With the inclusion of Chapter 21 A Clockwork Orange becomes the bildungsroman Burgess intended. The use of this genre enables Burgess to show that once an individual is initiated into adulthood, he can choose to become compassionate, and turn away from evil and become good. .
.
I will go through each of the three parts of this book, and give an in-depth look at Alex, his views, thoughts and escapades. In the first part we will see Alex as a young rebellious youth with no concern for the affect he has on others. Then in part two I will introduce a young man without a name merely a number, who chooses to give up his free will and let the state reform him. Finally in part three there will be a man that has regained his freedom of choice and has grown compassionate to those around him. In each part I will talk about the religious side, focusing on original sin, and the forces that contend for governmental power that are labeled Pelagain and Augustinian. Another major point that I will touch upon in each part is the play on light and dark that represents good and evil. This is a theme that runs through the entirety of this novel. .
.
In Part one the novel draws us to a young and rebellious youth named Alex. He doesn't refer to himself as Alex instead he comes up with other names for himself. In this instance he is showing his freedom to choose what he will be called. In the beginning he is seen with his droogs, gang mates, Pete, Georgie, and Dim, causing many numerous acts of violence towards people. One instance is the poor old man walking home from the library that they beat up, rip his clothes off and steal his books. Their next victim is a writer the second Alexander, or his later self for that matter, in the novel, he is writing a novel called "A Clockwork Orange-. Alex takes the unfinished book and beings to read it yet he cannot. His innocence prevents him from fully understanding what Alexander is trying to state, he has not come to the point in his life where this will all make sense to him.
