A Clockwork Orange | Ethical Values in Burgess's A Clockwork Orange
In the following essay, Rabinovitz examines ethical values in Burgess's Clockwork Orange.
In Anthony Burgess's most famous novel, A Clockwork Orange, the most obvious clash of values is between the lawless hero and a society that hopes to control him. This struggle obscures another conflict which is nevertheless very important: the opposing views of libertarians and authoritarians on how best to provide social controls. The theme of libertarian-authoritarian opposition recurs throughout Burgess's novels, often as a conflict between points of view Burgess has called Pelagian and Augustinian. The best exposition of this idea is given by Tristram Foxe, the protagonist of...
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