A Clockwork Orange as a Modernistic Work
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, published in 1962, technically falls after the period deemed as 'Modernism', yet it embodies all of the features that were characteristic of that literary era. Burgess's novel is a futuristic look at a Totalitarian government.
A Clockwork Orange abandons normal 'language' (which Modernists believed couldn't always convey meaning anyway) and is written in 'Nadsat' (which means teenager). It is a slang that is spoken by the teenagers at the time. Burgess uses approximately two-hundred and fifty 'nadsat' words (most of which have Russian roots) to convey his story. This gives the reader a sense of intimacy with Alex and his 'droogs' (friends) due to the fact that the adults in the novel can't understand what they are govoreeting (saying). There is also a disruption of the linear flow of narrative aside from this private language; Alex ('Our Humble Narrator') tells the story in a remembering type sequence, but often interjects with thoughts or questions posed directly at the reader.
Aside from the strange language that is found on the pages of this novel, one of the most obvious modernistic features is Burgess's ability to shock. There are many different scenes that are quite disturbing and violent. Alex's propensity to rape young girls (ten years old), and his absolute joy in the sight of blood and pain. ' ...while I ripped away at this and that and the other...and real good horrorshow [good] groodies [breasts] they were that then exhibited their pink glazzies [eyes], O my brothers, while I untrussed [undresses] and got ready for the plunge. Plunging I could slooshy [hear] the cries of agony' ( Burgess 23). This ties in with the fact that, as readers, we tend to follow the actions of Alex and his droogs and it is easy to get caught up in all this violent action and loose sight of the real meaning of Burgess's novel. Burgess writes this novel from and to the "ID". Alex and his droogs embody all animal or primal instincts and the tale that has been set before the reader has little respect for realism. We are presented with a world in which the teenagers rule the nights, keeping all real people in their houses. A world where there are milk bars (moloko kordova) in which fifteen year olds can be served with milk that was laden with drugs.
There have been many books published solely on philosophy, and many more than that solely written about human nature, but very infrequently will a book be published that weaves these fields together as well as A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess. In this Book Burgess speculated on the fact “the significance of maturing by choice is to gain moral values and freedoms.” He achieved this task by pushing his angsty teenaged character, Alex, through situations that challenge the moral values of himself and his friends. In the novel, A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess, Alex himself, must choose good over evil in order to gain moral values which will allow him to mature into a “man” in the latter of his two transformations.
to read. A Clockwork Orange is an interesting book, to say the least, about a young teenager, named Alex, who has lost his way, so to speak, and commits several serious crimes. These crimes that Alex and his “droogs” commit include: murdering, raping, beat downs, robbery, etc.
A Clockwork Orange can be characterized as a dystopian novella as a result of the world that Burgess created throughout the book. Alex’s world provides a future rendition of London if it were to continue going down the path it was on after World War II, one of a violent youth culture. This especially comes from the fact that his wife was beaten by a few Americans stationed in England during the war. This particular event’s influence on the novella can be seen through the various scenes where Alex and his “droogs” are seen sexually assaulting women. Burgess was also influenced by Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four. A Clockwork Orange experiences the Pelagian-Augustinian phases of rule found in the aforementioned books, respectively (Morris ). The Pelagian phase can be seen in the beginning of the novel where Alex and his “droogs” are essent...
As the wife of zeus, Hera is the queen of all gods and the goddess of marriage. Her parents were titans and her father did try to destroy Hera and her siblings, but her younger brother set them free. Also, Hera, in fact, is zeus’s sister and his wife. Because of this, Hera had three children, or three olympians. Hera is also a harsh goddess, and for those who displeased her, she would send them her wrath.
Are we human if we don’t have a choice to choose between acting good or acting evil? A Clockwork Orange directed by Stanley Kubrick is a brutal film that entails many sociological meanings. Alex DeLarge and his “droogs” (gang) live in a derange society of “ultra-violence” and rape. Alex and his gang cause havoc around the town that leads to the “droogs” turning on Alex during a mischievous act on an innocent women and Alex getting arrested. While in prison he is chosen for “treatment” that is suppose to purify Alex and turn him into the “perfect citizen”. We’ve gone over many sociological concepts in class, but the three that I believe apply the most to this film are socialization, deviance, and resocialization.
"John (Anthony) Burgess Wilson." DISCovering Authors. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Student Resources in Context. Web. 11 Mar. 2012.
Zeus was harsh on other fellow Olympians. When they were getting tired of him Hera talked them into mutiny. Hera drugged Zeus’s drink, when he fell asleep, she called the other Gods to tie him down with one hundred knots and took away his thunderbolt. Briareus overheard the Gods conversation and untied Zeus. Terrified by his release, the Gods were begging for Zeus’s forgiveness. Zeus grabbed Hera and tied her wrist with golden chains, a substantial anvil to her feet and hung her from the Heavens. The next day, Zeus pitied Hera and agreed to let her go if she were to swear to never again, plot and rebel against him. She held to that promise, however, it left her to take it out on his mistresses and offspring’s. The Queen of Olympus, Hera, eldest daughter of Kronos and Rhea, Goddess of marriage and childbirth. Some symbols of Hera were scepter, the diadem, and the pomegranate, which symbolizes fertility, her flower was the lily and her secret animals were the peacock and the cow. Her power prior to being Queen of the Olympians would include seasons, weather, and other aspects of existence. She had similar super powers to other Olympian gods, such as super strength, immortality, and resistance to injury. She also had the ability to bless and curse marriages. Some would say her choice of weapon would be
The sister and also wife of Zeus, the king of the gods, Hera may be the most well known
He narrowed it down to the final three contestants, which were Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite. The goddesses knew that they had to do something to convince Paris they were worthy of the prize, so they each bribed hm. Athena, the goddess of war, promised Paris she would make sure he was declared victorious in battle. Hera, the Queen of Olympus told Paris she would help him on the journey to making him ruler of the world. Aphrodite quickly realized that Paris would be much more impressed if she could guarantee him a life with the most beautiful woman in the world, which was
Long ago, people lacked knowledge on why certain things happened. Without scientific answers, like we have today, the Ancient Greeks created their own answers about the world and an individual’s place in it. These tales were known as myths. They described the feelings and values that bound the members of society. There are two types of myths -- creation myths and explanatory myths. A creation myth explained the start of many events such as the origin of the world and the creation of human beings. An explanatory myth explained a natural process or event such as illness and death. Most myths concerned divine beings such as gods, goddesses and other heroes with supernatural powers. These characters had many human characteristics, aside from their special powers, that included birth and death and the presence of emotions such as love and jealousy. These human qualities of the divine beings reflected the values of society. Such characters are called anthropomorphic, derived from two Greek words meaning “in the shape of man”. Gods and goddesses that resembled animals were referred to as theriomorphic, derived from two Greek words meaning “in the shape of an animal”. The last group of mythical characters has no name. They didn’t take the form of a complete human or animal, such as a figure with a human body and an animal head. As well as being entertaining and interesting to read, myths played an important role in Ancient Greek society.
To the Ancient Greeks, Mythology was at the heart of everyday life, and highly regarded as part of their history. The word “myth” originates from the Greek word “mythos” meaning “speech” and later known as “fable” or “legend.” (Myth. 2). This shows how the age of gods and mortals, origin theories and the Greek conception of philosophy are highly evident in proving that Greek society had evolved around the folklore and storytelling that had helped shape their society in believing in gods in order for their safety and stability.
Two millennia ago, at the time when the Ancient Greeks dwelled on the planet people now call Earth rather than Gaia, high above Mount Olympus lived the gods and goddesses that kept the world in prime order. As most of the mortals living underneath the skies worshipped most of the major gods, they have also worshipped the minor gods that were in control of the little things that keep people going day by day. But there was one god that not any mortal or immortal dared to pay much heed to, and his name was Arithmos, the god of numbers and calculations.
These Gods were Gaea, the earth Goddess, and Uranus the sky God. These Gods had 12 children and these 12 children became the titans. After the titans were born Uranus feared that his children would over throw him so he tried to banish them to the underworld, but the plan failed and the titans with the help of their mother overthrew their father and ruled over the earth. After a while the titan king Kronos had five children, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter and Hestia, and just like his father Kronos feared his children would overthrow him so after his children were born he ate them. Now Kronos’s wife was a little annoyed that her husband was eating all of her children so when their sixth child was born she hid him. This babies name was Zeus, and after he grew up he snuck up on his father and cut open his father’s stomach letting his siblings free. Zeus and his siblings then killed all the titans and started their reign over the Earth. After the war Zeus created mankind, and had children of his own, creating the many major and minor Greek Gods we know
The Greeks used myths to explain natural occurrences, unanswered questions, and the world’s phenomenon. The Greeks had numerous myths and legends; each one had it’s one purpose. Many myths were created by people to explain why certain things happened the way they did.
Not having empirical evidence, nor the advantages and advances of Science, and hard pressed to explain not only the origins of life, but also the reasons and causes behind the cultural norms and practices of society, ancient Greeks began the customs now called Greek Mythology. Greek Mythology deals with the early traditions and myths, pertaining to the religion of the ancient Greeks. These traditions are an account of, not only the origin of their gods, but also their theories involving the beginning of all things (Guerber, 1929). “As they looked about them for some clue to serve as guide, they could not help but observe and admire the wonders of nature…They soon came to the conclusion that a hand mighty enough to call all these wonders into life, could also have created the beautiful earth whereon they dwelt. These thoughts gave rise to others; suppositions became certainties; and soon the myth or fable evolved, to be handed down from generation to generation” (Guerber, 1929, preface p.