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  • Essay / Analysis of the last chapter of A Clockwork Orange

    In many ways, the controversial final chapter of Anthony Burgess's A Clockwork Orange undermines the novel's fundamental premise. Alex's unexpected transformation from a sadistic criminal to a consciously reformed and mature individual is not only poorly explained, but also completely absurd. Therefore, the work as a whole is undoubtedly better without the twenty-first chapter. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay From the very beginning, Alex's character fascinates as a cruel and corrupt youth with a lust for "old ultra- violence ". As the novel's first seven chapters chronicle his twisted "nochy" acts, it becomes clear that violence is Alex's art form. He is passionate about his work and is committed to performing each piece with meticulous care, saying, "you should never sound like you've been" in a fight. This passion is essential throughout the novel, as it keeps the reader empathetic towards Alex: as atrocious as his crimes are, everyone can identify with a man's burning desire to express himself. Thus, the reader shares Alex's anxiety when the state deprives him of his ability to commit violence by brainwashing him using Ludovico's technique, forcing him to "be like a clockwork orange." After his release from the state as a "free man", Alex's struggles to regain his freedom draws the audience even closer to his side. Therefore, when the twentieth chapter ends with Alex finally being able to "listen to the beautiful music" without "the pain and the sickness...and go oh oh oh", it seems like a triumphant ending. The reader is free to imagine what deeds Alex will commit on the "screaming world with [his] relentless britva", and he is proud and happy that Alex emerged victorious and unchanged from all his suffering. Yet the final chapter takes this glory away, as it immediately reveals an Alex whose passion for violence has lessened. This reformed Alex is "very bored and a little hopeless" in his nightly routine, as he chooses to quickly punch a victim in the stomach rather than play with her first or "sculpt her litso". In many ways, it's a disappointment to see Alex decide to conform to the adult world after struggling so hard to break free from its laws. Aside from this irony, the description of Alex's maturity in the last chapter is absurd. Even though we can assume that some time has passed since his release from the hospital, Alex's transformation still seems very sudden and hard to believe. It's disconcerting to think that Alex is now ready to settle down and not only find a partner but also father a child when he has spent the last few years mocking and inflicting pain on households like that of F. Alexander and his wife. Alex's sudden desire to fill his "deep void" by "coming home from work with a nice hot dinner and... a welcoming and loving ptitsa" seems to come out of nowhere, making him an average person. and uninteresting. Plus, the fact that much of this desire is sparked by an unexpected encounter with her old "droog" Pete is cliché and sad. Old Alex would have made his ex-droogs scream and scream because they were traitors; he would have laughed in Pete's face instead of being impressed and inspired by his reformed lifestyle. However, this new Alex is more inclined to cut to the image of a "baby gurgling goo goo with everything that looks like moloko dripping his rot", a sight impossible to imagine after watching Alex beat, rape and torture joyfully countless victims..