1979. Choose a complex and important character in a novel or a play of recognized literary merit who might on the basis of the character's actions alone be considered evil or immoral. In a well-organized essay, explain both how and why the full presentation of the character in the work makes us react more sympathetically than we otherwise might. Avoid plot summary.
His favorite hobby being ultra-violence, it is doubtless that Alex of A Clockwork Orange should be considered evil. The delight he experiences in rape and random acts of violence first causes revulsion in the reader, yet gradually a sense of sympathy develops for him. Through alienating Alex to his peers and pitting him against an equally repugnant society, Burgess creates a more sympathetic reaction than Alex’s actions deserve at face value. Burgess then uses the reader’s moral dilemma to advance his message on brainwashing and violence.
Although mindlessly destructive, Alex is isolated from the droogs he commands. His great appreciation of art and beauty gives him a depth his peers will never understand. The reader comes to admire Alex for his taste and wit. Further sympathy is given to Alex as his gang betrays him, although one abhorrers Alex’s actions, pity and outrage is still felt for his misfortunes. One can easily relate to the experience of being stabbed in the back more than empathize with Alex’s victims through the separation caused by Burgess’ Nadsat language.
When compared to a hypocritical and equally violent government, Alex’s actions paint him in a better light. As they torture and experiment on him the reader feels that Alex becomes something of a martyr. Alex comes to symbolize freewill instead of drug-fueled violence. Burgess turns Alex into a passionate opponent of hypocrisy. The government that punishes him for his violent acts receives the same joy he does in violence.
Burgess is able to further his themes on brainwashing and violence due to the reader’s conflicted opinion of Alex. The separation the reader feels to Alex’s victims due to Nadsat is a mirror to the conditioning Alex undergoes. The reader becomes brainwashed into accepting violence. This provides a chilling parallel to the events in A Clockwork Orange: as Alex is being conditioned to reject violence, the reader is conditioned to accept it. Alex’s transformation at the end of the novel is only made plausible by the reader’s grudging acceptance of Alex as a complex character. Without the reader trusting Alex to be capable of changing his ways, Burgess could not advance his message that violence is a form of emotional adolescence.
Although we should condemn Alex for his violence, we find ourselves drawn to his magnetic personality and suffering. Burgess creates a moral dilemma, we gradually come to respect him as a protagonist, yet are repulsed by his actions.
Your introduction paragraph doesn't exactly follow the open prompt structure, in which you should open with a more general statement and not immediately talk about the work you are using. Otherwise, I thought your thesis was very strong. I think the way you made it two sentences made it very clear and easy to understand. Your body paragraphs do a very good job at answering how and why we are able to sympathize with Alex's violent character and the effect it has on us as readers. You also created a section for meaning, which made it very easy to find. Overall I found this essay to be well-written, concise, and successful in answering the prompt completely.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very strong essay that does a great job of answering the prompt and avoiding plot summary. Clockwork Orange has a lot of random jargon the author made up and you use it once or twice in your essay. The only reason I knew what you were talking about is because I read the novel. If you clarify those words the essay would be even better. Overall great job.
ReplyDeleteGreat intro (although we are "alienated from" things, not "alienated to" them.) Great thesis and an excellent, clear structure. For the most part, this is also well-supported and argued, although this is where you sometimes have issues. For instance, "One can easily relate to the experience of being stabbed in the back more than empathize with Alex’s victims through the separation caused by Burgess’ Nadsat language" is a claim and requires justification--you can't just state it as if it's self-evident that this is true. Why would this be true? Your conclusion is also a weak note--it is rushed and unclear. That said, you have created a very sophisticated argument, overall--an impressive piece.
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