Clockwork Orange Essay, Research Paper

A Clockwork Orange is the story of a young teenage hooligan, Alex DeLarge, who with the company of his accomplices commit, repeated homicides and rapes at night. They break into homes of innocent people and commit crimes dressed like they are participants in a circus. During one of their nights of terror, Alex is caught by the police and jailed. During his prison term, there is a research project being designed to deter the criminalistic mind as well as to make room for the prisoners by aversion therapy proposed by the government. Alex becomes cured by the therapy and when released back into society is rejected by his family, tortured by his friends and confronted by the people who he had committed crimes against in his prior lifestyle. The story takes place in Britain.

In the movie the law is viewed as one that deters crime by sentencing and jailing criminals for crimes committed by introduce an alternative to deter crime and law among an individual group in society. In one of the beginning scenes of the movie, the British police are holding a woman hostage as if they are going to physical assault her. This is the first display of how corruptness of authority creates the environment for violence among the four juveniles who live among the society. Alex and his friends find excitement in beating the police officers senseless.

Alex who is the leader of the group of four makes all the decisions for the group. He gives the orders and displays leadership. When he decides to prove his leadership by beating two of his “cronies” the group decides to overthrow his reign by setting him up at one of their chosen crime scenes. Upon Alex’s exit from the house, his “cronies” hit him almost unconsciously. They no longer wanted to be in his control. He cannot escape the scene due to the injury sustained. Alex is arrested and goes through the whole court process. He is found guilty of murder and sentenced to forty years in jail. He then grows onto the prison system, becoming a friend of the priests, officers, and guards. He reads the bible and stays out of trouble. Alex volunteers for an experiment, which he learns of, that promises to free the criminal mind and releases the criminal back into society. The experiment is one, which through a series of sessions makes Alex physically sick from the crimes he has committed. The sessions involve the viewing of crimes and the music of Beethoven being the only thing he can hear. Alex upon completion of treatment cannot feel any thought of violence ill become sick and experience terrible pain.

Upon release from his treatment his family rejects him because they fear him. He is rejected by society because everyone who he has contact with has a vendetta against him for the crimes he committed against them. The once “cronies” have now become police officers and decide they have the authority power over Alex now and beat his senseless.