A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess is a great example of a satire due to it’s dark humor and the questioning of free will the protagonist explores. To begin with, in my previous blog post I spoke about a quotation which I feel means a lot in this book. That quotation is “But the not-self cannot have the bad, meaning they of the government and the judges and the schools cannot allow the bad because they cannot allow the self (40).” To explain further this quotation determines everything Alex is truly living for. The way he acts is an exaggerated version of someone who does not want to be a product of society but believe what they choose to believe. However, what the protagonist has yet realized is that you have freedom until it intervenes with the freedom of other individuals. With this in mind I think Anthony Burgess made such character to show what the world would become if people thought they could live through their own freedom. Doing so would lead into a lot of chaos in the world and people would be living in terror most of the time. Im curious to continue reading and find out whether or not he has a realization. A theme statement that can be used to explain the work as a whole is when an individual is too focused on their own freedom they may lose sight of anyone else’s. I think this is a good theme statement that applies to the book because it is what Alex is doing. He is losing sight of the freedom of everyone else’s because he only thinks his is most important. For example, in the book Alex raped two ten year old girls. He was so focused on believing that if everyone has freedom then they should do what they want that he did not take account the little girl’s freedom. Instead he took it away from them by raping them. Not only does that support the theme but gives an insihg on how horrifying the world may be without laws to keep our freedom the way it is. Overall A Clockwork Orange there is a lot to learn from and it is a great story.

The book that I chose to read was A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. I decided to read this book because I heard so many great things about it. When I looked it up I instantly became intrigued due to the fact that it seemed filled with action and lacked dull moments. This book is about Alex, the protagonist, and his gang. This gang consists of Alex who is supposed to be the leader, Dim, Georgie and Pete. They live their lives by causing unimaginable chaos and crimes. They test the laws and believe that they should be able to express their malicious ways without getting punished for it. In chapter four Alex is speaking to Deltoid, his post-corrective adviser and says to him “But the not-self cannot have the bad, meaning they of the government and the judges and the schools cannot allow the bad because they cannot allow the self (40).” Although this is a long quotation I decided to put the entire thing instead of half because this is when you realize the motto that Alex is living by. In this quotation Alex is explaining that if individuals cannot be their true self whether being good or bad due to the government then they are not living their rights as human beings. If everyone is supposed to contain a life filled with freedom why can’t the be allowed to be evil ? Alex and what he believes are his “friends” are living by being able to be however they want because they have the freedom to do so,  when in reality they do not. Throughout the book Alex questions this freedom and does whatever fits his mood at the moment even if it means going against his own gang. He questions the government and the life we have all been brainwashed to live. Another reason I decided to read this book is because I can relate in a way. My last year history class was filled with biased opinions from the teacher and I often found myself questioning them and him. Whenever I decided to speak up on them I was immediately shut down by the teacher. Although I don’t live my life like the protagonist in A Clockwork Orange which consists of bad behavior, I do relate when it comes to questioning our “higher authorities” and knowing that they do not always have our best interests. In the book Alex questions this in horrifying forms from stealing, raping, assaulting, and more. The protagonist is a very mysterious character continuously having the reader wondering what he may do next. I’m excited to keep reading this book because i want to see what will happened to Alex at the end. Will he come to a realization and make a change ? or will he continue with his evil ways ? In my opinion he will try his best to change but it may be too late when he does. Overall, so far it is a great book and I recommend it for those who would like a different perspective on life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmm5jeeH8mY

If one person lies to another and the person believes it and commits a drastic act that cannot be undone, then the person to blame is the one who lied. When Iago decides to be malicious and lies to Othello that Desdemona and Cassio have been having an affair and Othello believes him, Iago is to blame. To begin with Othello had believed Iago was a noble and honest friend. With this in mind it is safe to say that Othello didn’t seek for Iago to fail in any sense. The hatred was one sided from Iago’s part. Because of this Othello is viewed innocent. Iago on the other hand was filled with envy because Cassio was selected to become Othello’s lieutenant and he was his servant. This is what lead to Iago’s plan of revenge, and the fact that he thought Othello slept with Emilia. Iago’s lie caused a domino effect in the play. If he had not lied to Othello and strategically planned everything then Othello would not have believed him to the point of causing the death of Desdemona. If he had not started these rumors then there would not have been a conflict to begin with. Yes, it can be said that Othello is at fault for believing in Iago enough to kill his true love. However, when someone begins to tell you lies that actually seem to be true it is hard not to believe them. For example, when Iago told Othello that he would make Cassio confess to having an affair with Desdemona but was really talking to him about Bianca, gave Othello a sense of proof to Iago’s accusations. If someone were to hear what they think is proof then they would obviously believe the lie. Which again is Iago’s fault for allowing Othello to think the conversation was based off of Cassio and Desdemona’s relationship. Overall if Iago had not made Othello believe that Desdemona was cheating then Othello would not have killed her. His lie not only caused Desdemona’s death but Emilia’s, Roderigo’s, and Othello’s.