Missing Ending in A Clockwork Orange
Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Education
Department of English Language and Literature
BRITISH LITERATURE OF THE 20TH CENTURY
An unconvincing twist or necessary completion of the book’s moral integrity? Discuss the ending of A Clockwork Orange.
TWENTY-ONE?
Richard Borovička 2nd year – Aj-Pg
Summer semester 2009
Are we to discuss to what extent the ending of A Clockwork Orange is convincing, at least three levels of viewpoint should be taken into consideration. The author’s intention in terms of the effect that the last chapter was supposed to create can be seen as one. Another one lies in the literary means the author used and their contribution to the effect intended. And the last but surely not least is the psychological level concerning the possibility of the final twist in the protagonist’s attitude towards life and its dark sides. All the levels mingle throughout the story since human personality is a complex unit and not a mere composition of separate parts arbitrarily put together. Taking a closer look at all the aspects mentioned above should help us avoid simplification and misinterpretation. It is most unlikely that the last chapter of such a creative work is a mere result of the author’s sudden lost of imagination or inspiration. In the preface to the 1986 edition, Burgess himself claims that the 21st chapter was meant to be an integral part of the story from the very first moment he decided to write it. Although the author’s reliability as a source of information about his work might be considered questionable, his viewpoint should not be ignored completely as it sheds at least some light on the issue. As regards the number of chapters, he puts it quite clearly: “21 is the symbol for maturity, or it used to be, since at 21 you got the vote and assumed adult responsibility” (Thrawn). Burgess talks about the 21st chapter as about the denouement. He adds: “There is, in fact, not much pint in writing a novel unless you can show
Department of English Language and Literature
BRITISH LITERATURE OF THE 20TH CENTURY
An unconvincing twist or necessary completion of the book’s moral integrity? Discuss the ending of A Clockwork Orange.
TWENTY-ONE?
Richard Borovička 2nd year – Aj-Pg
Summer semester 2009
Are we to discuss to what extent the ending of A Clockwork Orange is convincing, at least three levels of viewpoint should be taken into consideration. The author’s intention in terms of the effect that the last chapter was supposed to create can be seen as one. Another one lies in the literary means the author used and their contribution to the effect intended. And the last but surely not least is the psychological level concerning the possibility of the final twist in the protagonist’s attitude towards life and its dark sides. All the levels mingle throughout the story since human personality is a complex unit and not a mere composition of separate parts arbitrarily put together. Taking a closer look at all the aspects mentioned above should help us avoid simplification and misinterpretation. It is most unlikely that the last chapter of such a creative work is a mere result of the author’s sudden lost of imagination or inspiration. In the preface to the 1986 edition, Burgess himself claims that the 21st chapter was meant to be an integral part of the story from the very first moment he decided to write it. Although the author’s reliability as a source of information about his work might be considered questionable, his viewpoint should not be ignored completely as it sheds at least some light on the issue. As regards the number of chapters, he puts it quite clearly: “21 is the symbol for maturity, or it used to be, since at 21 you got the vote and assumed adult responsibility” (Thrawn). Burgess talks about the 21st chapter as about the denouement. He adds: “There is, in fact, not much pint in writing a novel unless you can show
Cited: Burgess, Anthony. A Clockwork Orange. Suffolk: Penguin Books Ltd, 1996. Thrawn, Alex D. "A Clockwork Orange Resucked (1986) Anthony Burgess 's intro to the 25th Anniversary edition". Geocities. 16 August 2008. 27 June 2009. Vágnerová, Marie. Vývojová psychologie I. Praha: Nakladatelství Karolinum, 2005. 5