Sweeney 1 Dan Sweeney 3/11/09 English 152

Whats It Gonna Be Then, Eh? Droogs, Ethics, Philosophy, and a Malenky bit o the old Ultra-Violence

Anthony Burgesss A Clockwork Orange is a novel that takes place in a society of violence and corruption, seen through the eyes of the protagonist, Alex. The story recounts the young mans days as a ruthless criminal, to his eventual arrest, and subsequent involvement in a government administered rehabilitation experiment called the Ludovico technique. The novel is heavily filled with satire, and uses a teenage slang dialect known as nadsat, which helps to immerse the reader into the book. The purpose of this essay is to analyze the character of Alex, examine the ethics (or lack thereof) of Alexs various pseudo families, and demonstrate the prevalence of an Augustine/Pelagius theme. Alex can best be described as an anti-hero because he displays many qualities that are in direct opposition to the traditional qualities of a classic hero. A hero is one who puts his needs and desires aside and acts selflessly; which was certainly not something Alex made a habit of doing. What I do I do because I like to do (40) was Alexs motto and what he liked to do ranged from beating old, decrepit men, to hijacking cars, to raping young girls. Alex is able to rationalize his terrible deeds through a system of self-delusion by claiming he is acting under his free will, and if others wanted to act good, he would not interfere with them (Davis, 27): If lewdies are good thats because they like it, and I wouldnt interfere with their pleasures

Sweeney 2 (Burgess, 40). This claim is obviously not true, as evidenced by the malicious acts Alex and his droogs commit against innocent people, such as assaulting the old man leaving the book store. Also, by claiming that he would not interfere with their pleasures it seems Alex has a certain hedonistic view, in which the pursuit and attainment of pleasure is an end in of itself. When analyzing the character of an individual, it is important to examine his social history, as well as outside influences and factors that would cause one to be inclined to act a certain way. Not much is known of Alexs social history, except that he does not appear to have a close relationship with his parents (in fact, they are intimidated by him), nor does he seem to have any real friends. The three people he is closest to, Dim, George, and Pete betray him by knocking him unconscious at the scene of a crime for the police to arrest him. The social conditions that are present in Alexs world are satirically heightened versions of conditions that would cause a man to lash out in violent and evil ways. For instance, everyone is subjected to living in flatblock housing, free speech and freedom of expression are outlawed, and police brutality is commonplace, whether a crime warrants it or not (Coleman, 62-63). It can be said that the state has tampered with Alexs clockwork with these various restrictions, and as a result made him unfit to function in society in a proper manner (Coleman, 63). Throughout the novel, Alex is involved in several pseudo families upon which he relies on, and is often let down by. The first example is his original droogs, Dim, George, and Pete, who aid him in terrorizing the community by committing ultra-violent crimes. This relationship quickly deteriorates when Alex decides he needs to establish his dominance by dueling both Dim and George with his knife. Other examples of Alexs pseudo families are his relationship with his Post-Corrective Advisor, P. R. Deltoid, the prison charlie, the sadistic doctors, Brandon and Brodsky, and even his own parents. None of these relationships are

Sweeney 3 healthy or functional, with the possible exception of the prison charlie, who Alex does not take seriously. This desire for a functional family system is ultimately what allows Alex to change his ways in the 21st chapter (Davis, 22-23). The quest to reach HOME is an integral part of the story in which Alex seeks a place of security and refuge; something even his own parents deny him. Home, home, home, it was home I was wanting, and it was HOME I came to, brothers. (152) Alex arrives at the very place where earlier in the story he and his droogs terrorized a family by brutally beating the man and raping his wife. This time, however, he is truly seeking help, and the man, who does not recognize Alex, gladly obliges and lets him inside. At first it seems the man, named Alexander, is acting as a good Samaritan, taking great care of Alex, but it becomes evident later that he is merely using him as a political weapon. Even in his most vulnerable state, and unable to commit any kind of violence, Alex cannot form a mature, functional friendship, and is instead taken advantage of and let down. Perhaps it is justice that Alex is being treated this way because he has certainly done his fair share of terrible deeds, but the cycle of violence and manipulation seems to have no end to it, regardless if Alex himself is even capable of doing these things himself. Anthony Burgess is known for placing opposing views of libertarians and authoritarians in his works. Burgess calls these points of view Pelagian and Augustinian, respectively, and both of these ideologies are prevalent in A Clockwork Orange. A libertarian, or Pelagian view, is one that is concerned with individual rights, and complete freedom from controlling governments. This view says that human beings are capable of perfection, and trying to impose strict rules and regulations is unnecessary and a violation of liberties. The opposing view of authoritarians, or Augustinians, claims that human beings are not perfect and are very capable of

Sweeney 4 doing evil things. As a result, there must be a rigorous set of rules that must be enforced, and if they are violated, the criminals must be punished (Rabinovitz, 43). In the beginning of the story, society seems to function under a libertarian system; crime largely goes unpunished, the police force is rather small, and vandalism is rampant. Upon release from prison, there appears to be a shift towards a more authoritative form of government in which crime control is the primary focus. Alex is also very surprised to see that all the paintings in his apartment were no longer defaced and the elevator was working (Rabinovitz, 44). Certain characters in the novel exhibit either a Pelagian or Augustinian ideology in A Clockwork Orange. Perhaps the quintessential example of a libertarian is Alexander, who writes about the possibility of human perfection and free will, and vehemently opposes the governments control. P. R. Deltoid could also be said to be a libertarian who favors rehabilitation through education over punishment. It is interesting, however, that both of these characters betray their principles in the novel, both in a wrath against Alex. Deltoid, upon hearing that Alex killed an old lady asks Is it some devil that crawls inside of you? (Burgess, 39), then spits in his face, which is certainly not something a correction officer would be expected to do. Alexander betrays his principles when he agrees to have Alex locked up in a hotel room, forced to listen to music that will make him sick and drive him insane. Alex behaves in ways that are more in line with an Augustinian ideology: he views human nature in a negative light; he insists that he be the undisputed leader of his gang of droogs, like a dictator or king, and thinks that people should be punished instead of rehabilitated (Rabinovitz, 45). Also, the Minister and Dr. Brodsky, both agents of the government, are only interested in crime control, and could care less about rehabilitating offenders. The Ludovico Technique ensures that subjects are unable to commit any violent acts, but in doing so it takes away ones free will.

Sweeney 5 The juxtaposition of the protagonist Alex and the writer Alexander is very interesting because they both display characteristics that are in extreme opposition of each other. The idea of a predator and prey is evident in their relationship; with Alex terrorizing Alexander early in the novel by assaulting him and raping his wife. This role is reversed later when Alex is at the mercy of Alexander. Alexs inability to tame or control his sexual desires is in opposition to the controlled libido of Alexander, who is a husband. Alex can be considered a man of action, without putting much thought into his deeds, while Alexander is much more contemplative. Alexs conservative attitude is in stark contrast to Alexanders liberalism (Rabinovitz, 45-46). While Alex is guilty of committing horrible crimes, the reader cannot help but feel sympathetic towards him, perhaps even more empathetic towards Alex than Alexander, who appears to be a proper, law abiding citizen; even though he is secretly working against the government. The reason for this is that Alex demonstrates more redeeming qualities such as grace, resourcefulness, humor, and charm. Alexander, on the other hand, seems to lack a personality altogether, and is obsessed with overthrowing the government, almost to the point of madness. A quote that sums this up nicely: a charming psychopath usually makes a better impression than a righteous neurotic. (Rabinovitz, 49).