Course Hero Logo
Upload to Study
Expert Help

A Clockwork Orange | Study Guide

Anthony Burgess

Get the eBook on Amazon to study offline.

Buy on Amazon Study Guide
Contents
Cite This Study Guide

How to Cite This Study Guide

quotation mark graphic
MLA

Bibliography

Course Hero. "A Clockwork Orange Study Guide." Course Hero. 23 Sep. 2016. Web. 24 Sep. 2023. <https://www.coursehero.com/lit/A-Clockwork-Orange/>.

In text

(Course Hero)

APA

Bibliography

Course Hero. (2016, September 23). A Clockwork Orange Study Guide. In Course Hero. Retrieved September 24, 2023, from https://www.coursehero.com/lit/A-Clockwork-Orange/

In text

(Course Hero, 2016)

Chicago

Bibliography

Course Hero. "A Clockwork Orange Study Guide." September 23, 2016. Accessed September 24, 2023. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/A-Clockwork-Orange/.

Footnote

Course Hero, "A Clockwork Orange Study Guide," September 23, 2016, accessed September 24, 2023, https://www.coursehero.com/lit/A-Clockwork-Orange/.

A Clockwork Orange | Infographic

Share
Share
Email Facebook Pinterest Twitter Google+
Click to copy
Embed
Click to copy code

Check out this Infographic to learn more about Anthony Burgess's A Clockwork Orange. Study visually with character maps, plot summaries, helpful context, and more.

Artboard 1Sources: AnthonyBurgess.org, Encyclopaedia Britannica, The Guardian,The London Review of Books, The New Yorker, New York TimesCopyright © 2016 Course Hero, Inc.Chaplain, Part 2, Chapter 1oodness is something chosen. When a man cannot choose he ceases to be a man.Alex15-year-old narrator;commits violent actsMinister of Interior Disregards personal liberties; selects Alex for treatment F. AlexanderOpposed to behavior modification; severely beaten by AlexPete, Dim, and GeorgieAlex's gangA Clockwork Orangeby the NumbersYears Alex serves in prison 2Musical works Burgess composed~200Year Stanley Kubrick's film adaptation of A Clockwork Orange was released1971Beatles band members who petitioned for Mick Jagger to be cast in the film version of A Clockwork Orange4Born John Anthony Burgess Wilson, the English novelist explored morality and free will in A Clockwork Orange. Misdiagnosed with a brain tumor, Burgess had a writing spurt, producing A Clockwork Orange in three weeks. In the novel, the Nadsat language shows Burgess's training in English literature and phonetics.ANTHONY BURGESS1917–93Free WillAlex believes that the freedom to choose is the core tenet of morality.AuthorThemesMain CharactersConformityFalling in line with the masses means relinquishing the freedom to choose.HumanityThe "goodness" the State imposes on Alex deprives him of essential elements of his humanity.Alex is the delinquent leader of a violent group of friends. Their destructive forays through a futuristic London land him in jail, where the tables turn as the State forces him to undergo behavior modification. In the process, he loses his ability to choose evil or enjoy good—in other words, his humanity.The Right to ChooseSYMBOLSDarknessDarkness shelters the antics of Alex and his droogs, in contrast to the daylight of the "starry ones."NadsatThe teen slang Alex uses represents free will and makes characters difficult to judge.MusicThe story’s structure is modeled on classical compositions, and Alex’s love of music is linked to violence and freedom.MilkWayward youth drink milk, symbolizing immaturity; that the milk is drugged means the habit is far from wholesome.Anthony Burgess1962EnglishNovellaAuthorYear PublishedOriginal LanguageA Clockwork OrangeDystopian
Overview Context

Want to see more infographics? View All Infographics on Course Hero!

Cite This Study Guide

information icon Have study documents to share about A Clockwork Orange? Upload them to earn free Course Hero access!

Copyright © 2023. Course Hero, Inc. As a reminder, you may only use Course Hero content for your own personal use and may not copy, distribute, or otherwise exploit it for any other purpose.