Alex Delarge and How He Relates to This Twentieth Century Continental French Philosophy

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.