A Clockwork Orange

The term "clockwork orange" refers to what Burgess heard an old Cockney say in 1945. The original phrase is "as queer as a clockwork orange." Before this book, however, the phrase was virtually inexistent; it is only seen once in another work.

Burgess's defines a "clockwork orange" as a "mechanically responsive (clockwork) human (orang, Malay for 'person')." The human is like an orange, fresh and full of life, but also like a clockwork, repetitive and controlled by the powers that be.

Ivan Pavlov introduced the theory of classical conditioning (also known as the conditioned response) in the 1890s. In his experiments with dogs, he rang a bell as he gave the dogs food. After repeating this several times, he would ring the bell without giving the dogs food. The result: the dogs still salivated as if they were expecting food.

The "doctors" in A Clockwork Orange use classical conditioning to cure Alex of his violent tendencies. He is first given an injection of some mysterious medicine, then doctors completely strap him to a chair, securing his arms, legs, head, even his eyelids. The chair faces a screen that shows movies depicting various degrees of violence, from brutal rapes to cold-blooded murders. While the scenes flash before his eyes, Alex's favorite music (classical) plays in the background. Now the medicine kicks in. It makes him physically ill to witness the violence before him, and he screams for mercy. He can't even turn his head or close his eyes.

After the "treatment," Alex enjoys a peaceful meal and rest. However, the next day, he endures the horror again and again. After some time in treatment, Alex begins to succumb to the conditioning lavished upon him. The slightest glance at anything that could be deemed as violent brings him to his knees. The same thing happens when he hears even the slightest note of his favorite music.

At the end of the conditioning, the doctors test him by setting up various people to threaten and abuse him. Alex cannot even think about fighting back; the treatment worked that well. Soon after, he is released and sent out to contribute to society. So it seems....

By Alex:
"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."

"Oh bliss! Bliss and heaven! Oh, it was gorgeousness and gorgeousity made flesh. It was like a bird of rarest-spun heaven metal or like silvery wine flowing in a spaceship, gravity all nonsense now. As I slooshied, I knew such lovely pictures!"

"You needn't take it any further, sir. You've proved to me that all this ultraviolence and killing is wrong, wrong, and terribly wrong. I've learned me lesson, sir. I've seen now what I've never seen before. I'm cured! Praise God!"

"Suddenly, I viddied what I had to do, and what I had wanted to do, and that was to do myself in; to snuff it, to blast off for ever out of this wicked, cruel world. One moment of pain perhaps and, then, sleep for ever, and ever and ever."

By Others
"Excellent. He's enterprising, aggressive, outgoing, young, bold, vicious. He'll do...He's perfect. I want his records sent to me. This vicious young hoodlum will be transformed out of all recognition." Minister of the Interior

"The common people will let it go. Oh yes, they'll sell liberty for a quieter life. That is why they must be led, sir, driven, pushed!" Mr. Alexander