A Clockwork Orange Social Norms

In today’s society, it is amazing how diverse people can be within such a close distance. Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange illustrates how important understanding the social norms are by creating parallels between two chapters. By using varied settings and similar events and images, the author shows how the main character is a fish out of water when thrown into an environment outside of his comfort zone. This essay will describe in depth the parallels between the two chapters and how the author uses them to make suggestions about the differences between social norms in today’s society.
Burgess uses the two chapters’ settings as a heavy comparison. In the first chapter, the scene opens in the Korova Milkbar, a place whose description suggests the lower class part of town. It is obvious that Alex and his droogs are in complete control. They get away with everything from punching a fellow customer in the face to robbing a convenience store and assaulting its owners. Their mischief takes place in the night, seeming to conceal their villainous …show more content…
Alex’s life success revolves around who he and his friends are able to beat up. Chapter one presents two fighting scenes, one with an elderly man and the other with a convenience store owner and his wife. The droogs are obviously dominant in both situations. They use their teamwork and power in numbers to overpower their victims. Weather they are scrapping on the streets or attacking a building, they have an unspoken and practiced plan to ensure their success. Things are different in chapter six, however. They are not able to break into the old woman’s house quite as easily as they are used to. It takes some work to get inside, leaving Alex apart from his team. Without his droogs to back him up, he fails to hold his usual focus and receives quite a beating from the elderly woman. Because he is outside of his norm, Alex is unable to experience his usual