My Unusual Interaction to "A Clockwork Orange" by umut

My Unusual Interaction to "A Clockwork Orange" by umut - October 2023 Scholarship Essay

I came across "A Clockwork Orange" in a rather peculiar way during my high school days. Someone, an anonymous someone, gifted me this book and asked for my thoughts once I was done with it. Little did I know how deeply it would impact me. At that point in my life, buried beneath a pile of exams and personal problems, I felt as I was being controlled by the system rather than my own will.

In "A Clockwork Orange," the author, Anthony Burgess, paints a picture of a dystopian future. The story revolves around Alex, a character involved in acts of violence and various criminal activities. Despite the gruesome scenes, the main idea of the book is presented delightfully.

Alex, a very smart 15-year-old, leads his gang, named the "Droogs." He's a manipulative character with a deep appreciation for classical music. As Alex and his Droogs dives further into the depths of drug-induced haze, they find themselves drawn into a world of crime, including gang fights, grand theft auto, and harassment. Eventually, Alex's gang betrays him, and he lands behind bars. During his time in jail, he's given a chance for rehabilitation and subjected to the controversial Ludovico technique. This experimental method aims to "cure" Alex by drugging him and forcing him to watch media with lots of violence, making him incapable of committing further crimes.

As the story unfolds, Alex is released back into society, stripped of his free will. He faces hostility from those who recognize him from his past criminal activities. He even endures torture at the hands of an old friend who has become a police officer. Alex manages to escape to a house he had previously burglarized, where he encounters an author whom he had assaulted and whose wife he had killed. The author, failing to recognize Alex, involves him in an antigovernment propaganda. Later, Alex attempts to take his own life by jumping from a window of an apartment he been kept. After his recovery in the hospital, Alex reverts to his original self, embarking on a new life much like his past.

Though Alex embodies evil, he consciously chooses this path. He describes violent acts with a certain artistry, almost perceiving crime as a form of art, influenced by his connection to classical music. Alex is the sole member of his gang who exhibits any degree of self-control. He perceives his behavior not as good or bad, but as if it is art or not. Even after undergoing the Ludovico treatment, he remains far from a good person, struggling to act as his own, because of the physical barricade that the treatment put on him.

This thought provoking novel raises philosophical questions, surrounding the nature of free will. It makes us to consider the concepts of good and evil, and whether a person can be genuinely good without the capacity to choose otherwise. When an individual is stripped of the ability to make moral choices, are they still human, or have they been reduced to mere machinery?
As I delved into these philosophical questions, I realized that they don't have clear cut answers. I began to reevaluate my own choices. Had I been making my own decisions, or were external forces guiding me? Can we pass judgment on someone as being good or evil based solely on their choices, especially if those choices weren't genuinely their own? These questions evolved from philosophical questions into personal problems that required me to solve them.

My quest for answers led me to explore various philosophies, including those of Nietzsche, Plato, Camus, Kant, and more. This newfound understanding of different ideologies increased my self-awareness and comprehension of the world. It illuminated the fact that life is more than just acquiring a degree or securing a respectable job. Today, I investigate every aspect of my life, trying to look beneath the surface to understand the morals that drive individuals and groups to come up with their ideas. This curiosity has made me more curious than ever before, and with it, I am committed to becoming a better version of myself.