A clockwork orange part 4

A Clockwork Orange is widely considered one of the most important science fiction novels of the 20th century, rivaled only by 1984. A Clockwork Orange was written by Anthony Burgess and published in 1962, causing a great stir among many people for its depiction of violence and other unsavory acts. The novels main theme is the choice between good and evil, and what can happen when you remove that choice. Upon its publication, A Clockwork Orange broke new ground in the moral implications of a science fiction novel.
The novel is set in an ultraviolent future, teenagers roam the streets for the next man to attack and the next woman to rape, and yet we still sympathize with the main character, by all means an utterly despicable teen, The characters in this book are very powerful and well thought out, Alex, our main character, being one of the most deep antiheroes on record. Alex and his “droogs” speak in “nadsat” the invented language used by teenagers in this book; it is a mixture of English, Russian, and Cockney slang, producing a highly interesting but sometimes confusing reading experience. Alex, describing a rape scene is as follows, “Plunging, I could slooshy cries of agony and this writer bleeding veck got loose howling bezoomy with the filthiest of slovos that I already knew and others he was making up.” This is a good indication of how widely used the slang is.
The novel is ultimately about Alex’s brainwashing by the government and it’s implications. Near the middle of the book Alex is put through the “Ludovico Technique” in turn forcing him to only do good because he will feel physically sick if he does anything to hurt someone. This is the main moral question of the book, is it better to have a choice between good and evil or always have to do good and have no choice in the matter. The writer seems to be of the opinion that it is better to have choice than be a toy to be wound up by god or the devil, “When a man ceases to choose, he ceases to be a man" The book in the final act, wherein Alex is released into the world, a free man, further explores this moral dilemma. He is beaten and cannot defend himself and he is tortured and still cannot defend himself. Eventually he tries to kill himself to escape the torture, but is unsuccessful in his attempt. Because of this incident he is widely apologized to, and subsequently cured of his inability to do evil, by the government officials who put him through the Technique and given a cushy job as compensation.
It is impossible to refute the importance of this novel; no other novel has explored the issue of choice as skillfully and engagingly as this one. It could be especially useful in the classroom because of its subject matter; A high school student would be much more enthusiastic about reading a novel that has a teenage character who they can sympathize with. During my reading of this novel I felt like Alex felt many of the pressures I do, I don’t have the impulse to rape people but I do feel like the world is run by people who would rather the culture of my generation die out. This book is a fairly extremist way to put across its point but it has been shown time and time again that people respond best to sensationalist tactics.
A Clockwork Orange is one of the most morally ambitious science fiction novels to date. I believe that it should be read by all teenagers, if only for the connection they would feel toward Alex, and the moral questions that would be asked in the process. This book echoes the sentiment of Neitzsche of the importance of choice to humanity. Without choice we would cease to be human, a plaything to those programming our decisions.