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A PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDY ON THE NOVEL A CLOCKWORK ORANGE
Corresponding Author(s) : Ziona Elizabeth Mathai
Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews,
Vol. 8 No. 1 (2020): January
Abstract
Purpose of the study: This paper is a study on the novel A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. It is an analysis of Alex’s psychological condition and a study on the Ludovico experiment in relation to other popular experiments in psychology. The paper brings to light the dark and evil side of adolescence.
Methodology: This study uses a psychological approach in analyzing the character of the protagonist Alex. Various psychological theories are applied in this paper to interpret this novel.
Main Findings: Examining Alex’s depiction in the novel, he is presumed as a sociopath with a narcissistic personality disorder. The Ludovico experiment which stole the limelight in this novel is a behavioral modification technique, powered by negative reinforcement. Despite being a fictional experiment and a product of Burgess’s imagination, the Ludovico experiment is stemmed out of Ivan Pavlov’s classical conditioning. This experiment also complements Watson and Rayner’s ‘Little Albert’ experiment. The termination of Alex’s free will by the Ludovico experiment is reversed by the flooding method of desensitization.
Applications of this study: The novel, A Clockwork Orange is brimming with psychological theories, hence a fascinating book to the psychologists. The protagonist Alex, continues to remain as a case-study amongst the scholars of psychology.
Novelty/Originality of this study: The final chapter in the novel has various interpretations. The reversal of Alex’s condition is caused by the flooding method of desensitization. While the cause of reversal holds varied comprehension, the flooding method seems like the fitting one.
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