1982. In great
literature, no scene of violence exists for its own sake. Choose a work of
literary merit that confronts the reader or audience with a scene or scenes of
violence. In a well-organized essay, explain how the scene or scenes contribute
to the meaning of the complete work. Avoid plot summary.
author's note: two critiques off the top of my head: use "torture" less and do less plot summary.
Violence is abundant in Anthony Burgess's A Clockwork Orange, but a few particular scenes have a more prominent influence on the overall meaning than the others: the violence Alex experiences after being released from prison. His beating at the hands of his old victims as well as by the duo of his now-deputized friend and enemy serve to show how savage and vindictive humankind is.
After being turned away from home by his parents and discovering he can no longer listen to his beloved classical music, Alex takes an intoxicated trip to the library to read about suicide. The vulnerable Alex is accosted by an old man, Jack, that he and his droogs beat before Alex went to prison. Jack and his elderly cohorts mercilessly beat Alex despite his passivity. Alex had been punished already by the system and had apparently learned his lesson, but the vengeful Jack continues the beating until the police step in.
Alex's release was no surprise; his situation was widely publicized as a triumph of modern psychology and a sign of a bright crime-free future thanks to the torturous aversion therapy to which Alex was subjected to eliminate his criminal urges. So when an old enemy and an old friend, now police officers, apprehend Alex for attacking the library patrons, they know full well that he was really the victim. Bearing old grudges, they take him to a secluded area and continue the beating that they were sent to stop.
Alex had already been punished for his transgressions, but still continued to suffer outside of prison. The people he had wronged insist on exacting their own revenge, despite the torture Alex had already endured. And even the system that was meant to protect him, the very same one that tortured him under the pretense of saving him, brutalized him secretly. Burgess used this violence to show how spiteful and revenge-crazed humankind can be.
I think you chose a really good work for this prompt; A Clockwork Orange is a definite example of violence and of violence being essential to the plot. You did a good job of giving specific examples and backing up your thesis with evidence. You summarized a bit, but I realize it was essential to explaining your point. I also really like your conclusion paragraph...You do a very good job of restating your previous points and your thesis. It brought your points together into something that really made sense and related it to the work as a whole. All in all, a good essay, though I'd try to clarify your point a little more throughout with topic sentences.
ReplyDeleteAs I have not read Clockwork Orange, I do think a little more detail and back story is needed in this essay. However, what you have is very good. The intro and conclusion state exactly what they need to. But as Kelly said, make sure to do a little more with your topic sentences!
ReplyDeleteThis is very "to the point". It was very efficient and didn't dwell on idea's to long, but clearly addressed the prompt. I might organize it a little more, but you did a very good job with the overall meaning of the work.
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