A Clockwork Orange

... 9;s spiritual existence. His war is against moral oppression and the government causing it. His weapon, a powerful one, is his incredible satiric writing ability.

Outside the sphere of violence, critics had praised Anthony Burgess's use of Nadsat more than any other element of A Clockwork Orange. A Clockwork Orange abandons normal language and is written in 'Nadsat' (which means teenager). It is a slang that is spoken by the teenagers at the time. Burgess uses approximately two-hundred and fifty 'nadsat' words-most of which have Russian roots-to convey his story. This gives the reader a sense of intimacy with Alex and his 'droogs' due to the fact that the adults in the novel can't understand what they are govoreeting (saying) (Cohen). There is also a disruption of the flow of narrative aside from this private language. Alex 'Our Humble Narrator' tells the story in a remembering type sequence, but often interjects with thoughts or questions posed directly at the reader. Aside from the strange language that is found on the pages of this novel, one of the most obvious features is Burgess's ability to shock (Malafry). There are many different scenes that are quite disturbing and violent. The reader tends to follow the actions of Alex and his droogs and it is easy to get caught up in all this violent action and lose sight of the real meaning of Burgess's novel. Alex and his droogs embody all animal instincts and the tale that has been set before the reader has little respect for realism (Cohen). We are presen ...