a clockwork orange character analysis

Greg Smith AP Lit-2nd Character Analysis 04-21-15  A Clockwork Orange: An Immoral Man “Psychoaths!!! eole "ho #no" the di$$erences %et"een right and "rong& %'t don(t gi)e a shit!* -+lmore Leonard,isarate yo'th roam an e'ally deserate s'rmise.cr'm%ling stone %'ildings and $ailing steel in$rastr'ct're.as olice sirens cry $ar in the distance o$ their dystoian "orld! Isolating their rey& these immoral immoral $iends ta#e $'ll ad)antage o$ o $ their )ictim/ assa'lt& rae& and m'rder! ot al"ays in that order! Al"ays lea)ing the money 'nto'ched in the )ictims %ill$old! Its 'nimagina%le! Its immoral! Its Its inh'mane the '%lic "ill cry! cry! A meaningless meaningless act o$ )iolence& "itho't moti)ation or reason& the )ictim o$ chance& or at least thats "hat the relati)es "ill %e told! heyll ta#e sorro" in their random& godless mis$ort'ne.%elie)ing mis$ort'ne.%elie)ing all o$ these lies!  o action is "itho't moti)ation! o character is $'lly "itho't agency! 3't they "ill oose  %eca'se they cannot %egin to $athom "hat the alternati)e "o'ld entail! hy "o'ld a erson li#e Ale in A in A Clockwork Orange go Orange go aro'nd %rea#ing e)ery commandment& co)enant& and creed on the $ace o$ the +arth.%eca'se he en6oys it! Ale is moti)ated li#e e)ery other h'man %eing/ %y leas're! “hat I do I do %eca'se I li#e to do* 73'rgess 489! It is the carrot& not the stic#& "hich dri)es Ale $or"ard in his heino's acts! :o"e)er& Ale& 'nli#e most& cannot 'ench his desire $or leas're! :is m'rdero's m'rdero's tendencies are edged on %y the mere orgasmic leas're& "hich he recei)es $rom the sight o$  %lood and h'man t'rmoil! :e cant contain himsel$! Ale is& in e)ery sense o$ the "ord& a  sychoath! :e matches near e)ery criteria in the ,SM-5 chec#list roosed %y ,r! ;o%ert :are/ “s'er$icial charm and o)errated sel$ "orth 7<=o'r 7<=o'r h'm%le narrator 73'rgess99& 73'rgess99&

stim'lation-h'nger& high degrees o$ mani'lation 7his eloitation o$ ,im9& lac# o$ shame and emathy 7aarent9& irresonsi%ility and $ail're to recogni>e long-term goals 7s#iing school9& de)iant se 7more grotes'e than imagina%le9 engag ement o$ crimes as a 6')enile 7e'ally aarent9* 7right 7right 1549! 1549! hile 'nimagina%le& this $ascination $or the a%omina%le& this leas're $rom the atrocio's  %'rsts $orth into e)ery element o$ his li$e! li$e! hese tendencies aear again& and again& and again! :is lo)e $or m'sic stems $rom the )iolence and d iscord "ithin it/ ?h it "as gorgeo'sness and gorgeosity made $lesh! he trom%ones cr'nched redgold 'nder my %ed& and %ehind my g'lli)er the tr'mets three-"ise sil)er$lamed& and there %y the door the tims rolling thro'gh my g'ts and o't again cr'nched li#e candy cand y th'nder! ?h& it "as "onder o$ "onders! And then& a  %ird o$ li#e rarest s'n hea)enmetal& or li#e sil)ery "ine $lo"ing in a saceshi& gra)ity all nonsense no"& came the )iolin solo a%o)e all the other strings& and those strings "ere li#e a cage o$ sil# ro'nd my %ed! hen $l'te and o%oe %ored& li#e "orms o$ li#e latin'm& into the thic# thic# to$$ee gold and sil)er! I "as in s'ch %liss& my %rothers! 73'rgess @9 A disg'stingly )iolent and se'al descrition 'naralleled %y all other acco'nts o$ m'sic& "hereas his act'al se'al desires stem $rom domination and s'%6'gation/ I $elt the old tigers lea in me and then I leat on these t"o yo'ng titsas! his time they tho'ght nothing $'n and stoed creeching "ith high mirth& and had to s'%mit to the strange and "eird desires o$ Aleander the Large! 7519 Large! 7519 ,ist'r%ing %eyond %elie$& this er)ersion contin'es into his later ne"$o'nd lo)e $or $aith& stemming $rom the atrocities committed %y Gods children/

!!! and I "o'ld read o$ these starry yahoodies tolchoc#ing each other and then  eeting their :e%re" )ino and getting on to the %ed "ith their "i)es li#e handmaidens& real horrorsho"! hat hat #et me going& %rothers! I didnt so m'ch #oat the later art o$ the %oo#& "hich is more li#e all reachy go)oree ting than $ighting and the old in-o't! 7B9 Ale does "hat he en6oys/ )iolence )iolence o$ e)ery $orm! Physical& se'al& mental& and sel$-in$licted sel$-in$licted )iolence are all in his reertoire& and he re)els in them! Dntil his 'nnat'ral re%irth! he L'do)icos echni'e& echni'e& a sadistic sol'tion $or a sadistic so'l& stris Ale Ale o$ his only o nly tr'e h'manity/ his caacity $or $or e)il! Dna%le to ind'lge in his er)erse er)erse leas'res& his li$e li$e %ecomes 'ltimately hoeless! h's& he attemts to #ill himsel$/ himsel$/ S'ddenly& I )iddied "hat I had to do& and "hat I had "anted to do& and that "as to do mysel$ inE to sn'$$ it& to %last o$$ $or e)er o't o$ this "ic#ed& cr'el "orld! ?ne moment o$ ain erhas and& then& slee $ore)er& and e)er and e)er! 71BB9 In the $ace o$ an insatia%le desire $or ind'lgence& he leas $rom the %' ilding $or he is "itho't moti)ation or agency! agency! Ale can no longer $ind leas're& and his 'rose as a character can& there$ore& also no longer %e satis$ied! :o"e)er& many ha)e 6'stly 'estioned the %elie)a%ility o$ Ales character agency.  e)en the '%lishers 73'rgess iii9! iii9! ?timists eist "ho claim that inherent e)il is not a h'man trait! Pessimists eist "ho claim that inherent e)il is solely a h'man trait! And there eists realists& "ith a $ine gras o$ h'manity& that 'nderstand that the inner "or#ings o$ h'manity are so comle& so enigmatic& that e)ery h'man so'l is so 'ni'e that "e cannot gras it! =e =et& t& Ales Ales actions lin# %ac# to the simle simle sa)agery o$ ancient man! :e acts solely $or leas're& and he "ill do anything to attain it! And "hy& there$ore& sho'ld this sychoathic character e)er changeF

he '%lishers o$ A o$ A Clockwork Orange 't Orange 't m'ch deli%eration into this 'estion/ do h'man %eings really changeF ,i$$ering in length %y one chater& the 3ritish and American American  '%lications co'ld not %olster a more di$$erent meaning meaning $or the same %oo#! In the 3ritish  '%lication& $'l$illing the $'ll 21 chaters as "ritten "ritten %y Anthony 3'rgess& 3'rgess& Ales Ales character comes to $r'ition! “And all it "as "as that I "as yo'ng! 3't no" as I end this story& story& %rothers& I am not yo'ng& not no longer& oh no! Ale li#e gro"eth '& oh yes* 73'rgess 2129& :e no longer l'sts $or m'rdero's acts and )iolent dislays! dislays! S'ggested earlier is e)en the rosect that he "o'ld $ancy a $amily $or himsel$! It is imossi%le and 'tterly 'tterly 'n%elie)a%le! S'ch s'ggestion o$ this agency "as ne)er acco'nted $or rior& and "hy no" sho'ld it emergeF emergeF And so tho'ght the American American  '%lishers! +nding "ith the immortal lines& “I "as c'red all right* 719& the the American American  '%lication con)eys an entirely di$$erent meaning/ he "ill ne)er change! he irony o$ Ales Ales statement %r'tally clear in his re)ersion %ac# to sadism! sadism! An agent o$ discord and )iolence& he "as c'red not o$ his sychoathy& %'t o$ the L'di)icos echni'e& echni'e& "hich allo"ed him simly to ret'rn to the ra)eno's ra)eno 's eloits o$ his ro$anity ro$anity!! Peole change& %'t sychoaths dont! Ale is 'nli#e other h'man h'man %eings& and he "ill al"ays& %y some random chance& remain "itho't morality& morality& 'rs'ing his o"n sadistic leas're a%o)e all 'rs'its! e ed d 3'ndy once said in a rison inter)ie"& “I dont $eel g'ilty $or anything! I $eel sorry $or $or eole "ho $eel $eel g'ilt* 7Micha'd 2B19! 2B19! his sort o$ $'ndamental characteristic cannot change! Ale see#s o't in e)er action& method& and "ord leas're! ,eri)ing his agency $rom his 'est $or sadistic leas're& he is a $'ndamentally di$$erent on a %r'tally real le)el!  Peole eist li#e Ale! And they "ant one thing/ leas're! Societal g'ilt and e)en the most ad)anced $orms o$ medicine co'ld not c're c're Ale! Ale! And nothing e)er "ill!

or#s Cited 3'rgess& Anthony! A Anthony! A Clockwork Orange. e" Orange. e" =or#/ orton& 1B8! Print! Micha'd& Stehen G!& :'gh Aynes"orth& and a nd ed 3'ndy!Te 3'ndy! Ted d Bundy: Conversations with a  Killer.  Killer. Ir)ing& / A'thorlin#& 2000! Print! ;ose& Adam! H+lmore Leonard on Psychoaths - he e" =or#er!H =or#er!HThe The New Yorker ! he e" =or#er& 0@ ?ct! 200B! e%! 21 Ar! 2015! right& r ight& ohn Pa'l!& Stehen G! i%%etts& i%%etts& and Leah +! ,aigle! Criminals in the Making: Criminality across the i!e Course! Course! Los Angeles/ Sage& 200B! Print!