the application of the principles of human behaviourism through aversion therapy in the form of Lodovico Technique on Alex
Abstract
In A Clockwork Orange, the application of the principles of human behaviourism through aversion therapy in the form of Lodovico Technique on Alex represents relapse in government systems to restore sanity in the society. The use of technology to assert aversion therapy not only did it fail to rid Alex from his attraction to violence but also hampered his desire to enjoy the music he loved. This means that the methodology put in place by the government as a correctional measure to negative human behaviour can have a devastating effect on the same human, thus fabricating their negative behaviour. The methodology failed to cure Alex’s violent behaviour and correct his moral concern, thus posing a threat to the government application of the Ludovico technique in curing social behaviour. Instead of curing social behaviour, the methodology was shown to create more social problems since the human brain is programmed to adjust to the suffering inflicted through torture and suffering.
Demonstration of argument
- A close reading of scenes from chapter 6, the contamination of Alex response to music represents an ultimate loss to his social being since it was the only thing which engaged his to higher senses of humanity. The aversion therapy made him vomit which is a symbolic resistance to the form of conditioning he is expected to allude to and finally threw himself from a window a propagation of violence he was conditioned to refrain from.
- Chose reading of scenes from chapter 7, the result of the from the therapy Alex becomes unable to reason morally since his consciousness has been infiltrated by unseen police and thus every decision he made to commit a crime was reversed by psychological awareness of unforeseen police. With such psychosocial setting, Alex has the ultimate decision to commit a crime or to be violent like deciding to rape any beautiful girl.
Secondary literature
Adi, Fajar Purnomo. “Defining Freedom: An Analysis of Freedom in Anthony Burgess’ ‘A Clockwork Orange.’” Passage, vol. 4, no. 2, 2016, pp. 14–40.
Adi argument is relevant to my argument that the lack of satisfactory result in the cure of Alex in a threat to government intervention in the reduction of violence in the society. According to Abdi, the form of freedom that that is connected with liberation from violence thoughts does not hinder one from behaving like a human. Thus the research dispels the success of Ludovico Technique and presents an argument that human cannot be forced to choose a different trait from what they are and thus it was not easy to prevent Alex from acting violently in future after the impact of the technique faded.
Marrone, Gianfranco. The Ludovico Cure. On Body and Music in A Clockwork Orange. Ottawa, 2009.
The book presents an argument that the effectiveness of therapeutic intervention varies from the methodology and procedure of application and the response of the patient. Therefore the psychosocial application of corrective measures should be less damaging on the life of the patient, and the outcome should not have any adverse effect on the patient or the institution implementing it. In a similar manner to my argument, the book alludes that, use of severe correction measures to change human thinking like it was used on Alex not worsen the trigger factor but distort psychosocial setting thus increasing the prevalence of committing a crime. This poses a high risk of relapse and increasing prison congestion and legal measures against the government on violation of fundamental human rights.
Strange, Carolyn. “Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange as Art against Torture.” Crime Media Culture, vol. 6, no. 3, 2010, pp. 267–284, 10.1177/1741659010382332].
The researcher argued that violence and torture depicted in A Clockwork Orange express era of liberal wariness in government abuse of power to infringe human right and violation of medical intervention. The aversion therapy which Alex was subjected to is a critical abuse of penal welfare society for presumed social good which allude to military operations. This question of government intervention and the sacrifice of its people to attain social wellbeing in society.
Works Cited
Adi, Fajar Purnomo. “Defining Freedom: An Analysis of Freedom in Anthony Burgess’ ‘A Clockwork Orange.’” Passage, vol. 4, no. 2, 2016, pp. 14–40.
Burgess, Anthony. A Clockwork Orange. London, Heinemann, 1985.
Höyng, Peter. “Ambiguities of Violence in Beethoven’s Ninth through the Eyes of Stanley Kubrick’s ‘A Clockwork Orange.’” The German Quarterly, vol. 84, no. 2, 2011, pp. 159–176, www.jstor.org/stable/41237071. Accessed 24 May 2020.
Marrone, Gianfranco. The Ludovico Cure. On Body and Music in A Clockwork Orange. Ottawa, 2009.
Staiger, Janet. “The Cultural Productions of A Clockwork Orange.” Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, 7 July 2003, pp. 37–60, 10.1017/cbo9780511615306.003. Accessed 24 May 2020.
Strange, Carolyn. “Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange as Art against Torture.” Crime Media Culture, vol. 6, no. 3, 2010, pp. 267–284, 10.1177/1741659010382332].