A clockwork orange: Futuristic fantasy Essay

A Clockwork Orange is a book with a moral. More than that, it is a warning: a caution to the 1960s society of which Burgess was a part. His predictions of the world to come are bloody and his depictions of militant regimes and totalitarian states are fantastic and profound. But they are not so far from the truth as one would think†¦ Burgess formed his picture of Alex’s world in the world he saw around him in the 1960s. This is most notable in the language that is used. It is absolutely full of Russian words: â€Å"horrorshow†, â€Å"krovvy†, â€Å"ptitsa†, and â€Å"tolchock†. This is of course a reference to the Soviet regime, which ruled over the USSR with an iron fist. At the time the Cold War was in full force, animosity was high and Soviet communism posed a real threat to the western democracies. But it is possible that Burgess was depicting the future world as well as his own. He is suggesting that if his own society were to carry on the way it was in his time, then it could possibly end up being as strict and oppressive as the Soviet regime. It is even a possibility that Burgess believed that the western countries, including his own country, the UK, would fall under the rule of communism and become Soviet states themselves. If this is true, then it suggests to me an admiration for the Soviet regime, not a dislike: he considered that the Soviets were so strong and organised, that western occupation was an actual possibility. But if this happened, Burgess believed it would be the end of the world as he knew it. Throughout the novel he makes subtle references to certain things he believed would not last under state control: art and literature. Alex himself says that â€Å"newspapers [were] not being read much†. Later he describes the â€Å"Public Biblio†, or library, â€Å"which not many lewdies used those days†. The boys wear masks later in the first chapter, and these are also significant. â€Å"Peebee† Shelley is seen as a novelty now; an age-old poet from years ago, long dead and long forgotten. Even Elvis Presley is included with Shelley and Henry VIII, suggesting that he too is simply a remnant of an old society. This had even more significance in the time Burgess wrote the novel, since Elvis was alive and famous and very much a part of modern popular culture. To Alex he is a name that means nothing. Even the remnant buildings of Oldtown are strange to him. They are from a time when people had a choice. The fall of literature and art is synonymous with the abolition of freedom. Literature, art and architecture are forms of expression – and in Alex’s world they do not exist, only in fleeting references and novelty masks. There is the boys’ appearance: the so-called â€Å"heighth of fashion† for their day. In many respects it is similar to fashion of the 1960s. The outrageous styles, indicated by the â€Å"old jelly mould†¦ fitting on the crotch under the tights†, funnily shaped into flowers, spiders and a â€Å"clown’s litso†. And there are also the very bright colours – â€Å"purple and green and orange wigs on their gullivers†. Rather unusually the boys also wear make-up. There are two possible explanations for this. The first is the most obvious: the boys want to be different. They are hitting out against organised state-control. The second reason is much more subtle: at the time Burgess wrote the novel, a sexual revolution was taking place; in particular, women were more free to take on the traditionally masculine practices, such as pursuing a career. Clearly, the boys are doing the same thing: adopting a traditionally female practice. It could be that Burgess is making a social statement: he predicts that in the future, the boundaries determining which gender takes on which role will be less definite. Yet it is still only a suggestion; Burgess’s old-style attitude towards the sexes is fairly clear in the book, since every major character is male. It is a strange combination of past and â€Å"future†. But although the boys want to stand out and not conform, they are ironically conforming within their own group. The weird clothes and make-up are components of their uniform, which exist mainly to control people in a militant fashion. They are fighting fire with fire. And if the make-up is an equality statement, then it is ironic also. The boys do not want to be equal to everyone else – they like to be different. And they do not want equal rights – they believe that they have, or should have, more rights, and can therefore defy the law through acts of violence. The message that Burgess is putting across here is ambiguous. Either he could be saying that too much state control will eventually force a violent revolution, and therefore the government should relax, which is probably the most common belief. Or his warning could be the opposite: he is saying that if the government give in and grant extra rights to everybody, then in the future there will be someone, somewhere, who has, or wants, more rights. I prefer to believe the latter theory. Burgess was not for violent revolution of any kind. A Clockwork Orange is a frightening prediction of the world to come if it continues to grant people so much power, and not a warning of how the world will be if state control continued. Eventually all of this freedom would necessitate state control, as it exists in Alex’s time. Burgess was for a certain degree of control – the use of Russian words in his novel, as explained above, is evidence for this. Although few people would agree with me, that is what I believe. Burgess’s novel was indeed written as a warning to those in his time. But despite the frightening depiction of state control, I do not think Burgess was so opposed to it as some people claim. I would only say that the totalitarian regime of Alex’s time is an example of an extreme form of state control that is certainly wrong, but only because of its severity. Burgess’s warning was not aimed at the government; it was aimed at those who dreamt of revolution. Only one thing is certain: the connotations are clear, and A Clockwork Orange is definitely not just a fantasy novel.