Скачать или смотреть A Clockwork Orange // Anthony Burgess // Book 27 of 2020

Whilst this book was not to my personal taste, I can appreciate why it is revered in literary spheres as a classic due to the plethora of themes explored. Burgess’s use of Nadsat felt reminiscent of Carroll’s Jabberwocky and aided the characterisation of Alex as an other to societal conventions and thus a victim of oppression. However, Burgess’s subverted portrayal of Alex as a sadist, who uses violence to asset his individualism, illustrates that oppressive violence from society leads to individual violence; yet in order to be safe it is necessary to conform to the oppressors, even if this conformity is immoral and supresses individualism. Burgess also questions the false association that violence is a product of an animalistic base nature by Alex’s obsession with classical music, which one would expect from someone who was cultured and whose humanity is above violence. Burgess questions behaviourism, criminal reformation strategies and the ethics of Alex’s treatment, as although his outward behaviour is more acceptable to society he is not making a free choice against violence and inwardly remains a sadist. What is more, inwardly the society around him is exactly the same but they are not outwardly expressing those violent motives and thus under conformity their true lack of humanity remains hidden to oppress those who outwardly express it. Goodreads 2/5 stars.