A Clockwork College Essay

What is a book you love?

“Sharpen yourself up and get ready for a bit of the old ultraviolence.” A quote said by one of the most influential fiction villains I have ever had the pleasure to become fully engulfed in. A boy so sinister, but so charismatic. So sweet, loving, obedient, and hardworking to his loved ones, but once the sun goes to bed and the stars start to shine, Alex DeLarge becomes a violent, sadistic, selfish and monstrous ringleader to his “droogies” Dim, Pete, and Georgie. This quote still rings through my ears and is the first thing that comes to mind when I hear anyone talk about A Clockwork Orange.

Of course, I fell in love with this book for the storyline. I read the book in record time, and the version I read had an extra chapter explaining more about how Alex turned out. I loved the complexity of the novel, and shortly after reading it, tracked down and watched the Stanley Kubrick film. The novel also greatly broadened my own vocabulary and ability to identify a word based on context clues, which was very difficult to read at first. However, when I explain to people why exactly I admire this story, it actually has to do with the psychological aspects of it.

A Clockwork Orange actually broadened my interest in the field of psychology. A career path I am currently intending to take following my high school graduation. It inspired me to take an advanced placement psychology class as a junior. Because of the sheer fact that Alex DeLarge was almost two people. A kind and reputable young man in the day, but a vicious and violent gang leader by night. He could charm anyone with a smile, but then replace that smile with a sinister grin within two seconds of meeting you. Of course, by that time it’d be too late, and he’d rob you from right under your nose.

Even more interesting though, is the treatment Alex goes through. Aversion Therapy at its finest is vividly described in the novel, and this treatment made Alex a whole new person. He hated the thought of violence, he couldn’t bring himself to commit crime. Yet even in his case, the effects did not last.

Alex is a character that I tried to get inside the mind of throughout the course of the book. His fictional aura intrigued me so much that he sparked the love in me for answering the question of “why do humans do what they do?”

Anthony Burgess’s violently captivating novel changed my life once I read it. I raved on about its storylines and plots for days. I began searching for facts on mental treatments and other disorders to try to diagnose this character with something, which helped me to realize that I could do this as a full time career. A serial criminal became my favorite educational opportunity, and made me really think about the world around me, and how his story can apply to today’s times in terms of social psychology, which I am currently studying and thriving in.

An action packed, dialogue driven, eloquently written page turner, A Clockwork Orange is a book I believe everyone should read in their lifetime, if not to just grasp more firmly how the human mind can be so determined, but at the same time be so demented.

#AClockworkOrange #AnthonyBurgess