I was flattered the other day when I found out I would be addressing the American Philosophical Association on my book, A Clockwork Orange. Me, Anthony Burgess, in front of the greatest thinkers of the world! [Hahaha] I might come off as unsophisticated or unenlightened. After all, I know very little to nothing about philosophy. But, I thought I would give a presentation on philosophy anyways, since I am addressing the APA. The biggest problem in preparing my lecture was how to begin it. After much deliberation, I finally decided I would begin with a quote, and here it is:

“The attempt to impose upon man, a creature of growth and capable of sweetness, to ooze juicily at the last round the bearded lips of God, to attempt to impose, I say, laws and conditions appropriate a mechanical creation, against this I raise my sword-pen” (Burgess 21-22). Perhaps one of the most famous passages in my novel, this quote is given by a revolutionary and quasi-father figure of Alex, F. Alexander. This quote, in essence, summarizes one of the dominant themes of my novel, the importance of free will. It summarizes my rebellion against the mechanical nature of the government and the imposition of laws that limit human freedom. Now, the words “free will” might ring a bell. You might be thinking, “Oh, I get it. This presentation is about existentialism.” If that is what you are thinking, then you are correct. Specifically, this lecture is about how Alex DeLarge, as he is popularly called in Stanley Kubrick’s masterful adaptation of my novel, is an existentialist hero and a champion of freedom.

Although existentialism is a loose and ambiguous school of thought almost devoid of logic, with its major proponents criticizing each other, existentialism still has a focus on literature. The existentialists, unlike the logical positivists or the phenomenologists, are also famous literary writers. Their novels, obviously, tend to focus on existentialism and this focus is usually shown through their existential protagonist. Usually an anti-hero, the existential hero is characterized by alienation and individuality. He eventually realizes the importance of freedom and the indifference of society. We find all of these values in the character of Alex DeLarge, whom I would consider as an existential hero.

Although it may not be apparent at first, we eventually realize that Alex is a loner. He has his little droogies, but do they mean anything to him? Almost everyone he meets betrays him. This includes his droogs, his family, his advisor, and the revolutionaries. In the end, we see that Alex has no place to go and no one to confide in. This is particularly apparent in a quote by Alex: “Nobody wants or loves me. I’ve suffered and suffered and suffered and everybody wants me to go on suffering” (137). Spoken after Alex’s family rejects him, this quote illustrates his alienation. After his mistreatment at the hands of the government, Alex has nowhere to go and nothing to do. He considers committing suicide and sinks deeper and deeper into nihilism.

His individuality worsens his alienation. In many existentialist novels, we see that the protagonist cannot get along with society because of how different he is. Alex is no exception, though I must still admit that Alex is not nearly as alienated as some other existentialist heroes. Unlike Antoine Roquentin or the Underground Man, he is perfectly capable of interacting with society. Yet, he is still different. He loves classical music and art. Towards the end of the novel, he professes his love for lieders, which are songs for piano and voice written mostly during the Romantic era. Because Alex is an individual, society hates him. It hates the fact that he is different. Because of his individuality, he even finds himself incapable of getting along with his droogs, demonstrated by the fight he had with Dim over an insult.

So, we have already established his individuality and alienation, two major qualities of an existential hero. If existentialism is to be a rebellion against society, the heroes cannot conform to society. Another important quality we have yet to touch upon is freedom. As I have previously mentioned, the existential hero is the champion of free will. It is with his free will that he defines himself. Usually, he doesn’t realize the importance of free will until after some important experience. In A Clockwork Orange, Alex, from the start, shows signs of being an existentialist. In a quote in the first part, Alex states: “More, badness is of the self… they of the government and the judges and the schools cannot allow the bad because they cannot allow the self. And is not our modern history, my brothers, the story of brave malenky selves fighting these big machines… But what I do I do because I like to do.” First and foremost, we see the rebelliousness in the character of Alex. He sees the government as a machine that imposes its will upon others, a machine that restricts the freedom of others, which, as it turns out later in the novel, he is correct. Furthermore, by not allowing badness, the government is essentially not allowing an important element of human nature. He tops it all off by stating that he is bad not because he is inherently bad or because the devil is making him bad, but because he chooses to be bad. This is every bit rebellious and every bit existential.

Even though he does show early signs of existentialism, we cannot call him an existentialist at this point. As much as he may appreciate his freedom to choose badness, he also scoffs at F. Alexander’s passage, which I read earlier, suggesting that there is still much he does not understand. It is not until after his conditioning and loss of free will that he finally realizes the importance of freedom. Much more important than simply getting out of jail is his ability to choose. He wants to be in control of his life and without the ability to choose, he cannot be in control. Perhaps one of the most poignant scenes in the novel is when Alex is taken to his last experiment with the Ludivico technique. This time, he is not injected with the drug. However, he still experiences the same sensations of pain and nausea. Finally, he realizes that the conditioning has succeeded, that he is no longer free. And with that in mind, he breaks down and cries. Equally important is a quote that summarizes his epiphany: “Am I just to be like a clockwork range?” (127). He asks rhetorically whether or not he is just supposed to be a mechanical man completely devoid of choice, like a robot. This is really the beginning of his maturity.

A final characteristic I wish to focus on is the absurdity and indifference of the world. Like many other existential heroes, Alex eventually realizes how the world does not care about him. After all his suffering, he realizes how cruel the world truly is. As he mentioned in the beginning of Part III, he becomes aware that nobody loves him. He makes the same realization that Meursault and the Underground Man makes. He, though, responds differently. Instead of accepting it and simply living with it, Alex cannot stand it. He accepts it, but he cannot live with it. And so, he makes the drastic decision to take away his own life and end all the suffering. But, we all know that did not work out.

A Clockwork Orange is not an existential novel. Although it may have characteristics of existentialism, and I do admit that previous existentialist writers influenced my thought, I never intended it be an existential novel. Unlike Notes from the Underground or Nausea, my novel is not blatantly existential or philosophical. It simply touches on a few topics here and there. Nevertheless, Alex DeLarge is decidedly an existential hero. He is the one that has had “laws and conditions appropriate a mechanical creation” imposed upon him. Yet, he fights back with his individuality and will. And through this fight, he realizes many important lessons. It is not F. Alexander, but Alex DeLarge who “raises [his] sword-pen” against tyranny and restrictions of freedom. Thank you.

Works Cited

Burgess, Anthony. A Clockwork Orange. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 1986.