Desiree Tamez
A Clockwork Orange paper
Dr.Strickler
Definition of Masculinity
Masculinity can be a word that has many definitions. The definition depends on the
person defining masculinity. Definitions of words are defined by experience and interpretation. .
In A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, creates a character that crafts together his own
definition of masculinity. Main character Alex, acts out in ways that he thinks is masculine.
Alex’s actions are appalling to readers. The violence against women and poor people are very
troubling to read about. The rape scenes in the book are so powerful that it takes over the book.
Alex’s language and fashion does not make sense to others, but it has a power over them. The
music played by Alex in the novel consists of Beethoven. Beethoven represents a higher and
more dominant social class. Alex uses all three of these activities to illustrate is definition of
masculinity to consist of power and dominance. In the end Alex challenges social norms to
overall create a definition of masculinity
Violence in A Clockwork Orange represents much more then rape and violence itself. For
a while readers get the idea that Alex develops violent behavior whenever a rape scene evolves.
Alex though acts out in violence anytime that he wants to stay in control and dominant. He wants
his own free will. The rape scenes just also happen to give him the satisfaction of having power.
Alex utilizes any kind of violence so he can show people what he believes masculinity consists
of. To Alex, “violence lies less in what is said…than in the way it is conveyed (Sorlin 52). He
acts out in violence to convey the message that he is masculine. Alex wants everybody to see his
masculinity, not just hear about it.
Alex shows that he wants power over everyone when he lashes out in violence towards his own
“droogs”. His friends try to suggest different activities that they can all do. Alex does not like
that idea. Alex lashes out at them to show that he remains as the one and only in charge. It ends
up being ironic when Alex turns violent towards men. Alex, after all wants to create his
definition of masculinity. The funny thing, when another male wants to have just as much power
and dominance as Alex, he shoots them down (figuratively). Alex only believes that one male
can be in power—himself. Alex develops like a mechanic and uses his friends and anybody else
as tools to get to the top. Another scene where Alex shows violence against another man is when
he goes to the house where F. Alexander lives. Not only does Alex rape Alexander’s wife, he
also lashes out in violence towards F. Alexander himself. This ends up as another scene where
Alex shows that he has power over women and other men. He can easily switch from one gender
to another. Alex can easily harm both women and men because he does not care about the
violence or sex. In the movie, A Clockwork Orange, the main theme presented stands as ,
“people should be free to act upon free will, even if that entails violent crime” (McQuinsin 105)..
He wants to do anything that he wants including reaching the top of society and have complete
control over his own life. Alex breaks social norms through violence because nobody else in the
book or society accepts violence as much as him. He goes against society and lashes out in
violence because he also feels that masculinity includes free will. Free will gives him authority.
He believes violence presents the key to free will which also show the way to the key of
masculinity. Alex sees masculinity as how others perceive him. Therefore constantly reinforcing
his free will power and reestablishing how masculine he is to others. Alex reinforces his
“masculinity” by his fashion and creative language.
From the very beginning of the book, the readers are introduced to Alex’s creative use of
fashion and language. Alex describes his clothing as the “heighth {sic} of fashion” (Burgess 4).
He then goes to explain that the “heighth{sic} of fashion” at the time consisted of, “ a pair of
black very tight tights with the old jelly mould… fitting on the crutch underneath the tights, this
being to protect and also a sort of a design you could viddy clear enough in a certain
light”(Burgess 4). Normally women act out more creatively . Alex on the other hand challenges
this idea and adds creativity to his definition of masculinity. Alex’s fashion sense creates another
way for Alex to literally show people his definition of masculinity. Fashion can often identify,
“the nation currently dominating pop culture, while its specific details hint at the balance of
gendered power and reveal the nation’s particular gendered articulation of itself at the precise
moment” (Rabinovitz 1). This demonstrates why Alex makes fashion an important part of his
identity. He wants to feel like a part of the domination pop culture and gender power. There are
many scenes in the movie where Alex’s creativity of fashion can definitely be seen. He has a
different type of outfit with a different color for every occasion. When Alex goes to rape
somebody he has a different outfit on then when he goes out during the day. Alex has a more
theatrical fashion sense at night. In the movie he wears a mask or a fake eyelash, “fashioning
himself …after the ideal of a highly stylized hypermasculinity” (Schene 66). Since all eyes focus
on him he has the power to be in complete control. Along with fashion Alex creates his
definition of masculinity with language.
The language that Alex uses gives him a power that most people do not have. He utilizes
such words as “horrorshow”, “cancer”, and “Millicent” and creates a whole new language. Justin
Smith suggests that his “stylish-vocabulary” creates a “vulnerability” that has a “coquettish
mannerism” (150). Since other people do not know what he is talking about when some of these
terms are used, it makes readers and the other characters in the book feel uncomfortable. Readers
and other characters in the book do not know exactly how to react to his special language. Alex
utilizes language as an important piece to the definition of masculinity. The different language
used represents the idea that men have a language that everyone does not understand. Alex’s
language has an, “‘alienating’ effect… since it cannot be understood by mainstream society”
(Goh2). Alex sees alienation as a part of masculinity. He uses an alienating language to show
how he basically has authority over others. Sometimes when people want to alienate themselves
they actually can create more attention. Alex does exactly this to bring together his idea of
masculinity. The last thing that Alex uses to wrap up his definition of masculinity consists of the
use of music.
Alex plays Beethoven any time he wants to be in control. He plays it before he becomes
violent and he will even play it during sex. Alex’s obsession for Beethoven is not so much
because he likes it, but because it represents a higher power. Alex feels then a man should be of
high class and respect. He uses Beethoven as his key into the manly world. According to Kate
McQuiston, “The film [Clockwork Orange] associated … Beethoven with [among other things]
sophistication and sensitivity” (108). Alex sees sophistication and sensitivity as a manly
characteristic. He feels that with sophistication and sensitivity he can have authority over others.
For example the scene where he finds himself in a music store picking up a record. He uses his
knowledge of music to impress the two girls standing next to him and convinces them to come
back and listen to the music with him. The girls come back to his place and he ends up raping
them. Alex then has complete control over the girls. They are helpless. The girls did not know
that he had this power over them at first but Alex did. Alex acts as if he comes from a higher
social class, giving Alex “power” over the girls and anything else that comes his way. Beethoven
is used throughout the entire book, as well as the movie. The movie gives it a more dominating
presence then in the book. In the movie, “Beethoven’s music is not background; it belongs to and
participates in Alex’s story” (McQuiston 107). Alex allows Beethoven to become a part of him
and his identity. He brings this part of his identity into his definition of masculinity. Alex
alienates himself again because of “his awareness of Beethoven as a classical composer,”
(McQuiston 110); setting him apart from the other character in the novel. As Alex does this he
demonstrates that part of masculinity consists distinguishing one’s self from the rest of society.
Therefore with Beethoven Alex challenges the social norm of social class and he challenges
being the same as the rest of society to produce his definition of masculinity.
Alex challenges the social norms of society to craft together a definition of masculinity.
He utilizes music, fashion, violence, and language to do this. Alex in the end creates a definition
of masculinity that consists of power, authority, alienation, and sophistication. People see Alex
as a disturbed young man and do not understand his tactics. The violence can be repulsing and
the fashion and language are confusing. Alex though has used influences such as combat,
superheroes and other men to create what he believes masculine. Alex shows readers and the rest
of society that masculinity can be whatever one wants it to be. He creates a definition of
masculinity that now other men or women might use as their definition of masculinity. In the
end of the novel Alex converts to society’s definition of masculinity. He figures the time has
come to give into the norm. The main question though at the end of the day; what is the real
definition of masculinity? Does Alex hold the real definition of masculinity or does society?
Works Cited
Burgess, Anthony. A Clockwork Orange. New York London: W.W. Norton & Company, 1977.
Goh, Robbie B.H. “Clockwork” Language Reconsidered: Ironicity and Narrative in Anthony
Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange.
McQuiston, Kate. “Value, violence, and Music Recognized: A Clockwork Orange as
Musicology.” Stanley Kubrick’s Essays on His Films and Legacy. Ed. Gary D. Rhodes.
North Carolina. McFarland & Company. Inc. Publishers, 2008:105-122.
Rabinovitz, Rubin. Mechanism Vs. Organism: Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange.
Schene, Berthhold. Writing Men Literary Masculinities from Frankenstein to the New Man.
Great Britain: Edinburgh university Press, 2000.
Smith, Justin. “The “lack” and How to Get it: Reading Male Anxiety in A Clockwork Orange,
Tommy and The Man Who Fell.” Don’t Look Now. Ed. Paul Newland. Chicago: The
University of Chicago Press, 2010:149-152.
Sorlin, Sandrine. “A Clockwork Orange: a linguistic symphony.” Anthony Burgess: Music in
Literature and Literature in Music. Ed.Marc Jeannin. UK: Cambridge Scholars
Publishing, 2009:45-58.