Clockwork Orange

The choice between good and evil is a decision every man must make throughout his life

in order to guide his actions and control his future. This element of choice, no matter

what the outcome, displays man's power as an individual. Any efforts to control or

influence this choice between good and evil will in turn govern man's free will and enslave

him. In the novel A Clockwork Orange, the author, Anthony Burgess, uses symbolism

through imagery, the characterization of Alex, and the first person narrative point of view

to prove that without the ability to choose between good and evil, man becomes

powerless as an individual. The symbolism through imagery proves how Alex's ability to

choose between good and evil is his ascendancy over the innocent and the weak. The first

symbol is the music to which he listens and loves. It is the only thing in Alex's life that he

truly cares for. This music represents the element of his choice and free will. When his

ability of choice is robbed in an attempt to better him, he loses his love for music. The

author illustrates through Alex's violent actions, how they represent his abuse of power

through his freedom of choice. Alex consistently chooses evil as a means to display his

power over the innocent and the good. While beating and raping a young girl, he feels that

he must display his power to is droogs through his abuse