A Clockwork Orange

The implications made in Clockwork Orange involve government control, government experimentation, individual freedom, crime, conditioning, manipulation and religion. The relationship between Clockwork and Author Randy Martin’s article are similar in that his reading has to do with government control and he talks about how government manipulates its people through the promise of a “Utopian Market” (p.1).

First, Clockwork Orange shows us how government controls and punishes those who are a threat to society, by manipulating and conditioning Alex, the main character. Martin’s article is similar, in that he mentions how government influences its people with a sort of hopeful intangible dream that includes freedom and monetary security. A dream that is unattainable to the middle class individual (p.1). In Clockwork, Alex is punished by the government because of his unforgiving rebel behavior and is conditioned to not think for himself anymore. Both examples are a form of manipulation and control.

Second, Clockwork Orange offers the next hot topics of government experimentation and redemption. In Clockwork, the government is satisfied with their medical experimentation and uses it to show the people how much power the government has. Interestingly, in the end, the government receives backlash by the people and change decide to take advantage of Alex while in coma and reverse the conditioning that he received. Martin’s article is somewhat similar to the films experimentation and redemption scene in that he states, “ If war is an expression and not simply an instrument of imperialism…(p.4) Martin’s quote can be related to Clockwork because Martin is trying to say that the government experiments with its people, “war,” and “imperialism” in order to satisfy their needs. (p.4) However, once stuff hits the fan and people become resentful or start to heavily question the government, they start to become scared and start the manipulation and conditioning cycle all over again. For example, Martin states, “ Americans can help after 911: “go shopping” (p.3) Shopping creates a better economy and this is our way of trying to help you not fall into a direct economic pit hole.

Last, interestingly, religion is inserted in Luis Althusser’s article, Martins, and in Clockwork Orange, to express how meaningful and powerful religion is among certain societies. For starters, in Clockwork, when Alex is in prison, a priest or pastor seems to push religion before him as a way to save him. Similar to Martin’s article, Martin mentions how America makes great effort in trying to change other foreign societies ideologies, like in the Middle East, but uses it more as a disguise to dominate other populations (p.9) Next, this whole religion aspect also trickles into Althusser’s heavy religious insertion. In short, he communicates government control or domination includes ideology and ideology includes religion and integrating the two make way for a happy government and content populace.

Watching A Clockwork Orange and reading both articles made were great and made strong points about the history and government and the present beliefs and opinions about how the government operates now. The main ideas extracted from all three stories, is religion, imperialism, capitalism, control, experimentation, and manipulations.