A Clockwise orange - Violence and Society - Essay Example

      A Clockwise Orange – Violence and Society        The novel A Clockwise Orange by Anthony Burgess raises questions on the manner in which a typical so-called free society in modern times implements law and order mechanism and deals with habitual criminal lawbreakers. The overwhelming question that would be examined is whether society can curb violence by implementing laws that by themselves are violent. The question, whether violence by criminals can be addressed by violent means, is addressed in the novel through its theme.         Society is expected to function properly only when people can carry out their day-to-day activities without being threatened of violent acts like stealing, sexual harassment, etc. by unsocial elements. When unsocial acts from the likes of eve-teasing and pick pocketing crosses their limits to rape and murder, like carried out by Alex in the novel under study, then such characters are too dangerous to be left open in the society. Imprisonment is one way through which present day judicial system deals with such criminal offenders (Collins and Cattermole).        Though there is no authoritative definition of anti-social acts by habitually violent criminal offenders, anti-social act is any action which is ‘public’ in character, generally criminal, and at a low level of seriousness constitutes activities often termed in popular parlance as ‘street offences.’ In US, crimes are classified into felonies and misdemeanors. While misdemeanors are usually lighter form of offenses dealt with corrective measures like fine or imprisonment up to 1 year, serious crimes like rape and murder comes under the category of felony. They are often punishable by death penalty or imprisonment more than one year (Collins and Cattermole 47).        Cullen, Wright, and Blevins observes, “crime is a complex phenomenon that exists on varied levels of analysis, manifests itself in various ways across the life course, is linked to forces inside and outside the individual, and is enmeshed in contexts extending from situational dynamics to socio-political, historical eras.” (Cullen, Wright, and Blevins 1) Alex, the protagonist in the 1962 novel A Clockwise Orange, and his pals are adolescent ‘style-boys’ who are used to ‘smashing faces and windows’ and night orgies. They communicate in slangs and external environment generates a vicious circle from where it is difficult to come out from the crime (Burgess). Alex's pals (‘droogs" in the novel's Anglo-Russian slang) are Dim, a slow-witted, systematic bruiser and Georgie, a motivated No 2 in command, and Pete, all of whom have predilection for ultra-violence. The author portrays Alex as a personality with an instinct to do antisocial activities and a hardcore juvenile wrongdoer; he is nevertheless sharp and intelligent with elegant taste of music. Alex is especially fan of Beethoven, or ‘Lovely Ludwig Van.’ (Burgess 63)       According to Collins and Cattermole, antisocial behavior varies from person to person. ‘Silo’ remedy focused on just one part is deemed to be a failure. Enforcement, prevention, and rehabilitation should be pursued thoughtfully in any modern free society (Collins and Cattermole 47-48). During his imprisonment, Alex is subject to behavior modification; Ludovico Technique is experimented (Burgess 82). Under this technique, Alex is injected with a medicine that makes him sick and compelled to view violent scenes finally pushing him to strong bouts of nausea at the mere thought of violence (Burgess 96). The success of the application of Ludovico technique in Alex is exhibited to a cluster of important people, who observe as Alex falls down before a bully and degrade him before an insufficiently attired young woman. Though the prison officials blame the government of depriving Alex of free will, the state bureaucrats present are delighted with the outcome and Alex is discharged from the prison (Burgess 119). Ability to think and choose wisely and justly is a sign of humanity. Hence taking away the capacity to think may be defined as an inhuman act. Such an outcome therefore cannot really be taken as a human act or rehabilitation in the true sense. This is also against the essence of humanity.       Modern states try to create a more favorable community that would be conductive of good behavior by its citizens through prevention and rehabilitation. Included in it are communal initiatives aimed at creating a better society. Application of Ludovico technique on Alex in the novel is an example of corrective measures taken in association with state and healthcare experts to address antisocial tendencies. The novel under discussion raises ethics and effectiveness of such state interventions. More than correctional facilities the jails therefore become penal institutions.       Communitarian movement that sees society from a family point of view is finding renewed stress among philosopher and law enforcers in the last decade or so. In US, communitarian leaders like Etzioni are trying to implement virtues of communitarian movement through state cooperation. Such communitarian leaders argue that those who follow virtues of ideal community should be rewarded by the state (Etzioni). By putting stress on moral duty of each citizen in the community, the aim of present communitarian movement is to correct some of the anomalies of human behavior which would address teenagers like Alex, Dim, and Georgie right from their childhood through a better family and community to support. Communitarian movement has become popular in European countries like UK where governments are trying to implement it through state initiatives. However, if states reward so-called good people by communitarian leaders like Etzioni, it would indirectly penalize those who do not meet its defined standards. This would be considered as one form of state interference against free will.         One of the purposes of this novella is to represent idea of free will. Burgess argues that man is defined by his ability to select courses of moral action. He can use this to perform good or evil. Burgess contends, “If he can perform only good or perform only evil, then he is only a clockwork orange. It means that he has the appearance of an organism lovely with color and juice, but is in fact only a clock-work toy to be wound up by the God or the Devil or (since this is increasingly replacing both) the Almighty State” (Burgess IX).        According to Burgess, laws in the society often take away natural qualities of its citizens to spread sweetness through their creative works. According to him, it is more agreeable to carry evil deeds than to be conditioned artificially into performing what is socially acceptable. Ethics behind artificial behavior modification therapies (Ludovico technique) is an important theme in this novella. Realizing unacceptable ways of implementing such behavior modification therapies, Burgess perhaps found it still more unacceptable when young Alex is transformed into a socially acceptable breed after undergoing the Ludovico therapy (Burgess).        The novel throws a cynical eye at the American Criminal justice system, which actually implements methods that take away the ability of an individual to think and act on his own. So the problem is not addressed from the core or the base. The true essence of the nature is unaltered and whatever is accomplished is more or less by force. A middle path for addressing criminal justice and social order perhaps could be a compromise between enforcement and rehabilitation. While those who are really threat to society, like Alex, should be left out of the purview of it through imprisonment or confined to a rehabilitation center for the time being, others showing lighter antisocial tendencies should be addressed through fines and lighter punishments, keeping them aligned with the society. After all, as Burgess contends, sin is just one aspect of human behavior, which cannot be segregated from any human personality, or it would become a case of mechanical anticlockwise orange losing its creativity.          References 1. Burgess, Anthony. A Clockwise Orange. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1986. Print. 2. Cullen, Frances T; Wright, John Paul; and Blevins, Kristie R. Taking Stock: The Status of Criminological Theory. Transactions Publishers, 2009. Print. 3. Collins, Scott and Cattermole, Rebecca. Anti-social behavior and disorder: powers and remedies. London: Sweet & Maxwell, 2006. Print. 4. Etzioni, A. The Spirit of Community. London: Fontana. 1995.   Read More