A Clockwork Orange and the use of Nadsat

A Clockwork Orange is a deeply disturbing yet inspirational film based off of a novel. The author, Anthony Burgess, even went as far as to create a new language for the characters in his novel called Nadsat. It is controversial as to why Burgess went through the trouble to make up a new language for his characters. The reader and/or viewer must make a conscious effort to understand the language to fully comprehend the action taking place. Usually such an addition would be seen as a hassle and turn potential customers away. However, Burgess's addition of the new language in the context of the plot is a brilliant way to get across the message intended.

Burgess wanted a way to alienate the main characters of his story especially the leader of the gang, Alex. The use of a strange made up language did just that to the viewers and readers. Since it took some getting used to, the audience would feel alienated from the characters until the language became more familiar. This alienation goes in hand with what the gang would have felt from the society they lived in. Their choice was to be the scum of the community and they enjoyed every minute of it. With in their group the boys were gods, but to everyone else they chose the path extreme opposite to the social norm. To regular people the boy's actions were the most horrifying and wrong; society cast them out for this reason. The language barrier Burgess creates emphasizes this idea.

What Burgess expected was the audience to be familiar with the new terms toward the end of the movie. By this time the plot has moved along and Alex has been introduced to government correction practices. He has had his spirit taken from him. He no longer has a choice to do bad or good. After being subjected to the harsh program Alex can only do what society deems as correct. Alex is no longer and individual, but a puppet.

Society can no longer alienate him because he can do no wrong now. He is the poster child for the treatment therapy to cure people from being able to chose to do wrong. In this way Burgess created a way to end the alienation. The audience is more familiar with the vernacular as well as Alex as a person. I believe the main reason to create a new language for the story was to allow the audience to become more one with the characters. Throughout the story line the audience learns more and more and eventually Burgess's ideas of choice making an individual get clearer.