In Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange, a sadistic adolescent of the not-so-distant future is 'rehabilitated' of his violent nature by a special conditioning treatment. This fifteen year-old hoodlum Alex McDowell is 'cured' of his savage activities but when released back into a still violent society, he is a misfit. Anthony Burgess' skillful art of manipulation is able to change the reader's opinion from hating Alex for his malicious ways, to feeling captivated by him, as he becomes a 'victim of a modern age'. To understand how this deception is accomplished it is important to examine the major turning points in Alex's life, and how Burgess presents them. To begin, Burgess displays Alex's villainous disposition, which causes the reader to hate and resent him. Through the aid of the State's treatment Alex is reformed, at which point Burgess allows the reader to determine and develop an opinion of whether this treatment is morally acceptable or not. In the end however it is obvious that Alex has become a true "Clockwork Orange' and despite the previous opinion of the reader, Burgess re

veals the outcome in a way that causes a sense of relief and is pleased to see Alex back to 'normal'.

Within this condensed 148-page book, Burgess successfully manages to twist and turn the reader's opinion of Alex. This detestable boy, in the end becomes an unfortunate victim, and although the reader is duped into feeling captivated by him, it is not unpleasant transition. Alex's fantastical world is where the story begins, but the issues are unforgettable. In this world Burgess exaggerates potential societal problems to show the absurdity of them but, as the novel shows, this is no guarantee against "crime in the midst of punishment". The message presented in the book is so powerful because its focus pierces the reader so severely, that one is left to wonder how today's society is manipulated. Burgess' convictions on free choice and oppression are clearly stated, and hidden in the dark satire of the violent tale. As a reader, it is exciting to be not only captured by the story, but also to be involved as the author proves his remarkable skill of manipulation.

F. Alexander expresses "What a superb device he can be, this boy. If anything, of course, he could for preference sake look even iller and more zombyish than he does. Anything for the cause." (127). This behavior generates anger in the reader, and also causes reflection with regards to present day politics and values. Alex's torment continues until he reaches a point of madness. His state of oppression nearly becomes the death of him as he tries to end his life by jumping out of a window. At this point Burgess reveals to the reader that Alex has truly become 'A CLOCKWORK ORANGE'. In his introduction Burgess states that if one "can only perform good or only perform evil, then he is a clockwork orange - meaning that he has the appearance of an organism lovely with colour and juice, but is in fact only a clockwork toy to be wound up by God or the Devil or (since this is increasingly replacing both) the Almighty State" (xxiii). Following the injustice that Alex suffers, even readers who had previously agreed with Dr. Brodsky's logical reasoning are forced to change opinions. Although highly populated prisons are an increasing problem it does not justify the act of brainwashing. Burgess profusely reveals that even the most violent crimes are trivial when compared to the heinous crime of oppression. In the final section however, Alex has been 'cured' once again, and has returned to his original madness. Human beings change, and Burgess wanted his protagonist to mature rather than stay in adolescent aggression. The twenty-first chapter shows this change and is important because it includes Alex's mature assessment of his own adolescence and demon

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Approximate Word count = 1837
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)