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A Clockwork Orange (Norton Critical Editions)
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This book is based on A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. Norton Critical Edition

A Clockwork Orange (Norton Critical Editions) (edit title/settings)

by Anthony Burgess (Author), Mark Rawlinson (Editor) (edit contributors)

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Description edit see section history

'What we were after ...was lashings of ultra-violence'. In Anthony Burgess' infamous nightmare vision of youth culture in revolt, fifteen-year-old Alex and his friends set out on a diabolical orgy of robbery, rape, torture and murder. Alex is jailed for his teenage delinquency and the State... read more

Summary edit see section history

Alex, a teenage gang leader obsessed with "ultraviolence," narrates the horrible crimes he and his fellow droogs (comrades) commit throughout a dystopic, future England. After invading the home of a writer and his wife and raping the wife, Alex and his three droogs continue their hellish... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

Alex, a teenage gang leader obsessed with "ultraviolence," narrates the horrible crimes he and his fellow droogs (comrades) commit throughout a dystopic, future England. After invading the home of a writer and his wife and raping the wife, Alex and his three droogs continue their hellish debauchery and eventually kill an old woman. Alex, who has upset his droogs with his powerplays and cruelty to them, is caught while the others escape.

Now in State Jail, Alex takes up an interest in the bible for its horribly violent scenes and becomes involved with the prison chaplain. However, when Alex is blamed for the murder of a cellmate, he is given a choice. He can either stay in jail or undergo the experimental Ludovico Technique. The treatment involves forcing the eyes open to watch horribly violent films while receiving injections that make the viewer horribly sick. This conditions Alex to hate violence and, incidentally, the soundtrack to the films, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, previously Alex's favorite composer. The technique works and although the chaplain accuses the jail of violating Alex's free will, he is released.

Unfortunately, Alex's parents have leased his bedroom to a lodger and when Alex wanders the street, a former victim of Alex's as well as two policemen--none other than a former droog and a former rival gang-leader--beat Alex. He collapses in front of the home where the writer whose wife he raped lives. Because Alex and the droogs were wearing masks, the writer, F. Alexander, does not realize that this is the man who hurt his wife so badly that she died shortly after. He welcomes Alex into his home after hearing about the conditioning used on Alex and hopes to publicize the mistreatment of citizens by the government.

However, F. Alexander shortly realizes Alex's role in his wife's rape and death and plays Beethoven's Ninth Symphony after locking Alex up. Alex jumps from a window to kill himself but survives. F. Alexander is sent to a mental hospital and the government offers Alex a nice job if he agrees to help the state avoid the bad publicity for the now-renowned Ludovico Technique that would be caused by news of his attempted to suicide. Alex agrees as he dreams of ultraviolence, realizing that his conditioning has worn off.

In the final chapter, which was not included in the original American versions of the book, Alex has a new group of droogs. However, after running into a former droog who is married with children, Alex realizes he has grown tired of his sociopathy and dreams of having a son.

Characters/People edit see section history

  • Alex: The main character, a violent psychopathic gang leader who delights in rape, murder, and abuse.
  • Georgie: A droog (that is comrade) of Alex and the righthand man of Alex.
  • Pete: Another droog in the gang.
  • Dim: The last of the droogs and the stupidest.
  • P.R. Deltoid: Alex's "post-corrective advisor." Visits when Alex skips school.
  • Billyboy: The leader of a rival gang
  • F. Alexander: The husband of the woman Alex brutally rapes and tortures. Seeks to get revenge on Alex.
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Quotes edit see section history

  • “There was me, that is Alex, and my three droogs, that is Pete, Georgie, and Dim, Dim being really dim, and we sat in the Korova Milkbar making up our rassoodocks what to do with the evening, a flip dark chill winter bastard though dry.”
    Alex
  • “What's it going to be then, eh?”
  • “Who ever heard of a clockwork orange”
    Alex
  • “'Well, if it isn't fat stinking billygoat Billyboy in poison. How art thou, thou globby bottle of cheap stinking chip-oil? Come and get one in the yarbles, if you have any yarbles, you eunuch jelly thou.'”
    Alex
  • “I was cured all right.”
    Alex

First Sentence edit see section history

'What's it going to be then, eh?'

Table of Contents edit see section history

Three Parts with seven chapters. Depending on the edition, the third part may or may not have its seventh chapter.

Glossary edit see section history

Show all 11 glossary entries

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

  • Choice and Free Will: The phrase 'What's it going to be then, eh?' starts each section of the book. The question of whether we can curb free will for the good of society is raised repeatedly during Alex's violent escapades.

Series & Lists edit see section history

This book is in Norton Critical Edition. (standard series)
This book is in 100 Fantabulous Book Challenge. (community list)

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Anthony Burgess (Author)
  2. Mark Rawlinson (Editor)

Awards edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Reading Level: Adults

The original text's protagonist is a violent sexual criminal. The accompanying essays are likely too academic for younger children to understand

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