Essay Free Will in Anthony Burgess A Clockwork Orange

Is it better to be a man choosing wrong than a man who is forced to choose right? In the classic novel, A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, a theme emerges. This is the theme of free will. Through the main character, Alex, Burgess is able to convey his ideas about free will and the oppressive nature of establishments such as governments and the media. Aside from these suggestions made by Burgess the question persists: When a man ceases to choose, is he still a man? Free will is one of the features that separates us as humans from animals and allows us to attain intelligent thought and reasoning. Of course, all of the features mentioned are unique to humans; the ability to exercise free will enables us to engage in all†¦show more content†¦Life is sustained by the struggling that occurs between good and evil. Take, for instance, the evening new which eradicates this fact of life. Unfortunately, the tendency for mankind to destroy rather than create is due to a certain amount of â€Å"original sin.† But there is a fundamental importance of moral choice, and that is what Burgess intends for us to learn about this free will aspect of life. When he added the controversial 21st chapter he solidified the books meaning by saying, â€Å"Eat this sweetish segment or spit it out. You are free.† When Alex is left alone to decide to what he will do, he looks back on his violent youth with shame and remorse. He then decides he wants a different kind of future. â€Å"Perhaps I was too old for the sort of jeezny (life) I was leading† (Burgess189). At this point Alex begins to come to the conclusion that he must undergo a change of sorts. The difference between this reform and his previous reform was desire. Alex truly wanted to change, and this desire to change made it valid. This leaves only one question; what would happen if Alex never reached this desire to change? The only answer is Free Will, my brothers. The answer to the enduring question is yes. It is better to be a man choosing wrong than it is to be a man forced to choose right. For the man who is forced to choose right is not a man at all. â€Å"So what’s it going to be then, eh?† (Burgess 1). Will it be free will or no choice atShow MoreRelatedThe Importance of Free Will in A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess1431 Words   |  6 Pagessignature question in Anthony Burgess’s novel, A Clockwork Novel that not only resonates with the moral identity of the anti-heroic protagonist, Alex, but also signifies the essential choice between free will that perpetrates evil and deterministic goodness that is forced and unreal. The prison chaplain and the writer F. Alexander voice the most controversial idea in the novel: man becomes ‘a clockwork orange’ when robbed of free will and tuned into a deterministic mechanism. Burgess points out the necessityRead More freeclo Violence and Free Will in Anthony Burgess A Clockwork Orange2208 Words   |  9 PagesViolence as an Expression of Free Will in A Clockwork Orange      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This essay will deal with the subject of free choice, which is the main topic of the novel, A Clockwork Orange . This significant problem is already indicated in the very first line of the text when an unknown voice asks Alex - and certainly by that the reader - What s it going to be then, eh? (13). Being repeated at the beginning of the second part and at the beginning of the very last chapter of the third part this questionRead MoreTriumph of Free Will in Anthony Burgess A Clockwork Orange Essay2638 Words   |  11 PagesTriumph of Free Will in A Clockwork Orange  Ã‚     Ã‚   Amidst a population composed of perfectly conditioned automatons, is a picture of a society that is slowly rotting from within. Alex, the Faustian protagonist of A Clockwork Orange, and a sadistic and depraved gang leader, preys on the weak and the innocent. Although perhaps misguided, his conscientiousness of his evil nature indicates his capacity to understand morality and deny its practice. When society attempts to force goodness upon AlexRead MoreGovernment Control and Free Will in A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess668 Words   |  3 PagesA Clockwork Orange, a novel written by Anthony Burgess in the 1960’s takes place in dystopian future in London, England. The novel is about a fifteen year old nadsat (teenager) named Alex who along with his droogs (friends) commit violent acts of crime and opts to be bad over good. In time, Alex finds himself to be in an experiment by the government, making him unable to choose between good and evil, thus losing his ability of free will, and being a mere clockwork orange. A â€Å"clockwork orange† isRead MoreFree Will vs Determinism in A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess1208 Words   |  5 PagesIn Anthony Burgess’ 1962 dystopian novella, A Clockwork Orange, teenage gangs and hoodlums run rampid in a futuristic society, inflicting mayhem and brutality among its totalitarian governed state. Alex, our protagonist/anti-hero, is among the most infamous in this violent youth culture. A psychotic, yet devilishly intelligent boy of fifteen, our â€Å"humble narrator† beats up on old folk, rapes underaged girls, pillages, and leads his group of â€Å"droogs† (friends) on a chaotic path of â€Å"ultra-violenceRead MoreAnthony Burgess and A Clockwork Orange987 Words   |  4 Pagesnothing you can do about it. Anthony Burgess created this world through his novel, A Clockwork Orange. Anthony Burgess was born in 1917 and died in 1963. A lot of social changes occurred during this pe riod of time, such as: the roaring twenties, prohibition, the Great Depression, World War II, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and many more. Burgess not only lived through those changes, but also helped influences some social changes in literature and music. Anthony Burgess was a jack-of-all-trades throughoutRead MoreA Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess1034 Words   |  5 PagesImagine having stolen, raped, and even murdered all at the age of 15. The new canon of dark literature and controversy has finally hit the stage. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess written in 1962 could only be described in the old cockney expression â€Å"queer as a clockwork orange†. Meaning it is bizarre internally, but appears natural on the surface. The story begins with the protagonist and narrator Alex a 15-year-old boy, who sets the bar for the most cold-blooded and callous characters of literatureRead More What Title? Essay1307 Words   |  6 Pages A Clockwork Orange : Chosen Evil vs. For ced Morality nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;What becomes of a man stripped of his free will? Does he continue to be a man, or does he cease? These are questions that Anthony Burgess tries to answer. Written in the middle of Burgess’ writing career, A Clockwork Orange was a reflection of a youth subculture of violence and terrorization that was beginning to emerge in the early 1960s. The novel follows Alex, a young hoodlum who is arrested for his violent actsRead MoreA Clockwork Orange1450 Words   |  6 PagesAnthony Burgess A Clockwork Orange is a dystopian novel set in an oppressive, futuristic state. Published in 1962, A Clockwork Orange is an extremely intense, graphic, and, at times, horrifying novel. A reader begins to question their own values as they become numb and desensitized to the violence at hand. Both behaviorism and free will is occurring throughout A Clockwork Orange. A Clockwork Orange brings up a question, how much control of our own free will do we actually have? Do we reallyRead MoreThe Theme Of Immorality In A Clockwork Orange1299 Words   |  6 PagesImagine every night being the blackest of nights, where even the police do not stop the criminals lurking in the corners. This is the world in Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange, where a dystopian society in which juvenile delinquents roam free to terrorize the night is chronicled. Your Humble Narrator, Alex DeLarge, is a member of this appalling culture of teenagers. Over the course of the novel, he performs unspeakable acts of ultraviolence with his droogs, which land him behind bars in Staja

Fire and Heat Imagery in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre Essay

Fire and Heat Imagery in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre The essence of any true magnificent piece of literature is not what one can see in words. It is what one can see behind the words. It is through the symbolism and imagery found in works of literature that a reader can truly connect with the writer. Charlotte Bronte epitomizes the spirit of the unread but understood in her Victorian work Jane Eyre. There have been numerous essays and theories presented examining the complex symbolism and imagery used by Bronte in Jane Eyre. Much of the imagery she uses concentrates on passion, fantasy, and the supernatural. In this essay I will examine Bronte’s use of fire and heat imagery pertaining to Mr. Rochester and Jane’s love relationship.†¦show more content†¦When Jane informed Mr. Rochester that she must leave him for the sake of both their souls, his reaction was almost devil like, his voice and hand quivered: his large nostrils dilated; his eyes blazed. These images of dilating nostrils and blazing eyes are typical of a devil like figure. Rochester, the devil, attempts to convince Jane, the weak human, of going against God and sinning their soul to hell. To further convince Jane of staying with him, Rochester tells her than he’ll put Adele in a boarding school and get rid of Thornfield. He calls Thornfield this accursed place--This tent of Achan. In Joshua vii Achan took of the accursed thing, i.e., he took spoils of war from the conquered city of Jericho, and concealed them in his tent. He and his family were ritually stoned to death at the Lord’s command as a result. Rochester’s situation parallels that of Achan. He, like Achan, wants to claim what is not his. He wants to lay hold on something that he has no right too—essentially Jane Eyre. Also, it is interesting that he refers to Thornfield as an accursed place. This symbolizes a foreshadowing of the destruction of Thornfield later on in the novel. Despite all this, Jane, as all humans, falls weak to matters of the heart. Fortunately, whenever her resolve quivers, Bronte uses imagery of cleansing fire to strengthened her. For example, when Jane was leaving for bed after RochesterShow MoreRelatedEssay on Fire Imagery in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre2660 Words   |  11 PagesFire Imagery in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre Incomplete Works Cited The prevalence of fire imagery and its multitude of metaphoric uses in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre expresses two things that could not be expressed openly in the Victorian Period, which are mainly passion and sexuality. Brontes writing was dictated by the morals of her society, but her ideas were not. Jane Eyre was written with the Victorian reader in mind. Bronte knew that if she were to write about these two things directlyRead MoreReview Of Charlotte Bronte s Jane Eyre 10879 Words   |  44 PagesNotes Jane Eyre Background of author Name: Charlotte Bronte Birth/Death: April 21, 1816 to March 31,1855 Facts that connect: Mr. Brocklehurst is based off the Reverend Carus Wilson, the man who ran Cowan Bridge. Bronte lost two of her sisters, Mary and Elizabeth, to tuberculosis at Cowan Bridge. Bronte s brother, Patrick, became addicted to drugs and alcohol before he died. Similarities: She, along with her three sisters, was sent to the Clergy Daughters School at Cowan Bridge. Charlotte Bronte

Benjamin Franklin’s Declaration of Independence Free Essays

The phrase â€Å"true American† does not have a definition, although the word â€Å"American† does. The definition of American is â€Å"belonging to or characteristic of America.† It is hard to relate Benjamin Franklin to this definition of an American, but it does apply to many of his characteristics. We will write a custom essay sample on Benjamin Franklin’s Declaration of Independence or any similar topic only for you Order Now Franklin†s loyalty to America shows greatly throughout his life in his writings and jobs. Franklin†s many jobs included being an inventor, politician, author, statesman, philosopher, soldier, scientist, citizen, and a printer. Franklin helped stabilize America by helping to write the countries declaration of independence, which is only one of his many works. Benjamin Franklin†s leadership did not only influence the people of his time, but this great quality still influences the people of today. Many people today think of Franklin as a proud pillar of our national heritage. Most of Franklin†s education was self-taught through his hard work and dedication to learning. This education helped Franklin in many ways to write many books, outsmart other politicians, and create new inventions. Franklin knows he can not relive his life so decides that writing a book would be the next best thing. In Franklin†s autobiography, which he writes to his son, he tries to retell his mistakes so others will not do the same. One of Franklin†s strongest beliefs includes his religion. Franklin did not believe in organized religion and believed strongly in Deism. This shows his concern for other Americans. One of Franklin†s most contributive works to America besides his diplomacy was the Declaration of Independence. Not only did Franklin help write this document, but he was also the oldest person to sign it. Franklin published an annual book called Poor Richard†s Almanac. In this book Franklin included both important and useless information. Franklin predicted temperatures, told tales, included some of his favorite quotes, and had many fun facts published in this book. This is one of Franklin†s most famous quotes â€Å"Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.† (Perkins) This saying shows Franklin†s intelligence on time management. Here Franklin claims to be a precise, healthy, and wise person. Franklin†s inventions contributed greatly to both the world then, and the modern world. Franklin invented bifocals, the dumb waiter, the Franklin stove, and completed many experiments on electricity. Another of Franklin†s great contributions to America was establishing the first lending library, hospital, and fire station. Franklin worked on ideas such as better-paved and lighted streets. Benjamin Franklin was a â€Å"true American† because of his dedication to starting, sustaining, and stabilizing America as a country. How to cite Benjamin Franklin’s Declaration of Independence, Essay examples

Discuss the works of two poets who write on the theme of people the landscape Essay Example For Students

Discuss the works of two poets who write on the theme of people the landscape Essay The two poets I will be comparing are William Wordsworth and R.S. Thomas. Both of these poets wrote in the theme of scenic areas, people and landscape but had very different views. William Wandsworth was a romanticist meaning that he saw beauty in everything. R.S. Thomas was a realist meaning that he wrote more realistically including both positive and negative points in his work. I will first compare On Westminster Bridge by Wordsworth and A day in autumn by R.S Thomas. William Wordsworths poem On Westminster Bridge is a detailed description of the view of London in the Morning from Westminster Bridge. The theme of the poem is therefore landscape and scenic areas. R.S. Thomass poem is also a description; it describes the scenery of a day in autumn probably set in a woodland also based on the theme of landscape. Comparing the poems with one another I first picked up that they are equally written from first person perspectives which help to express that these are the writers real thoughts and feelings. R.S Thomas concentrates on the general scene, especially the atmosphere and natural landscape. William Wordsworth also focuses on the general scene; but he goes into more detail with everything. There is a lot of attention put on the environment around, buildings, rivers etc. William Wordsworths poem does employ a rhyme scheme. This scheme is: A, B, B, A, A, B, B, A, C, D, C, D, C, D. R.S Thomas poem does not rhyme, meaning that he has not incorporated a rhyme scheme. The main difference between the two poems is the mood. William Wordsworth tries to give off a very positive mood because he is a romanticist he sees only beauty and ignores the negative points. The whole poem is about the beauty of the view. R.S Thomas on the other hand is a realist; his poem initially gives off a negative/realistic mood when he says it will not always be like this. But this changes after this line to describing the beauty of the autumn scene. His poem, much like Wordsworths contains a lot of adjectives and complex language to help describe the beauty of the views. A day in autumn is very clearly a descriptive type poem as the author is describing a scene. The same goes for William Wordsworths poem, Westminster Bridge. William Wordsworth tries to create an image of the city in the readers mind using his highly figurative and descriptive language. Although there is no irony or unexpected twists in his poem he still manages to create this picture using his wording, he does not change the mood of his poem at all. Also similes and personification is used to help create a better effect (The city now doth, like a garment, wear the beauty of the morning). R.S Thom as also attempts to do this and also succeeds. He used an unexpected twist his poem and also makes use of many adjectives and highly figurative phrases. He does also change the mood from a negative one to a positive one at one point. The period that the poem was written in would affect the writers style and mood. William Wordsworth was born a long time ago (in 1770) so he would be describing London from a long time ago, before it was industrialised, polluted and when people had a more positive view on it. R.S Thomas was born quite recently and died into the 20th centaury. At this time there is a lot more negativity in the world with wars and political issues. This may have been why R.S Thomas chose to become a realist. The structure of William Wordsworths poem is similar to the one of R.S Thomas. They are both physically set out in one large paragraph, and are both sonnets. Westminster Bridge has not been split into different arguments or parts. A day in autumn appears to be set out in the same physical way, furthermore with no differing parts. In Westminster Bridge the poem is personal, you can tell this because it has bee written in the 1st person and is as if the poet is actually there, describing the scene to you. The A Day in autumn poem is also the same, personal and is as if the scene is being described to you by someone who is actually been there. The poets are actually in the poem experiencing the things they are describing. .uc30a2f2f59dcb41f656c0cfe80a7de66 , .uc30a2f2f59dcb41f656c0cfe80a7de66 .postImageUrl , .uc30a2f2f59dcb41f656c0cfe80a7de66 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc30a2f2f59dcb41f656c0cfe80a7de66 , .uc30a2f2f59dcb41f656c0cfe80a7de66:hover , .uc30a2f2f59dcb41f656c0cfe80a7de66:visited , .uc30a2f2f59dcb41f656c0cfe80a7de66:active { border:0!important; } .uc30a2f2f59dcb41f656c0cfe80a7de66 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc30a2f2f59dcb41f656c0cfe80a7de66 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc30a2f2f59dcb41f656c0cfe80a7de66:active , .uc30a2f2f59dcb41f656c0cfe80a7de66:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc30a2f2f59dcb41f656c0cfe80a7de66 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc30a2f2f59dcb41f656c0cfe80a7de66 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc30a2f2f59dcb41f656c0cfe80a7de66 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc30a2f2f59dcb41f656c0cfe80a7de66 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc30a2f2f59dcb41f656c0cfe80a7de66:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc30a2f2f59dcb41f656c0cfe80a7de66 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc30a2f2f59dcb41f656c0cfe80a7de66 .uc30a2f2f59dcb41f656c0cfe80a7de66-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc30a2f2f59dcb41f656c0cfe80a7de66:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Poetry Analysis EssayPersonally I think that William Wordsworths poem is the most effective as goes into more detail with his descriptions, where as R.S Thomas decided to keep it short but complex. Both poems although do achieve what they set out to do. These two poems by Wordsworth and R.S Thomas focused mainly on landscape. I will now be comparing to other poems by the same authors that focus on the theme of people. The two poems that I have chosen are The Solitary Reaper by William Wordsworth and Tramp by R.S Thomas. These two poems are both written on the theme of people but once again the two poets have a very different attitude. The solitary Reaper is about a woman who is working hard reaping in a field with her sickle, she is singing happily while she is doing this. You can instantly tell that this is another one of Wordsworths romanticist poems, he still manages to see beauty in hard labour work. The poem concentrates on the womans singing rather than her. Tramp is a poem about new technology and the world getting better but there are still people left behind from these new innovations, who have a quality of life as bad as a tramp. The mood of William Wordsworths poems again a very positive one, he includes no negativity. Tramp conversely includes a lot of negativity; this is once again a realistic poem. Solitary reaper is set in a field where a female is performing hard physical labour, where as tramp has two settings it starts off at the front door to a house and then moves on to a street. Solitary Reaper is a descriptive poem as the author just describes the work this woman is doing and her singing. The same goes for Tramp, R.S Thomas is just describing the tramps life style compared to him. The language in solitary Reaper is not highly figurative as there is no irony, unexpected twists or similes and metaphors. The Tramp poem also is not highly figurative as again it does not contain any of the requirements it become so. The style in both poems is complex as many figures of speech are included in the works. The period would severely affect R.S Thomass work as he wrote about how the world was getting better with new modern technology. If the poem was written in the past he probably wouldnt write about this subject as it wouldnt make sense. Also in the past there was a lot less negativity in the attitude towards civilisation compared to now. William Wordsworth wrote his poem pre 19th centaury so he would have completely different opinions of things compared to people now-a-days. The solitary reaper is split into 4 paragraphs or verses each verse with 8 lines. Tramp is a much shor ter poem and is split into 3 sections, each with 5 lines. Solitary reaper is in the 1st person perspective meaning that the poem is actually experiencing what is happening in the poem. In the poem the poet makes references to him self as well (I saw her singing at her work;) Personally I think William Wordsworth did achieve what he set out to do. His poem included descriptive language to really give it an effect and he used a first person perspective to show that these were his real thoughts and feelings. R.S Thomas also displayed that his work did what it was set out to do. Using short but comparative sentences he successfully managed to show that the tramp was left behind after the new innovations in technology. Finally both poets have very effective work. The main difference between the poets is the period that the poems are written in. William Wordsworth had a much similar mind, he would have had a much different view point to a more modern man like R.S Thomas who was more complex. The other main difference is the mood. William Wordsworth, being a romanticist would have always only written about the beauty in everything. He would completely ignore the negativity. R.S Thomas would write about both the beauty and positive points and the negative ones. R.S Thomas was a more realistic man and his work reflected this. William Wordsworth almost lived in his own fantasy world were there was only beauty, and he wrote about everything from there.