The Freedom Of Choice And The Rehabilitating Form Of Corrections Encase The Realm Of A Clockwork Ora Essay, Research Paper

The freedom of choice and the rehabilitating form of

corrections encase the realm of A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess.? It produces the question about man’s free

will and the ability to choose one’s destiny, good or evil. "If he can

only perform good or only perform evil, then he is a clockwork?????????? orange-meaning that he has the

appearance of an organism lovely with colour and juice but is in fact only a

clockwork toy to be wound up by God or the Devil or State"(Burgess ix). ?Burgess expresses the

idea that man can not be completely good or evil and must have both in order to

create a moral choice.? The book deals

upon reforming a criminal with only good morals and conditioning an automated

response to "evil."? Burgess

enforces the idea of the medical model of corrections, in terms of

rehabilitating an offender, which is up to the individual.? That one should determine the cause and then

find an exclusive treatment to resolve that individual’s? case, then apply it.? This is the case with the character Alex, a

juvenile delinquent? introduced into

prisonization then conditioned by governmental moral standards.? This lack of personal moral choice imposed

upon Alex creates conflicting situations in which he has no control over.? This is apparent when trying to readjust

into society.?? As conflicts arise

within the spectrum of criminal justice the main focus is revolved around the

corrections aspect of reforming the criminal element. ??????????? Within the confines of the seventies

Londoner.? The character, Alex is

created as the ultimate juvenile delinquent leading a small gang.? Living within his own world the use of old

Londoner language and attire reflect the non-conformity with society.? Let loose within a large metropolitan, Alex

is engulfed in the affairs of several criminal practices, from rape to

aggravated assault.? As a juvenile

delinquent, Alex is finally caught and seen as an adult offender.? Like all offenders he promotes his innocence

and sets blame upon? his

companions.? "Where are the others?

Where are my stinking traitorous droogs? One of my cursed grahzny bratties

chained me on the glazzies. Get them before they? get away. It was their idea, brothers. They like forced me to do

it"(Burgess 74). ? Betrayed by his

cohorts Alex is beaten by local officials and confesses to all the crimes.? As a point to retribution a sergeant states,

"Violence makes violence"(Burgess 80) and proceeds to through Alex

back into the cell.? All the while Alex

detests the treatment and conditions of the local jail, " So I was kicked

and punched and bullied off to the cells and put in with? about ten or twelve other plennies, a lot of

them drunk"(Burgess 81).? Unlike

the fair treatment of most juveniles Alex was finally getting the taste of

adult corrections, being held in a drunk tank along with other felons.? Faced with the reality of prison life, Alex

is introduced to prisonization by the same system which incarcerated him.? Showing him one must be tough and violent to

survive within the penal system. ??????????? The term prisonization refers to the

effect when an offender is subjected to the culture, morals, rules, and values

of a penal institution. Then this is inscribed into his or her own behavior and

deems them fit as a norm.?? This is the

case involving Alex when he must prove his worth in a correctional institution

by beating a fellow inmate. ?"If we can’t

have sleep let’s have some education, our new friend here had better be

taught? a lesson …I fisted him all

over, dancing about with my boots on though unlaced, and then I tripped him and

he went crash crash on the floor.? I

gave him a real horror show kick on the gulliver"(Burgess 102). ?Although being

brutal deems fit for Alex, he realizes that only repentance and good behavior

in the eyes of the officials can release him from the jaws of justices.??? So in order to be viewed as a reforming

criminal Alex turns to religion.? As the

prison minister clearly states, ?"Is it going

to be in and out of institutions like this, though more in than out for most of

you, or are you going to attend to the Divine Word and realize the

punishment? that await the unrepentant

sinner in the next world, as well as in this?"(Burgess 90) ?and the main focus

for reforming is in the hands of God and individual ? moral

choice.?? Through religion Alex soon

becomes a model prisoner, externally, ?yet internally

still willing to do anything to get out.?

This also included experimental rehabilitation methods done by the

state. ??????????? Being a juvenile in an adult prison

one would have the urgency to be released as quickly as possible.? When the word got out of a new experimental

reforming process and a chance for early release, it immediately caught Alex’s

attention. To be chosen, this meant constant pressuring and questioning to the

officials, plus showing that he is trying to reform.? " You’ve been very helpful and, I consider, shown a genuine

desire to reform.? You will, if you

continue this manner, earn your remission with no trouble at all"(Burgess

94).? However Alex’s intent on reforming

was not a religious aspect but the quickest.?

He finally realizes a new way to get out and questions the proceedings.

"I don’t know what it’s called, I said, All I know is that it gets you out

quickly and makes sure you don’t get in again"(Burgess 95).?? However the minister has doubts about the

medical treatment techniques involved in forcing a person to be morally

better.?? He brings up the question of

what makes a real moral person. "I must confess I share those doubts.? The question is whether such a technique can

really make a man good.? Goodness comes

from within, 6655321.? Goodness is

something chosen.? When a man cannot

choose he ceases to be a man"(Burgess 95).? This does not deter Alex from the thought of early release but

only intensifies his desires.? With his

determination and pure will Alex is finally permitted to be experimented on for

rehabilitation.? ??????????? With an early release in site Alex’s

willingness overshadows any curiosities of the treatment. Transferred from a

state prison to a private facility insures his release from incarceration.? "In a little over a fortnight you will

be out again in the big free world, no longer a number"(Burgess 108).? With the increase in population comes an

increase crime, this has also brought on encouraging new rehabilitating

techniques to corrections.? Stated by

one government official the importance of reforming in corrections rather than

retribution. ?"The

government cannot be concerned any longer with out moded? penalogical theories.? Cram criminals together and see what happens.

You get concentrated criminality, crime in the midst of punishment . . . Kill

the criminal reflex, that’s all"(Burgess 105,106).? ?The rehabilitating

technique used upon Alex is that of responsive conditioning with the use of

drugs and visual aids.? Conditioning is

the implementation of either teaching or forcing one to feel or think a certain

way when given a decision.? Alex is

therefore forced to feel and think negative responses when shown evil sites or

thoughts.? Yet the an error had occurred

when the state was conditioning "good" into him.? The use of classical music along with the

treatment conditioned Alex to respond to that as well. ?As Alex detested

the use of music, he states the cruelty?

of the technique, "But it’s not fair on the music. It’s not fair I

should feel ill when I’m slooshying lovely Ludwig van and G.F. Handel and

others"(Burgess 133).? Yet the

state feels the use of music is only an enhancement to the treatment,

"It’s a useful emotional heightener, that’s all I know"(Burgess 131).? As the treatment ends the sick feeling is

only increased when Alex is confronted with any "evil."? With this conditioning set in place Alex is

finally released into society and deemed healthy, pure of all morals.? ??????????? The readjustment into society’s

values seems to be? the main

question.? Was the implementation of

conditioning a person to strictly good morals proper and humane?? As the title suggests one can not be purely

good or evil to be a man.? One must have

both in order to create humanistic choice.?

If not, the creation would be that of a robot like person incapable of

feeling or self awareness.? As Alex is

released into the world as the states’ example of a "healthy" person,

he is tested by all extremes. One test was?

the incapability to defend himself against the smallest attacks on his

character.? Another error the state had

provided is the use of music in the treatment of Alex.? Not only does he feel physically sick when

he thinks or looks at violence but also when he hears classical music.? "It was that these doctors bratchnies

had so fixed things that any music that was like for the emotions would make me

just sick like viddying or wanting to do violence"(Burgess 161).?? Within the conditioning techniques of

repulsing him to violence, the state had also forced him to hate music.?? The use of this correctional treatment

failed due to the implementations on morality of human choice.? Is it better to have a criminal make human

choices, good or bad, or a purely good person not capable of making any

choices.?