Wednesday, May 1, 2013
First Impression
I've noticed that Burgess uses repetition in a lot of things. He has to repeat a lot of the words he uses in order to make their meanings more clear, but he also repeats several phrases, such as "what's it going to be then, eh?" For the first while, the author slips the reader into Alex's routine, where they beat some people and rape some people, and it all seems very practiced. They go out more than once in the beginning of the book, and each time is similar to the first in execution. The repetition creates an almost circular feeling to the story which heightens the sense of being in Alex's mind. Alex gets hung up on a few things to the point of being obsessed. He loves the music he listens to, and he also loves the way the blood spills out of people and how violence makes him feel. Because of the emotions triggered by his activities, he does them a lot, and he doesn't seem to need anything else in his life. Alex really likes routine, and he also likes to know that he is in control of his life. I was particularly struck by how eager Alex is to assert his authority over his droogs. He is always thinking about how he is the leader and how he can show the others that he is in charge. He is the first one to rape girls, the others only attack after he does, and he tells the others what to do. The sense of routine in the book creates an interesting tension for the reader. What Alex does is shocking, but Alex is comfortable. For a couple of the scenes, I had to go back and read them again once I realized what was going on because they were described in such a manner-of-fact way that I didn't fully understand what happened until it was almost done.
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I absolutely agree with Stephanie's observations on the routine and repetitive nature of the plot line. Many times the writing was so disconnected from the emotion of the actions occurring, that I too had to reread the passages to realize the violence and vulgarity. I think Burgess's tone and syntax combine to create a unique world for us to picture Alex in. In order to create a believable setting, Alex's violent actions must seem mundane to him. Killing and raping must have little effect on the progression of his day, for they seem to be nearly daily occurrences. The other people he encounters in the novel are distrusting and frightened, but also seem resigned to the violent nature of this youth culture. By creating a routine for the characters, they almost become desensitized to the world around them and the actions they are taking. In the Handmaid's Tale, Offred's mechanical sex and lifeless friendships and listless routine create a split between our emotional reaction to her life and her own stifled emotions. In The Road, the boy stopped noticing the cannibalism and carnage around him, and was immune to the ghastly sights he was exposed to. Offred and the boy and Alex are comfortable in the life we find them in, which is what makes their dystopias so frightening.
ReplyDeleteYour point about routine is an interesting one. In our daily lives, we, too, become desensitized through the pursuit of a routine. It seems that dystopian authors are warning us against apathy, and suggesting the extreme results of that routinized existence.
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds so different and interesting! A lot of what you said sounds frustrating though by the way the author has chosen to write the story and all the repetition. The fact that the author uses fake words I find very interesting. At times I think I would be very confused but then again he probably makes it obvious what the particular words mean. It also seems cool though because the use of fake words sort of creates this separate world for you to live in as you read it. It sounds kind of fun to have "secret" meanings to different words.
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