Many philosophers have believed for centuries that no intrinsic meaning exists in the universe. From this belief emerged many responses, including absurdism and existentialism. Although all are heavily influenced by the beliefs of Søren Kierkegaard, they were further developed by Jean Paul Sartre and Albert Camus himself. Existentialism is the belief that through a combination of consciousness, free will, and personal responsibility, everyone can construct their own meaning in a world that is inherently meaningless. In Sartre's existentialist philosophy, this free will implies relevant responsibility and acceptance of the consequences caused by individual choice. Absurdism is a philosophy attributed to Camus, a belief that there is an inherent disagreement between an individual's search for meaning and the actual lack of meaning. The three practical ways to deal with such a situation are therefore suicide, adopting a framework of meaning such as religion or accepting the lack of meaning and surviving despite this. Both Alex and Meursault are presented as almost absurd heroes; live in the sensual pleasure of the present moment and free from any system of values. Rather than behaving according to social norms, these characters attempt to live as honestly as possible, simply doing what they want. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay From the first line of “A Clockwork Orange,” we are introduced to the recurring motif and underlying theme of the novel: “What does he pass? be then, eh?'. This question appears four times in the first chapter and at the beginning of each part of the novel. This question that Alex asks himself is the symbol of his undulating freedom from executioner to victim. In the first part, as a brutal anti-hero, Alex consciously chooses to do evil and embody his absolute free will. Its senseless brutality and violence aptly illustrate that Sartre’s “existence precedes essence.” Alex shows no interest in justifying his actions in terms of abstract or theoretical notions such as "freedom", living simply as a free but violent hedonist, qualified by his admission that "what I do, I do because I likes to do it.” Burgess himself was particularly philosophically informed and believed that "the freedom to choose is the greatest human attribute", which is why Alex conceived this ideology. Furthermore, as the novel was published in 1962, it is impossible to ignore the production contexts in the creation of the character of Alex. Framed by the growing youth subcultures of Mods and Rockers, the 1960s became an era of rebellion against political rule, riots and unnecessary violence. In this sense, Alex becomes almost a hyperbolic extension of the truth – a young person rejecting reason and authority in place of violence. As Robert K Morris explains in “The Bitter Fruits of Liberty,” Alex “discovered that existence has always meant freedom” and thus “responds predictably and inevitably to the deadly burden of choice.” - authentic action in terms of existentialism. Alternatively, you could see the constant repetition of "What's it going to be then, huh?" ” as Alex desperately questioned his direction and purpose. Almost like a question to a higher power, you could say Alex takes an absurdist approach, looking for a purpose where there is none. This idea is further reinforced by Alex's suicide attempt - an escape from meaninglessness and his unsuccessful quest to find purpose.Likewise, Meursault turns away from social expectations and acts of his own free will, without justifying or considering the implications of his actions. However, where Alex consciously makes immoral decisions, Meursault seems to continually act amorally, never seeming to distinguish between good and evil in his mind. When Raymond asks him to write a letter that will help him torment his mistress, Meursault with indifference under the pretext that he "had no reason not to do it". This implies that he makes no value judgment on his action: a simple microcosm of his character. Meursault's actions are thoughtless and rejecting consequences, simply doing things because he can. In this sense, Meursault seems to display more absurd philosophical tendencies; acting as if nothing has meaning or purpose, but accepting this and living despite it, therefore acting amorally out of carelessness and lack of care. However, the application of critical psychoanalytic theory to both “A Clockwork Orange” and “The Stranger” opens up an alternative reading of Alex and Meursault. Perhaps, in view of Freud's theories, the two protagonists are not motivated by philosophical notions, but by their psychological foundations. Freud theorized that the human personality was divided into several parts, two of which are the id and the superego. The id is the part of the human personality that is motivated by a primal instinct, acting in accordance with selfish pleasure and a desire for instant gratification. The Superego acts in opposition to the Id, motivated by what the individual believes to be morally correct. Alex and Meursault as individuals are, at least initially, dominated by their identities; acting without consideration, compassion or conscience. Alex describes the murder as "real satisfaction", illustrating the omission of his Superego in his psychological makeup. “I shot the motionless body four more times,” notes Meursault, “I don’t know why, but something inside me broke. These new shots were of no use: the Arab was dead. Meursault continued to shoot because his identity was dominant and a burning murderous desire developed within him. This murderous desire experienced by Alex and Meursault is known in psychoanalytic terms as the Thanatos instinct. Another illustration of Alex and Meursault's dominant id comes when they both fulfill, to some extent, the Oedipus complex. With Alex's passive parents and their somewhat distant relationship with him, he finds comfort and a father figure in F. Alexander. By raping F. Alexander's wife, Alex transgresses boundaries by committing symbolic incest, rape and adultery, showing the lack of balance in his personality and the triumphant dictatorship of the Id in his mind. The rape of F. Alexander's wife could have symbolic meaning for Burgess himself, whose own wife was raped, representing the unbalanced personality of such a criminal and the shocking and personal nature of the crime. The example of Meursault is, however, less explicit. Just one day after his mother's funeral, Meursault finds himself lusting after and sleeping with Marie. Almost immediately after meeting Marie, he describes how he "brushed against her breast" before "caressing her breast", then later describes her outfit when he meets her in prison: "You could make out the shape of her firm breasts. This repetition of the breast creates a feeling of obsession around a powerful symbol of motherhood and education. Despite his distant relationship with his mother, Meursault seems to need to immediately replace this nurturing female figure but immediately takes it to the sexual level, acting only on the desires of the Id.However, we could consider this psychoanalysis from a different angle. It could be argued that acting solely on the Id is simply a consequence of absurdism for both protagonists. If Alex and Meursault see no meaning or purpose, then they now have the motivation to be moral. In this sense, the omission of the goal removes the need for the Superego. According to Sartre, we are thrown into existence without a predetermined future and construct our own nature or essence through our free choice and actions. Therefore, human beings, regardless of their personal nature, should never be deprived of their freedom of self-determination. Clearly influenced by certain views of existential philosophy, Burgess discusses throughout 'AClockwork Orange' how forcing man to be good is worse than allowing a man to choose evil; the truest malevolence is forced benevolence. “Is a man who chooses evil perhaps in some way better than a man on whom good is imposed? » questions the chaplain, criticizing Alex's treatment. The chaplain echoes Sartre's notion that good deeds (or anything for that matter) have no moral value and are performed without free will. This point is reinforced when Alex emerges from prison a “free” and harmless man. However, now alone and mindless, he is beaten, used and suicidal. Alex only achieves maturity, conscious morality, and security when his conditioning is removed and he is "cured", going so far as to compare good without will to a disease. This moral maturity appears in Part 3, Chapter 7 – the 21st chapter of the novel. Alex reflects on his violent youth and hopes for a healthy future, eventually defining his own purpose by wishing for marriage and children. In England in 1962, when the novel was published, the age of 21 was significantly set for the right to vote, which constituted a structural reinforcement of Alex's moral maturity. The structure of the entire novel is actually significant. With 3 parts each divided into 7 chapters, the novel adopts an ABA structure echoing that of an opera song[8] - a symbol of Alex's musical interest which is used against him. It is not until chapter 21 – the “end of the song” – that Alex has the free will to do good, to forge his own meaning and purpose, and to live an existentially authentic life. However, it is the ending of “The Outsider” that determines it. an absurdist novel rather than the existentialist denouement of “A Clockwork Orange”. Meursault becomes an absurd hero both literally and figuratively. Literally, it perfectly illustrates the absurd characteristics of revolt, freedom and passionate recklessness. Figuratively, Meursault is now in prison awaiting death, a metaphor for the human condition. Like Alex, Meursault also meets a chaplain in prison. The Chaplain attempts to bring the atheist Meursault to God in his final days but he refuses, summarizing his absurd worldview that nothing really matters and the only purpose of living is to die: "Since we we're all going to die, it's obvious that when and how doesn't matter. By telling the story through Meursault's indifferent voice and use of pronouns like "we", the reader is drawn into his point of view, feeling the absurdity of the events as Camus almost certainly intended. In the last pages of the novel, Meursault almost experiences a revelation: "For the first time, in this night full of signs and stars, I opened myself to the sweet indifference of the world... I felt that I had been happy and that I was happy again. It is in these lines that Camus describes Meursault's ironic joy at the recognition of a universe without meaning and"