f F. Alexander, the man whose wife is raped by Alex and his droogies. Alexanders name links him with Alex, whom he later meets again, by which time his wife has died, as a result, it seems, of the rape. He is also the author of a book called A Clockwork Orange. This book doesnt sound like Burgesss- it is, says Alex, written in a very bezoomy like style, full of Ah and Oh and that cal- but when Alexander speaks up for individual choice and freedom it is like his authors.There is the vision of a near-future society, as frighteningly persuasive, however small the canvas, as the dystopias of George Orwell or Aldous Huxley: a youth culture in revolt, a corrupt police force, a government unable to govern. There is the devastatingly simple, yet profound, moral dilemma, which underlies the book: Is it better for a man to choose to be bad than a man to be conditioned to be good? To which Burgess, not hedging his bets, answers clearly: yes.The government attempt to defeat criminals like Alex by depriving them of their minds a liberal form of mindless is no solution. Youth, Burgess seems to be saying, must have its fling however wild. A well run state will moderate the dangers. But ultimately the only cure is age....
