that Alex did not enjoy seeing a homeless drunk, I could never stand to see a moodge all filthy and rolling and burping and drunk, whatever his age might be, but more in particular when he was real starry like this one was (13). Alex continues to expla in his reason for dislike, his platties were a disgrace, all creased and untidy and covered in cal (13), from this explanation one realizes his reasons for well-nigh killing a man are simply based on pleasure, desire, and a dislike toward the untidy. By the end of the second chapter Burgesss creative usage of a different language to keep the reader alienated from forming opinions about Alex ceases to work.