This connection could be a commercial, an animated movie, a comic, a song, a drama, a play, a sitcom... The opportunities abound. Explain your choice from the class and then explain the choice from the world. Finally, connect the two. Be specific in giving the details so we may make sense and have a context. This is about you being a student and a student of your world.
One of the books that can be connected to many different pieces in the real world is, “A Clockwork Orange” by Anthony Burgess. This book shows the conformity of teenagers and comments on the importance of free will outside of this conformity. This novel can be connected to other dystopians like “Divergent” where a girl is titled something that her society does not believe in and is forced to conform to the society in order to survive. Other works like the movie High School Musical also relate to this idea of conforming to society, or the “status quo,” and how it limits the free will of the students being allowed to do what they truly love in life. One connection between “A Clockwork Orange” and the real world that stands out the most is with the song “Teenagers” by My Chemical Romance. The song speaks of the government changing teenagers to be a proper citizen of America; “Cause they got methods of keeping you clean/ They’re gonna rip up your heads/ Your aspiration to shreds.” Both works show the popular, common theme of the importance of free will in a society.
ReplyDelete“A Clockwork Orange” and “Teenagers” relate to each other with their idea of free will and how citizens should not conform to societal standards. One quote from “A Clockwork Orange” that demonstrates the idea of free is as follows:
“It may not be nice to be good, little 6655321. It may be horrible to be good. And when I say that to you I realize how self contradictory that sounds. I know I shall have many sleepless nights about this. What does God want? Does God want goodness or the choice of goodness? Is a man who chooses the bad perhaps in some ways better than a man who has the good imposed upon him?”
This shows how the violence that Alex expresses throughout the novel is due to his ability to have free will. The prison chaplain speaks about the difference between the choice of goodness and just goodness by itself and who decides which one is better. In the end, Alex is allowed to choose his own happiness, but still goes through conforming to the societal idea that everyone needs to have goodness in order to protect the lives of citizens. This relates to My Chemical Romance because throughout the song, the singer speaks of the violence that teenagers are portrayed to be capable of, but as it turns out, the government is the only thing making them seem this way; “They say that teenagers scare the living shit out of me.” The word “they” in the beginning of this song lyric is an implied metaphor for the government and how they make citizens believe what they want citizens to believe. “Teenagers” also comments on the idea of free will by describing a situation where a boy has to stray away from the idea that teenagers are violent citizens; “The boys and girls in the clique/ The awful names that they stick/ You’re never gonna fit in much, kid.” Both “Teenagers” and “A Clockwork Orange” demonstrate the idea of the government forcing citizens into conformity and the importance of free will in a society.
- Bolger, J. 2
I believe that the play Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett makes an impactful comment on society and the world. The play brings into perspective the fact that as humans, we are constantly anticipating one desire after another. Constantly throughout the play, Vladimir and Estragon repeat the line, “We are waiting for Godot.” Waiting for Godot suggests that humans are constantly waiting for what they believe will help them to jumpstart their lives, such as going to college, having a family, or starting a career. People too often put their lives on hold because they are waiting for something they desire and that they believe will be what they finally need to live his or her life the way that he or she has always anticipated. And what happens when individuals achieve the goal they anticipated would change their life? They look towards and aim to achieve another goal. Waiting for Godot suggests the societal commentary that this is a vicious cycle and constantly waiting for something to change your life is absurd because only individuals have the power to change their lives.
ReplyDeleteThe idea that people are constantly anticipating desire after desire instead of seeking to live their life is seen in the song ‘You’re Gonna Miss This’ by Trace Adkins. The song transitions from an 18 years old girl to the same girl when she is older and has kids. Throughout the song, the girl is constantly anticipating the next milestones in her life, such as turning 18, getting her own apartment, getting married, and having kids. In the song, Adkins is constantly singing the chorus, “You’re gonna miss this. You’re gonna want this back. You’re gonna wish these days hadn’t gone by so fast.” The significance of Adkins constantly singing these lyrics in the chorus is so that he can convey the message that people are flying through life anticipating “milestones” that they forget to live in the past and make the present count. Adkins suggests that in contemporary society, people often go through their life until at one point, they look back on their life and realize that they don’t remember how they got there nor do they remember other “significant” moments in their life.
There are many similarities in the messages that are conveyed by Beckett in Waiting For Godot and Adkins in ‘You’re Gonna Miss This.’ Many societal commentaries of Beckett in Waiting For Godot is seem in the song. When the girl is constantly waiting for the next milestones and steps in her life to reach the fulfillment she needs. Beckett’s message is seen regarding this case because he suggests in the play that people are constantly trying to reach desire after desire and that ultimately, the desires don’t have any significant meaning. Beckett’s message holds true because at the end of the novel, Adkins does not suggest any difference in the girl once she was older and had kids. Beckett’s message holds true in ‘You’re Gonna Miss This’ by showing that if people follow the example of the girl in the song, they will go through life forgetting to make life meaningful and lose the meaning of life.
I see the connections between “Waiting for Godot” and the song “Echoes” by I the Mighty. In “Godot”, the two main characters wait decades for an entity to come and fix their lives. They’ve been waiting for a very long time already and it seems that Estragon and Vladimir will be waiting until their deaths. In the song “Echoes”, the question is posed: “How much longer do we wait around for the few that have control to finally take it? How much longer do we wait around? Do we wait for the fallout?” (I the Mighty). This lyric perpetuates the obvious questions that Vladimir and Estragon should be asking themselves. How long are they willing to wait for Godot? Obviously, they intend to wait for “the fallout”, this being the end of existence. Godot would also be the power figure in this scenario, the who who “has control”. Godot is seen as the controlling force that hold Estragon and Vladimir in their places.
ReplyDeleteIn “Echoes”, a few other lines relate to “Godot”. I the Mighty says, “consciousness is needed for our growth, so feed your hungry mind, let the apprehension go.” This idea of consciousness is important in terms of Estragon and Vladimir. They aren’t conscious of their decisions and surroundings. They are passively participating in their own lives and need to wake up to smell the roses every so often. The final quote from the song is “The earth is giving in from down below, but no one seems to care just as long as they don’t know” (I the Mighty). This goes along with consciousness, that being unaware of what’s happening to us causes us to be complacent. If Estragon and Vladimir could wake from their stupor and see what they’ve been doing for the past fifty years, they could educate themselves and put a stop to the cycle. But because they don’t know about it, they don’t care to fix it.
- S. Bahr 7/8*
“The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde is a commentary on society of man’s superficial nature. In the novel, Dorian Gray, the main character, wants nothing more than to remain young and beautiful forever. After years of obsessing over his physical appearance and trying to impress other people with his beauty, Dorian Gray loses himself and everything that made him an innocent, caring person. Towards the end of the book, readers see him become manipulative, selfish, cold, paranoid, and narcissistic to the point of driving people away from him. His picture represents the true Dorian Gray, a hideous, evil individual whose selfish ways led to the death and corruption of the people around him. Dorian is no longer a unique individual; he has become nothing more than a pretty face with no redeeming qualities to society.
ReplyDeleteAs in, “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” society’s obsession with physical appearance is reflected in the song, “Try” by Colbie Caillat. Caillat describes how people are only valued by how they look and how much they conform to society’s behavioral expectations. People are not valued for their intellect, their personality, or their achievement; they are only valued by their physical appearance. Caillat refers to society as “they” demonstrating that a person should not change everything about themselves just to impress people they do not even know or people who do not truly care about them. Colbie Caillat states, “you don’t have to bend until you break,” which shows that people should not be forced to conform to societies unrealistic expectations because they will never become perfect enough. Ultimately, altering one’s physical appearance just to pleas other people will end up destroying who a person is and take away everything that make them who they are.
Society’s obsession with beauty is show in both “Try” by Colbie Caillat and “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde. Colbie Caillat states, “you don’t have to bend until you break,” which shows that people should not be forced to conform to societies unrealistic expectations because they will never become perfect enough. However, Dorian Gray does everything he can, from dressing in the latest fashions, to attending the most popular events, just so people will admire him and praise his beauty. After meeting Lord Henry, Dorian Gray became desperate to please others by remaining beautiful forever. This decision cost him everything. He lost his friendships, caused the deaths of the two people in the world who truly loved him, and inevitably he lost himself. Ultimately, altering one’s physical appearance just to pleas other people will end up destroying a person’s life and take away everything that made them who they were.
Judele, C 2nd
One piece that I loved and found endless connections to is Stephen King’s “On Writing”. On the surface, Stephen King explains how to be a good reader and writer, with the main goal of improving the audience self make up. If the reader digs down deeper, they see the change that King went through. This demonstrates the evolution of King as a writer, but more importantly, as a person. The reader sees King go through many events, whether they were good or bad. These events helped shape the novel King wrote and helped mature him as a person.
ReplyDeleteThis novel by Stephen King relates to the song “I Wanna Get Better” by Bleachers on many levels. Through the song, the singer mentions how he wants to get better and the only way to improve is to notice when your down and completely change your attitude. In the song, they leader singer states the line, “I didn’t know I was broken ‘til I wanted to change.” This line relates perfectly to Kings life, especially when he went through the phase with his drug and alcohol addiction. King did not know he needed to change until he hit rock bottom and had nowhere else to go. From the moment on, King was a different person and changed for the better. In the song, the repeated line, “I wanna get better” strengthens the idea that the first step to getting better is to want to get better. For a portion of the novel, King did not want to get better. He was content with the way he was acting and did not see a need to improve. It was not until times started to change when he realized the need to get better.
Both the book and the song carry strong connections in the world around us. Many people, young and old, neglect the idea of change and getting better. For many people, they feel that change is not necessary. From Stephen Kings novel and Bleachers song, it is evident that every needs change and everyone should strive to get better. Every individual is not a finished product, and learning to get better helped Steven King get better and grow in writing and his own person life. Overall, the main message behind the two pieces of media is to always work hard and stay determined to get better and be the best one can be.
Wasylko, G 2nd Period
One of the pieces I most enjoyed this year was Toni Morrison’s Nobel lecture, which we read near the beginning of the year. At first it is a rather complex piece, cloaked in sophisticated diction and allusions. However, the story boils down to be rather simplistic, with a common moral. Morrison tells the story of an old woman who is confronted by teenagers, believing that they know best. Yet instead of the teenagers besting her, she teaches them the power and importance of language. The old woman believes she knows why the teenagers are doing it, but she allows them to figure it out on their own. It touches on themes of violence and pride as wells as peace and understanding. These things are similar to what people see today. The beginning is vague, much like a story passed down from generation to generation. What adults have to teach the younger generations is a fairly common theme among books and poems.
ReplyDeleteWhat is shown in the Nobel Lecture by Toni Morrison is also seen in music, such as “Reelin’ in the Years” by Steely Dan. This song is primarily about a parent talking about their child or another young person they know. This song is something my mom and I both enjoy listening to in the car, which seems to be a bridge between the gap of generations. However, Steely Dan, much like Toni Morrison creates a generation gap in his piece. Steely Dan writes, “You been tellin' me you're a genius/Since you were seventeen.” This is very similar to the teenager in Toni Morrison’s piece because in both cases, teenagers believe they know it all, which is not uncommon. I also related this son to Toni Morrison’s Nobel lecture because of the lyrics, “The things you think are useless/I can't understand,” (Steely Dan). While not relating specifically to language, it holds a similar appeal. The teenagers in the lecture value pride, which the old woman does not really understand. There are many parallels between the teenagers in the two pieces.
McGregor M, 2nd period
One thing we have read this year that specifically impacted me was Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett. I never knew a play could have this much impact and especially so because it was a play and not just a novel. It really showed me how important staging and dialogue are to characters and the way they are portrayed. It provided me with new information on the ideas of Existentialism and the impact that has on a person and the way they think. The play depicted two men who were constantly waiting for a man who never actually arrived, and that sent a powerful message about religion, hope, and pride to its readers.
ReplyDeleteThis kind of message can be seen in many aspects of today’s society, and one thing that it especially connects to is the song “Drops of Jupiter” by Train. The song talks about a girl that heads out to find herself and in that she plans to experience all of these life changing phenomena, but the speaker questions whether or not that’s actually true by saying, “Did you make it to the Milky Way to see the lights all faded/ And that Heaven is overrated?/....And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there?” (8-12). The speaker is truly questioning whether or not this search and this wait was worth it and whether it actually changed her.
These two connect effortlessly in that the author and speaker of the play and song, respectively, both send their audience the message that although waiting or searching for something may seem fulfilling and like it can change a life, in reality, it’s blind hope and it takes away from what someone could actually be experiencing. While Vladimir and Estragon are waiting for Godot to save them, they miss out on the rest of the world. And while the girl is searching for herself, she misses the person who cared about her and realizes that in the end it wasn’t really worth it.
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ReplyDeleteWhile reading Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot”, I was constantly reminded of the song “The Lonely Hour” by Sam Smith. In Beckett’s novel, the two main characters, Vladimir and Estragon, rely on each other to keep each other company because in the world that they are in (or wherever they may be) they are the only ones there. Just as Smith’s song is titled, they need each other in the lonely hour that they are constantly in.
ReplyDeleteIn his song, Smith begins by saying that “I need someone that I’ll look to in the lonely hour we all go through” (lines 1-2). These lines remind me a lot of the relationship that Vladimir and Estragon share. In the constant “lonely hour” that they are in, they only have each other to look to for assistance and company. Though, as readers, we are not completely sure as to where they are, “lonely hour” sums up the atmosphere and feelings that they are having in the state that they are in. Smith later goes on to say that “I’m helpless without you” (line 9) which very well sums up Beckett’s characters’ emotions and state as well because without one another, they would be absolutely helpless and on their own.
In the novel, Vladimir and Estragon are continuously waiting for Godot, unsure of whom or what he even is and when he is going to come. This idea reminds me of when Smith says that “these other voices, they don’t cut through” (line 12) because the “voice” and presence of Godot that they are always waiting for just isn’t enough, obviously because he never comes. So, without each other, Vladimir and Estragon would have no one to turn to. Ultimately, Sam Smith’s song can be looked at as the lyrical version of Beckett’s characters in “Waiting for Godot”.
Shaniuk B, 7/8
Beckett’s existential work Waiting for Godot ponders questions of existence and memory such as “why are we here?” and “what happened before?” and “what comes next?” Vladimir and Estragon inhabit a barren landscape – the main feature of which is a road that stretches out into infinity. The two characters define themselves by each other, meaning that Vladimir only feels his existence is validated when it’s acknowledged by Estragon, and vice versa. They share in a common experience devoid of meaning but fill that empty space with conversation, therefore creating meaning for themselves.
ReplyDeleteAs I read Waiting for Godot, I found myself thinking quite a bit about the song Two of Us by the Beatles. It describes a strong relationship between two people and echoes many of Beckett’s themes. One line of the song goes, “Two of us riding nowhere, spending someone’s hard earned pay.” This speaks to the idea that life is a hurtle towards oblivion and that mankind is hopeless in its circumstance, while the phrase “spending someone’s hard earned pay” implies that their lives are being wasted. However, Two of Us is not a hopeless song. It speaks of love and reassurance and human connection. Just as the existentialism in Waiting for Godot is not concentrated entirely on despair, Two of Us focuses in on the bond between two people and states that it matters even in a chaotic universe that’s going nowhere. Another line of the song that reminds me of Waiting for Godot is, “You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead.” This a pretty concrete connection between the two works because it refers to the history that two people share with each other. In Godot, Vladimir and Estragon have spent the majority of their lives together in a state of purgatory and even have memories that transcend that state and took place in the real world. In Two of Us, the road is a metaphor for the couple’s past, but in Godot, that metaphor manifests itself in an actual road that spans the entirety of its setting. Lastly, the Beatles finish their song with the lines, “We’re going home. You better believe it. Goodbye.” This resonates with the way Beckett ends Part 1 and Part 2 of Waiting for Godot – in which Vladimir and Estragon make up their minds to go but never move. The couple in the song seems to be trying to reassure themselves that they’re heading somewhere but in fact are not. In the same way, Vladimir and Estragon believe they can escape their state of reality but never try and never do.
Both Waiting for Godot and Two of Us attach meaning to human connection. In a universe that lacks logic, sense, and significance, both works preach the message that we can find our own meaning in other people.
Keller N 7/8
A Clockwork Orange is a novel that can connect to the real world, especially relating to a very popular book, which is now a movie. The situation of Alex involves his actions against the government, leading him to his residence in the institution, where he is mistreated once again and then sent off into the real world. After leaving and escaping the control of the authorities, he is led and comforted by Alexander and his rebel friends who use Alex as a weapon against the authorities. During the interviews, journal articles and confrontations with Alexander and his friends, Alex knows that he is being used, and he has no true benefits from revealing his story. The damage was done and all he could do was move on with life.
ReplyDeleteIf you look at Suzanne Collins’s novel, Mockingjay and the highly anticipated blockbusters, we are presented with a very similar situation. In the novel ,Katniss Everdeen has escaped the Quarter Quell arena, saved by the rebels of District 13, who lead the revolution against the high and mighty Capitol. With constant manipulation with drugs and mind games, she is convinced to be the Mockingay, the symbol of the revolution. She must set aside her personal feelings and mindset in order to help end the corrupted Capitol’s reign. In the end (no spoilers) she realizes that when the damage and war is all finished, she must move on with her life, regardless of what will happen.
Both novels connect together in a strong manner. Both Alex and Katniss were seen as nuisances to society, against the higher authorities. When they escaped the clutches of the government and the authorities, they are introduced to rebels, wanting to hear their story and reveal it to the world, only for publicity. Both novels use media usage to make their messages clear. In A Clockwork Orange, Alex’s story is told with interviews and newspaper articles. For Katniss and even her disturbed friend Peeta, they tell their stories through national televised interviews, propos (propaganda commercials for the war, in which Katniss literally goes out into the fighting area and says lines) and public speaking. The end result is quite different in their own way (no spoilers shall be revealed). However both stories focus on the idea of revolution. Its phenomenal how both Collins and Burgess realize that both their main characters will forever be scarred mentally and physically from their actions and situations they are thrown into.
Turnea, D 2nd Period
When I was younger, I’d read the comics every Sunday. My favorites were always the reprinted ones, the ones that had ended years ago but still found their way into the paper. As much as I loved each and every comic, nothing could surpass Calvin and Hobbes. Something pulled me towards it, maybe it was the cynical tone or maybe it was how I found my seven year old self relating to it. I quickly found that I had an obsession.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read “Notes from Underground” by Fyodor Dostoevsky, the main character, the Underground Man, immediately reminded me of Calvin from the the Calvin and Hobbes comic strip. Though Calvin was a outgoing young boy growing up in the late 20th century America and the Underground Man was a reclusive adult in mid-19th century Russia, their existentialist mindset matched up pretty well. It was as if Calvin was a younger, more innocent Underground Man.
One of the most well known Calvin and Hobbes comic strips is one where Calvin is alone looking at the stars. He shouts at them, “I’M SIGNIFICANT!” followed by, “screamed the dust speck.” To me, this resembles the Underground Man. The Underground Man so desperately wanted to know where he belonged in this world, and to an extent he felt as though he didn’t matter. He hid away from the rest of the world underground and tried to justify his existence. Calvin does the same in this comic, isolating himself from everyone else just to understand why he, being a speck of dust, mattered. While at first it may seem to be a stretch, a closer look reveals that the Underground Man and Calvin bear a striking resemblance.
-Kett J 2
One of the books that I thought was particularly impactful was A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. In this dystopian world, free will is highly emphasized when the main character, Alex, undergoes a scientific procedure to make him sick every time he thinks violent and sexual thoughts. Before he was arrested by the police, this teenager caused chaos in society. After undergoing the experiment, he was stripped of his free will and choice. After being driven mad and trying to kill himself because of the sickness he faced as a result of this experiment, Alex regains his ability to choose. At first he chooses to be bad, to lead a new group of droogs, or friends, in terrorizing society. In the last chapter he decides that he wants to leave his own destructive lifestyle. He wants children and he wants to become good.
ReplyDeleteIn the song Body Bag by Beartooth, the singer talks about how his decisions in the past are leading to death and his own demise. His initial decision to drink excessively affected him. He let his alcoholism take control of his life. In the song he says, “If I could set the clocks back
I wouldn't be headed for a body bag. One life and one decision Make sure it ends with you still living!” Another song on the album, he goes more in depth on the hold that alcohol has on his life. He realizes he has a problem, but it has taken away his control. He wishes that he made different decisions in his past.
I see commentary on destructive lifestyles and corrupted teenagers in many songs, books, and movies. In both A Clockwork Orange and Body Bag, there is commentary on free will. Alex was stripped of his free will through a secience experiment that made him sick every time he thought of something morally wrong. The singer of Beartooth let alcohol control his life and diminish his ability to choose a different path for himself. In the end of both the song and the book, they wish for a better life. Alex regains his freedom and chooses to lead a good life, but the singer in Beartooth wishes that his past choices were different because he now struggles to gain back his free will.
Hornung, A. 7/8
Earlier this year, our class read the play Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett. It was about two men who were waiting for a change in their lives. They were in search of something beyond what they already knew. This play comments on the societal fact that humans are always in search of something more. We all reach a time in our lives—whether it’s at age twelve when we wish we had asked for more candy, or at age fifty when we wish we had pushed to get a better job—when we wish for something beyond our daily routine. Regardless of what age we are, we crave something more than what we possess. The two main characters, Vladimir and Estragon, had reached that point. They waited each day for Godot, a character who would save them from their old ways. They wished to have new lives, and waited for a new opportunity to come.
ReplyDeleteSimilarly, the song “Waiting on the World to Change” by John Mayer connects to this exact issue. This song is about the problems in today’s society which a great portion of people wish would change. Mayer speaks out about war and government, and implies that the system is corrupt. He repeats the phrase “we keep on waiting on the world to change,” utilizing the word “we” rather than “I” to show he is not the only one.
These two pieces, Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, and “Waiting on the World to Change” by John Mayer, speak out about the emptiness we feel as human beings. Both Beckett and Mayer deliver their message in a relatable way. The characters in Beckett’s play asked questions like “why are we here?” which we ponder upon regularly, and the lyrics in Mayer’s song spell out what’s wrong with the world today. As humans, we are constantly waiting for excitement and change. We long for a feeling of content, and we spend our lives waiting for just that.
Cruse, S 2
One of the texts that we have read this year that I found interesting and actually enjoyed reading once I got past the irritating language was A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. The main character Alex was an individual that was a trouble to society, and once society tried to fix him he tried to overcome the changes. I thought that this novel bore a striking resemblance to one of the few books I actually read in tenth grade language arts, Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury. In this novel Guy Montag, our heroic (sort of) character eventually ends up defying society and falling in love with books. However, the main fire chief did not appreciate this, and he tried to have Montag killed for figuring out that book were actually substances that could be loved not just set on fire. The chief was trying to get Montag to change his mind, and get him to conform to the rest of society and go back to hating books. Montag refused to succumb to his horrible fate and he ran away meeting some hobos that appreciated knowledge as much as he was starting to, and he resisted the changes that society was trying to force upon him.
ReplyDeleteI think these two books relate to each other because in each novel both of the main characters are forced into being changed, and in turn in each novel the characters try and resist. In Fahrenheit 451 Montag refuses his fate and the forced changes by running away, and in A Clockwork Orange Alex tries to revert back to his old ways and undo the changes the government forced upon him. In both books the two characters are frowned upon by society, and in both books they are forced by society or the government to change. Neither character ever really accepts their forced fate, and both characters end up trying to and partly or fully succeeding within creating their own changes and fates within themselves.
The novel “A Clockwork Orange” can be greatly related to the commentaries on society as well as those that are provoke inside the classroom. The novel is expressed from the narrators point of view, whose name is Alex. He describes his vicious state of mind while portraying his actions that he acts out from his constant impulses of violence. He is soon sent to jail and an experimental treatment is done on him by the government, which causes him to become a nonviolent individual. When he is released, after a series of event he ends up in the hospital because of an attempt of suicide so the doctors undo the experimental treatment causing him to go back to his old habits. After meeting with one of the guys, Pete, that he use to commit crimes with, he decides to retire from the life of violence and create a better life for himself as Pete had done when Alex was in jail.
ReplyDeleteThis novel reminds me of the Poem we analyzed in class, “Metaphors of the Tree,” by Ruth Stone. This poem depicts evil within the innocence of simple things around us. In the poem it says, “The play yard with the automobile tire hanging from the one tree, like a lynching” (Stone 1-2). The poet takes the innocence of a play yard, most liking for a child, and adds the harsh image of a lynching at the end of it. “A Clockwork Orange,” shows the evil within every individual. Alex is one to act on impulses while others may not. This relates to the world because no one in the world are all good human beings or it would be a perfect world that we would live in if all of us were not to have any sense of evil within us. Alex takes the idea of free will and acts upon the evil and violence within him just as there is evil in simpler things in life as a play yard brought to attention by “Metaphors of the Tree.” Both pieces show the idea of innocence that is shadowed by a darker side to humanity.
Ramsumair M 7/8
After reading A Clockwork Orange it frightened me to realize that that was the direction our society, mainly our teenagers, was going in. We see the Nadsats in A Clockwork Orange who find violence amusing and even pleasurable. They go out raping, murdering, and stealing from innocent people. Alex even abuses drugs, or at least that is what the book seems to refer to when he says, “… my locked treasure-chest that contained bottles and drugs and two shining clean syringes” (153). This novel paints a society in which the teenagers rule the streets and are feared even by the police who seem not to get involved in their gang activity.
ReplyDeleteIn our school we had a drug sweep and several students were found to have drugs on them. One student was even arrested recently outside of our class. I fear that this is the start of our world turning into a place where teenagers are feared and have a negative connotation. This connects to A Clockwork Orange in the sense that teens are becoming more violent and a nuisance. Soon enough parents will fear the day that their child turns thirteen or when they go to high school or even when they want to stay out late. Perhaps now our teens do not rape and murder for pleasure, but little by little we can see that teenagers are becoming more fitting of the society described by Anthony Burgess in A Clockwork Orange.
Dame E 2*
I am not the person to search for a book when he is bored. However, I did thoroughly enjoy Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange. I was stunned by the villainy of the novel’s protagonist, Alex, but as the book progressed, as I saw the restraints and greater villainy of society, I began to feel pity for Alex. Alex’s characteristic was a product of society, but we did not see this until he had been given the “cure” to villainy: “I would like to have her right down there on the floor with the old in-out real savage, but skorry as a shot came the sickness” (142). In order to suppress the sickness that overcame Alex, he had to think against his natural instinct. He thought what society wanted him to think. I believe that Alex’s oreal is a reflection of our own existence. No matter how we try to individualize ourselves, we fall into society’s grasp and are placed where society wants us.
ReplyDeleteOne song that I have been a fan of is “Take It All Away” by Red. It is unlike many songs that are popular today, which revolve around having a good time or getting people in the mood to party. This song is extremely forlorn. It maintains a slow and steady pace in the beginning. The lyrics are saddening. But halfway in the song, the mood changes. The pace becomes faster, the drums hit harder. The singer crying, “You take away” over and over again. The sadness from the first half of the song becomes desperation and anger. When I listen to this song, I can feel that Red is talking about the tragedies in our life. We are first saddened by those tragedies. Yet, they keep happening over and over again. We then became like angry drums, beating hard, hoping that everything will go away. But, it doesn’t.
When I finished A Clockwork Orange, the first thing I related it to was “Take It All Away.” Both works encompass the idea of human suffering. Alex’s suffering abounds and he knows it. He calls him “your poor and suffering Friend and Narrator” (142) because no matter how hard he tries to isolate himself from suffering, he cannot seem to “Take It All Away.” His response to suffering is also like that of the song. First, he is extremely saddened, but his emotions escalate to desperation as his suffering continues, and he reaches a point of sacrificing his own life to end the suffering. But he survives and must continue to suffer. Both “A Clockwork Orange” and “Take It All Away” tell us that suffering is a constituent to the human condition; it is inescapable.
Srivastava R, 2
In A Clockwork Orange, the narrator Alex finds himself living the life of a rebellious teenager. He spends his days raping women in their own homes, abusing older men, and getting drunk in bars. The work by Anthony Burgess comments on the extreme violence of youth in society. ‘I Shot the Sheriff,’ by Bob Marley tells the story of a young man who murdered the sheriff in his town. The song explores the struggle between youth and authority in society and connects well with A Clockwork Orange.
ReplyDeleteIn ‘I Shot the Sheriff,’ Marley repeats, “I shot the sheriff / But I didn’t shoot the deputy.” This action is justified in the song by saying that the sheriff had always hated the man. When the speaker “saw Sheriff John Brown / Aiming to shoot me down,” he pulled his own weapon and shot the sheriff. Because he felt like he was defending himself, the speaker feels no remorse for his actions. In Clockwork Orange, Alex also feels no remorse for his actions. Despite raping and killing multiple people in his town, he does not think he should be held accountable. Whenever he is approached about his behavior, he is quick to come up with an excuse as to why they did not deserve to live. This comments on the violence that was is seen in Alex’s society. Readers may feel sick when reading about Alex, but the violence is not abnormal in his world. Near the end of the novel, he is taken out of town and beat by two local police officers for a crime he was not guilty of. When the police begin to beat citizens, it becomes clear that the framework of society has broken down.
Another connection between the two works is the downplay of violence. Marley says that although the sheriff was killed, the deputy was left alone. Leaving the deputy alive downplays the severity of killing a sheriff in the first place. A similar trend is seen in A Clockwork Orange. When Alex finds himself at a bar and drinking heavily, readers are initially surprised. Shortly after when he forces his way into a store to rape his owners’ wife, the drinking no longer seems like a problem. This trend continues throughout the novel as Alex constantly increases his level of violence.
- Ryan M. 2
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ReplyDeleteRecently this year, we read the book “A Clockwork Orange” by Anthony Burgess. Despite the graphic subject matter in the book, I found it interesting and overall enjoyed the story. The book gives you a society in which the majority of teenagers are corrupt and villainous. While reading it, I was reminded of the song “Teenagers” by My Chemical Romance.
ReplyDeleteIn “Teenagers,” the line “they couldn’t care less as long as someone will bleed” was the first thing I thought of when I related it to A Clockwork Orange. It is part of the chorus, and very easily shows what kind of story the song is going to tell from then on—Alex’s story starts out similarly, leaving readers and listeners to think about the violence that is thought to be normal for younger people.
In A Clockwork Orange, the government tries to make Alex into an upstanding citizen using a psychologically and medically induced reaction to violence. Like this, “Teenagers” starts out with the lines: “They're gonna clean up your looks/With all the lies in the books/To make a citizen out of you” (1-3), very easily relating to the treatment Alex received. Throughout both the song and the book, similarities in the violent actions that these teenagers are making can be found. They are a comment on how society is teaching kids to be. I believe “Teenagers” and A Clockwork Orange are both the same message, told in similar ways, and I have trouble thinking of one without the other ever since we read Burgess’s novel.
-Avery A, 2
The play “Waiting for Godot” by Samuel Beckett presents an interesting perspective on society. That we, humans, are always waiting for something. Whether that be and action, time or someone. In the play the two main characters Vladimir and Estagon are both waiting for a higher entity to come for them. Throughout the play they are repeatedly saying, “We are waiting for Godot,” but they do not exactly know why. They go through their day with little variation from the day before. The reader does not know how long they have been waiting and how much longer they will be waiting, it could be forever, there is no visible ending.
ReplyDeleteThis idea from “Waiting for Godot” can easily relate to our education system right now. We go through the same classes everyday with little differences from the day before. They teach us, but we do not truly learn, and we regurgitate the information back onto tests for a good grade. We wait for the end of the school day and we wait to graduate, but then we just go to another education institution. We do not know where the end is. We do not know when our Godot is going to come. Vladimir, Estragon and all students do not know when they will be done waiting. Maybe eventually Godot will come for them. Maybe eventually we will be done waiting for the end of the day or to be graduated from something. Even though a school year ends, the idea of school seems never ending.
LoDolce, A 7/8
In “Waiting for Godot” an existentialist play by Samuel Beckett, the basis of the entire plot centers around two men waiting for Godot, an entity unknown to them. Vladimir and Estragon, the two main characters, experience their existence through each other. Without one the other could not survive. Their lack of memory and the repetition throughout the play shows the mindlessness of human life and that no matter what you do in this life it cannot prepare you for what is next. Beckett emphasizes that humans are always waiting for something that may not come. A similar theme is prevalent in the song “Like a Stone” by Audioslave.
ReplyDeleteAudioslave’s “Like a Stone” is about a man who is waiting to die and contemplating whether or not he will get into heaven. The chorus, “In your house I long to be / room by room patiently / I’ll wait for you there like a stone / I’ll wait for you there alone” represents a man unsure of his fate. As he comes closer to death, he wonders whether his actions will prevent him from getting into heaven. Although Beckett used religion ironically in “Waiting for Godot,” both pieces are influenced by the idea of waiting for something. Whether it be waiting for death, god, or any element of an afterlife, human thoughts are often consumed by what happens next. Both pieces pose the questions, “Where are we going?” and “What is coming for us?” Questions that required waiting and an acceptance of the unknown.
Aguinaga, C 7/8*
Waiting For Godot by Samuel Beckett is characterized by the existentialist philosophy present in the play. Beckett’s play throws multiple questions at the reader: questions of philosophy and religion. Beckett’s play is important because of the questions put forth in the play and the reader’s reaction to these questions. For example, the satirical interpretation of religion coupled with the existentialist theme throughout can cause some serious revelation in the reader’s life. An examination of the play and it’s characters, such as Estragon and Vladimir, reveal the questions Beckett has interwoven in the text, and cause the reader to question their own values and beliefs. Beckett’s quips against religion can provoke the reader to question their own religious beliefs, and form quips of their own against the god they call, if they call god at all. Beckett’s play call the readers religious beliefs into question, while also dragging life’s purpose under Beckett’s microscope. Upon examination, it is evident that the play has an underlying commentary on the meaning of it all—what our purpose is in the cosmos. The play’s inherent existentialism provides a commentary on the meaning of our lives through the reader’s observation of the character’s lives: the constant repetition in Vladimir and Estragon’s lives serves as a representation of all od our lives and the meaningless of each and every one of them. The impact of this play on, and its importance in the world is visible in the constant production of the play. Just recently Ian McClellan and Patrick Stewart put on a production of the play, and just over a decade ago Robin Williams did the same. The continued importance of this play is unquestionable, and will remain visible through constant re-productions for centuries to come.
ReplyDeleteBruggeman, J 7/8th
I have picked All the Pretty Horses to connect, for the simple reason that I hate it. I can’t stand this book at all, but I figure that if I can connect it to something I like or understand, I might, not like it, but at least understand some aspect of it. The connection I’ve found is to one of those Disney sequels that they don’t show in theaters: Pocahontas 2: The New World. In case you’ve never seen this movie, it picks up where the first one left off, at least a half a year later. The King of England, spurred on by Radcliffe, wants to invade Virginia and drive out the natives. The queen instead convinces him to send an ambassador named John Rolfe to bring a representative of the “savages” to England, to give them a chance to prove they are “civilized. As you might expect, Pocahontas is the representative he picks. She is forced to leave behind everything she’s ever known, enters into an almost completely alien world and is expected to conform herself seamlessly to their standards.
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly what happens to John Grady when he, Rawlins, and Blevins arrive in the first town in Mexico: “Against the far wall was a handmade pineboard box. Above it a calendar nailed to the mud wall with a stick. Other than the stove and the chair that was all there was in the building” (page 50). They were used to poverty, had practically grown up with it, but nothing they had seen could quite compare to that first glimpse of true deprivation. The fact that this setting even makes an impression on the tough cowboys is proof of that.
As for conforming to standards, this is most evident in the way the two friends amazed the natives with their method of taming horses: “Rawlins looked toward the corral gate. There were fifty or more people watching. Folk were picnicking on the ground. Fathers held up babies” (page 106). Nothing like this had ever been done before in this area, and it made them stand out. Pocahontas went through the same thing when she attended a royal English ball; even with all the trappings of a noblewoman, she couldn’t fit completely in, to the point where she was jailed for trying to free a bear that had become the “entertainment” for the other noblemen. This connection is important because it shows how our childhood landscapes shape us. Both John Grady and Pocahontas were used to a certain way of life or set of principles; when they were taken out of their comfort zones and set in a new landscape, they still retained their way of doing things. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out so well for John Grady, but Pocahontas and her friends used that strength to avoid a war between two peoples who were essentially the same. If only John Grady could have done that.
Maslach, K 2
A profound literary piece that we have read this year would be the play “Waiting for Godot” by Samuel Beckett. In this piece, we find the 2 main characters constantly waiting for something that they can’t obtain. As human beings, we constantly want more for ourselves, and staying satisfied with what we have is almost a momentary feeling. We strive to have what others have, or things we want alike. These men waited for days, maybe even symbolic months or years for somebody who essentially let them down in the end. They lead their lives based on a single object or being as their focus rather than seeing the beauty of the big picture they are surrounded by. Obsessive focus may lead to the downfall of human society at some point, as greed and desire overcome all.
ReplyDeleteThe song “What we ain’t got” by Jake Owen portrays a similarly powerful theme as the play above. In this song, Owen describes the idea that as society members, we want and want before we take a step back and appreciate what we have. This is also followed by the theme of loss. You never realize what you have until you lose it. In the second verse of the ballad, Owen sings, “We ain’t happy where we are, there’s greener grass in the neighbors yard, a bigger house and a faster car” like Waiting for Godot where they live average lives, some what full of struggle but well off undoubtedly (depending on the interpretation of the piece of course they may or may not be living), they want more. They want Godot to come and they will sacrifice precious time for that. Wasting time on possession is not time well spent and time you will never get back. Society needs to realize what they have and not dwell on what they don’t because we are incredibly blessed beyond our knowledge even. It is a shame that not realize all we do have anymore is to lose it first. The value of happiness has become materialistic in present day America.
Mewhinney M, 2
We recently heard a song for music monday called Rock ''n' Roll Lifestyle and I really liked this song because it speaks the truth about many of the people in our generation. The song talks about how this person spends large amounts of money trying to have a Rock 'n' Roll lifestyle, however, they are so caugt up keeping this expensive image that they fail to appreciate the actual music. I feel like this happens a lot within our society. Perhaps moreso among teenagers. A lot of them try to have the best brands and wear the most expensive clothing just so they can fit in or standout but they fail to appreciate the valuable things that surround them everyday. Towards the end of the song it says, "Tatto removal and dozens of pills/ Your liver pays dearly now for youthful magic/ moments". That line is talking about regret and I feel like many will regret having spent so much money on material goods
ReplyDeleteGalvan, E. 2nd
Of all the books we have read this year I found myself most influenced by A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. I found myself very intrigued by the horrific violence and disturbing society that Burgess created. The protagonist Alex fascinated me with his distorted, narcissistic perception of the world. Alex embodied the idea of a self -centered youth, who liked to raise chaos just for the thrill of it. Through Alex’s senseless beatings and rapes of innocent people, Alex found power and affirmed himself. Alex also firmly believed he was followed by a loyal group of adoring “Droogs”, and it seemed that he was obsessed with the idea of having supporters who were completely in awe of him. This reminds me of the song “Troublemaker” by Weezer. The chorus, “I’m a troublemaker / Never been a faker / Doing things my own way / And never giving up” embodies Alex’s attitude, as he view himself as an unshakeable leader, causing trouble. The line “I’m gonna be a rock star / And you will go to bed with me” relates to Alex’s egotistical nature, and reminds me of the brutal rapes Alex commits, as he believes everyone wants to sleep with him, regardless. Alex also likes to believe he is unlike anyone else, that he is special and different, like the verse “Im such a mystery / As anyone can see / There isnt anybody else / Exactly quite like me”. The song Troublemakers by Weezer perfectly represents the deranged and self-absorbed mindset of the character of Alex from A Clockwork Orange.
ReplyDeleteFlorek, E. 7/8
For me, I really enjoyed A Clockwork Orange. I think A Clockwork Orange shares an interesting depiction of teenage confusion, societal expectations, and how society creates the filth of the world. In my opinion, Burgess depicts the beauty of rebellion, while exposing the disgust of adult expectations. Additionally, it is a mirror of how our society, by way of example, creates the influences of ultra-violence. It is the society that creates the problem; the problem does not just appear. Our teenagers, our youth, live in our example and the actions we commit.
ReplyDeleteSimilarly, I really like the movie Die Welle (The Wave). The Wave is a German movie that takes place in a modern day German school. The students construct a project where for one week their specific class will act and follow a specific form of government. The specific class we observe follows an autocratic system. Within one week (spoiler alert), they fall into a dictatorship that ostracizes people, promotes the utilization of violence, and vandalizes the city. Now this may seem kind of extreme, and I would recommend watching the movie; it is on Netflix. However, it shows how our youth, even though it seems impossible, can fall into the same mistakes that we ourselves make.
So what is the connection between the two. A Clockwork Orange depicts the reoccurrence of violence, after the past generations fought in two wars. The Wave depicts how after the age of Hitler and Germanic depression, it is still just as easy, even after being educated by society, to jump back on the bandwagon of fitting in. However, both works depict the same concept. That our youth, our even the filth in our world, is a reflection, a sponge of our past society. I find it fascinating how both pieces, being from different eras, mediums, and referring to different events, both build the same idea; the failings of our world are depictions of ourselves and our society.
Megan Lear 2nd
Our most recent music Monday not only included a song by the Clarks, but also a poem called "Waiting" by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. The poem is about the american nation as a whole, and the corruption/mistakes we have made. I thoroughly enjoy it because I have a firm belief that we have lost the values that our founding fathers built. I can relate this to one of my most favorite books, "The Careless Society" by John McKnight. It is about how America has lost its sense of community. This is relative towards the poem because they both talk about how society has lost. This is very important to me because I truly think that we need to conform to better values as a whole. People need to band together and understand the loss we will have if we don't change back to our original lifestyle. I wish more people had the though process that I have because in my heart, I want to live in a nation that is actually free again.
ReplyDeleteTelfer, Reva 7/8
Beckett creates a longing outlook on life in the novel, "Waiting for Godot". Two characters having no purpose and ultimately doing nothing with their lives, shows how much they did not value every day. I can connect to the contrary of this because each day I try to make memorable and accomplish something, even if it is as small as telling the ones I love how much they mean to me. No one knows exactly how long they have on this earth, so you have to make it meaningful and not just sit around 'waiting' for something to come. You have to make it happen.
ReplyDeleteThe song, "What Are You Waiting For" by Nickelback explains this same concept. One needs to have their own motivation and stop procrastinating. The lyrics say, "Are you waiting for the perfect night/Are you waiting till the time is right?/ What are you waiting for wow". It almost has this mockery tone and makes the listener feel ignorant. Nothing is going to change from one day to the next, unless one goes for their desires and takes that leap of chance.
This song and also, "Waiting for Godot" are intertwined in the sense that Estragon and Vladmir are, in my persepective, waiting to hear from God. The band sings, "Are you waiting for a sign to choose", so this relates to the characters in the novel being eager to hear from the messenger and just get that glimpse of hope that Godot will in fact come for them. The song is protesting to stop standing still, define your own life, and quit depending on someone, or something, to aid you in doing this.
Asturi V, 7/8
Throughout Waiting for Godot, the two main characters, Vladimir and Estragon constantly question why they are where they are, what is going to happen in the future, and honestly, it appears as though they do no quite know where they are. Most importantly, they seem to lack any purpose besides “waiting for Godot.” In a sort of obtuse way, this work connects to “Things That Hide Away” by The Dear Hunter.
ReplyDeleteThis song finds the singer questioning basic aspects of existence, such as why he exists, why people die, and so on. The forlorn sound of this composition, the minimalistic production, and the theme of constant wondering intertwine with the play.The song is just vocals, guitar, and some piano interspersed throughout, giving it an atmosphere similar to the minimalistic and dreary one found in Samuel Beckett’s piece.
The song, very early on, has the line “Marching on, it's one foot then the other/Better on one foot then none at all” and that directly relates to play because Vladimir and Estragon always continue in their wait, no matter how beaten down they get by it, no matter how pointless it seems, they continue on.
A more significant connection comes later in the song, when it says “Why are we here, why do we die?/
Maybe we're just never meant to know why,” and I feel as though that line speaks to the constant questioning found in the story. Vladimir and Estragon have no idea why they’re waiting, what they exist for outside of waiting, and are not able to ever find the answers to these questions.
The play “Waiting For Godot” is known as a forerunner in existentialist literature and one on the most influential plays written in the last century. The play is centered on the two main characters, Vladimir and Estragon and their seemingly endless wait for the mysterious Godot to arrive at the desolate landscape that is the setting of the play. The endless and repetitive wait for Godot is symbolic of the meaningless of life and the mundane routine that we all seem to have our own versions of. But this text has broader implications outside of the plot within the covers of the play: suggesting that life is meaningless and without purpose. Life in “Waiting For Godot” is of low quality, and seems to be uninteresting and dreary. Estragon and Vladimir wait around a barren tree and bleak landscape, repeating their own habits for what seems to be a never-ending amount of time. This translates into reality when we consider the existentialist philosophy and apply it to our own experiences, and upon contemplation, the existentialist philosophy visible in “Waiting For Godot” can be applicable to modern society. While this text is important in the classroom, it is also indisputably significant in the world as a whole. The text has implications in religion and philosophy, making it a play that plays into society’s perceptions just as plentifully as it plays into the classroom.
ReplyDeleteSansone, A 2nd
Mike Crow 7/8 ^
ReplyDeleteWhen I read All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy, the book continually reminded me of something that I couldn’t put my finger on. When I finished the novel however it hit me. The story that was at the back of my mind was Tunnels by Gordon Williams. In all the pretty horses, the main character John Grady sets off on a pilgrimage to Mexico, encountering a boy named jimmy Blevins. The story proceeds and Grady and his companion Rawlins continue traveling alone and find work on a farm in Mexico. In Tunnels Will burrows and his companion Chester set out on a pilgrimage of their own deep underground to the colony, and underground city that thousands moved to hundreds of years ago to survive the apocalypse they thought was occurring. Both Will and John Grady embark on a pilgrimage that leads them to find out exactly what they’ll do to survive. The corrupt authorities in McCarthy’s work are mirrored by the Styx, the corrupt authorities of the colonies. Both main characters are caught and shoved into situations that show how power corrupt those who hold it, showing the prison system who’s internal hierarchy is deadly to those without protection. Both novels circle around the idea of the human condition and how everyone is inherently evil when it is necessary. John Grady shows this when trying to get his horses back from the captain who arrested he and his companion, kidnapping the captain after stealing the horses back. Will kills a man and accidently sacrifices his brother to escape from the Styx. A main theme in both novels is the human condition, and how man understands himself and what he is willing to do.
ReplyDeleteSupina, R. 2
One of the books that we have read in class that can be connected to many different pieces in the world is “A Clockwork Orange” by Anthony Burgess. Burgess’s book shows the conformity of people in society. It shows how teenagers are forced to conform to society and how important free will is in society. Alex is used as a weapon against the authorities.
ReplyDeleteThis book can be related to the popular series, “The Hunger Games”. In “The Hunger Games” people are forced to conform to society and are not able to have their own free will. Katniss Everdeen is also used both by The Capitol and by leaders of District 13. The Capitol used to show that everything is fine. They presented her in a way that appeared to support the Capitol even though she didn’t. Katniss has to set aside her own personal views because the Capitol threatened to hurt her loved ones.
Both novels connect together very strongly. These novels show how forced conformity affects society in a negative way. Alex ends up being forced to change, even if it is meant to better him. Both of these authors realize how their characters will be changed by what society has done to them and how they will never be the same.
The love story in All The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy caught my attention. Many people claim that this book has no plot, but this is not true. The main character, John Cole, ends up falling in love with a girl, Alejandra, in a foreign country. He is not allowed to tell her parents he loves her and they decide to keep their affair a secret. When the father finds out about their secret relationship, Grady is taken away and jailed by her father. Their love does not end there, though. Grady tries to go back to Mexico and convince Alejandra to run away to America with him. He does not succeed, and the reader is left feeling sad for the broken couple.
ReplyDeleteI relate this to many Bollywood movies. Bollywood is the main film industry of India. A Bollywood movie contains at least 6 songs, which the actors dance to throughout intervals of the movie. In America, these types of movies are called musicals, but not in India. These movies usually include a love story, where the male and female main characters fall in love. The endings are usually happy, although I have seen a few depressing endings.
One of my favorite Hindi songs is Mann Mera by Chai-Town. Mera Mann translates to ‘My Heart” in English. This song is about a man who is in love with a girl and he is singing about how much he loves her. He sings, “With her, the threads of my heart are tied.” Chai-town ended up making a music video for this song. In this video, the man and woman meet at a singing competition. The man has to leave, but he ends up messaging the girl on Facebook. I feel that if Facebook existed when John Cole was seeing Alejandra, they would have been able to continue their relationship long-distance.
Patel, D 2
In class this year, we read A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. I found several things that the book could be connected to, but one of the most prominent connections I found was to a song called “Teenagers” by My Chemical Romance. The book A Clockwork Orange if from the point of view of a teenage boy named Alex. According to Alex, all teens, or “Nadsats” as he refers to them as, are violent and dangerous. Thus when Alex was caught and sent to prison he went through “treatment” make him a good person and keep him from being a danger. This connects to the song “Teenagers” because the song says “They're gonna clean up your looks/ With all the lies in the books/ To make a citizen out of you” (My Chemical Romance). This connects to the book A Clockwork Orange because the government does just this to Alex. They clean up his act and how he looks and tried to make a citizen out of a ruffian. The song also said “They said all teenagers scare . . . me/ They could care less as long as someone'll bleed” (My Chemical). The teens in the book A Clockwork Orange are all quite violent and like “ultraviolence” and “tolchocking” people, much like how the song says that people in society see teens as these dangerous, scary, and violent people. Alex, being one of those teens, is violent and gets into fights, steals, plunders, and kills. He pays for this by being sent to prison and a re-correction center. This connects to the son because at one point the song states, “'Cause they got methods of keeping you clean/ They're gonna rip up your heads, / Your aspirations to shreds/ Another cog in the murder machine” (My Chemical Romance). The government introduced the methods that were used on Alex to clean up crime and as Alex said, “make sure you never get back in [prison] again” (Burgess 82). In other words, the government did have methods of keeping people clean, as the song “Teenagers” says. Also this treatment given to Alex was to make him a “cog” in what he referred to as “a clockwork orange” (Burgess 127). Thus, the book and song connect with the idea of the authorities conforming the teens into little machines that fit into their place in society and do not stray from that place, as well as the stereotyping of teens being violent hooligans.
ReplyDelete-C. Lenhoff 2nd period
After we read Waiting For Godot earlier this year, we read articles on the theory of Existentialism which is also a common theme in Notes From the Underground. I don’t have the articles with me so I’m sorry I cannot reference them directly but from memory I remember reading about the endless cycle of life. The articles talked about how man needs a purpose or a reason for living. Self-actualization is a common thread in many works today. The idea that everyman has a purpose and must fulfill it is very common. The Existentialist belief that we must choice our own nature, values and purpose is shown in our culture today. In the musical “Avenue Q” a recent college graduate sings a song entitled “Purpose”. This song demonstrates the human need for a purpose and the freedom to find it. He sings “What will it be? Where will it be?
ReplyDeleteMy purpose in life is a mystery Gotta find my purpose Gotta find me” Today the need for a purpose or reason to pursue is a prominent theme, just like in the Existentialism articles we read.
Parey C 7/8
This year in class we have read the book "Waiting for Godot" by Samuel Beckett. The book is all about endlessly waiting. The two main characters, Vladimir and Estragon, endlessly wait around for this Godot person or thing to come and change their lives.
ReplyDeleteThe song that connects is John Mayer's "Waiting On the World to Change". The song is all about waiting for change to come in the world, and no one doing anything until it changes. They even say they don't have the means to do anything to rise above their state of waiting.
Both of these media connect in how they endlessly wait. Even though they are both waiting for different things, it is still meaningless waiting. There could be things done to change things in both but it seems past the subjects. The song waits for a change in the world but they do nothing, and they say they want their generation to fix things but they just wait. Just like Vladimir and Estragon, the whole plot is based on waiting without meaning.
Sarah Palmer 7/8
The book Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett is a piece that relates to the world around me. This book contains not much action, but a lot to think about. The fact that the main characters do nothing but wait for something they aren’t sure of, reminds me of our people in this world today. Inside the pages of the book, the characters stay mainly in one place for a significant amount of time and receive no closure at the end of the book. They are unaware of who Godot truly is and what he/it does. I believe this is how people are today, and also how Marilyn Monroe is in the movie “Monkey Business.”
ReplyDeleteThis movie contains Monroe as a main character, but one who does not do much. She is the secretary in the movie and waits until she’s told what to do and does not know why she does it. She is portrayed as a “dumb blonde” and is waiting for not much to happen. At the end of the movie, nothing much happens with Monroe. This character that waits for the unknown is similar to Vladimir and Estragon in Waiting for Godot.
People today also relate to this. Many do as they are told and wait for the world to change and it does not. Effort and change is needed to make anything happen. Vladimir and Estragon wait and do nothing to then receive nothing. So in order to accomplish what is needed, one must need to know what they are waiting for and what actions to put towards it.
-Camille
So I feel like a bit of a five year old making this connection, but I told Brittany about it the other day and she thought it was very clever, so I figured: why not tie it in here? One of the novels we were assigned over summer vacation was “Notes from the underground” by Fyodor Dostoevsky. In short, it was about a man that was rejected by society and convinced himself that as a result of that he chose to go underground and loathe the society that did not want him. He did not stay there because he wanted to though, rather because he had no place among normal civilization. When I think about this general idea I cannot help but make one, in my mind, obvious connection: the Grinch, from “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas”, by Dr. Seuss. The Underground Man is a bitter and delusional character who revels in his own suffering and isolation.
ReplyDeleteWhile I admit, the Grinch is not a babbling alcoholic, he is bitter and scorned and sees himself as different from all of the others. “… whatever the reason, his heart or his shoes, he stood outside his cave, hating the Whos” (Dr. Seuss). In various versions of this story, backstory on the Grinch is explained: he was different, so he was scorned by his peers and by the people surrounding him. After the incident at the party, the same thing happened with the Underground Man. He decided to retreat and just hate those who had spurned him, rather than work harder to include himself. That is what makes the two figures similar.
Angie G. 2*
In the dystopian novel “A Clockwork Orange” by Anthony Burgess, Burgess made multiple commentaries on his view of modern society, which still hold true today. He mentions the point of government control without people even realizing it, as the reader, we see this glimpse when the Minister of Interior comes to see him in the hospital and practically pay Alex off to keep quiet about his opinion on his treatment. Although this shows a prime example of the government using money and power to keep their secrets, it also shows how gullible and swayed society is to fall to the government’s tricks and temptations. In the world today, people would rather be ignorant on situations than face the truth of the problem. They control the situation with their temptations, while society sits and don’t mind it. It reminds me of multiple political cartoons with politicians with evil smiles guiding “dumb” society onto a risky path without even realizing and paying attention. It wasn’t until this year that, personally, I started to see this pattern and noticing that others have noticed this for the longest time. I was one of those ignorant people but when I read this part in the novel it became clear to me and I made the connection and I started to wonder, how often do we get paid off? How often do we ignore problems? Even without realizing these existing problems, how often do we not even realize them? Making this realization blew my mind and connecting it to modern society was a shock to me.
ReplyDeleteS. Güt 7/8
One of my favorite pieces that we have analyzed so far in this course is “Waiting for Godot” by Samuel Becket. What I find so fascinating about this play is not its view of society or its ability to spark a completely different light in the mind of each reader to approach it. Most, in the play, I love the story. One might say that there is not a story, and I must say that they have a bit of a point if one is to assume the definition of ‘story’ to be a series of events culminating in a climax and resolving to reveal the greater meaning of the action. “Waiting for Godot” is a story in the reader’s mind. Its complete lack of event and time and back-story and every other element considered to be essential to a book is exactly what creates the plot in the subconscious. The characters are not really characters but are metaphors of characters. The setting is not a place but is every place. The play is not a play but is every play, book, and movie ever written. It is every story in that it is not a story at all. And what Becket choses to reveal about the world in every story is the sense of waiting.
ReplyDeleteThe song “Sitting, Waiting, Wishing” by Jack Johnson is a perfect example of what the act of waiting means in today’s society. In the song, Johnson complains to his lover that he “can’t always be waiting [on her]” (16). Throughout the song, Johnson gives the distinct impression that he considers waiting to be a choice, and if not a choice, then he considers it to be a sign of love. Prolonged waiting, thus, is a symbol of his lover’s rejection. This meaning in the act of waiting is displayed throughout modern society. Waiting is never forced or inflicted, but it is always chosen. It does not put the power into the hands of the awaited, but gives the waiting a sort of sense of moral superiority. Waiting is not merely sitting still and wishing as the title of the song leads on, but the lyrics suggest that it is a dynamic part to play- one must act the fool. And then, when finally decided to be pointless, the waiter has the option of ending the suspense- as Johnson suggests in stating “Just wait a minute” (24).
The play “Waiting for Godot” and the song “Sitting, Waiting, Wishing” both suggests ideas of the act of waiting, however, they reveal very different cultural ideals. While “Godot” is very realist and considers waiting to be a societal inevitability prevalent in every story, Johnson’s song considers it to be a romantic feat capable of being stopped by shear desire. The metaphors of characters in “Godot” suggest otherwise. They do not know why they are waiting or for what, but if one thing is left evident at the end of the play it is that they will return to the same spot to wait again, pointlessly, in the morning- and every morning to come. They have no real choice in the mater, and if they do, they choose to be pawns to the idea of Godot. The modern ideal of the song does not contradict this, as it might seem. It does ignore the inevitability of “Godot”, but, after all, it is just an ideal. While modern American society wants to believe that the individual has complete power over their life, we are all just waiting for something. For that college acceptance letter or for him to text back or for that show to come on at eight. And while we think we could just not wait, we will anyway. Even as Johnson claims to have say in his fate (“Just wait a minute”), evidence of this inevitable monotony shows through: “Must I always be waiting on you?”. He asks. While he might think it to be an artistic way of making the point, it is a hole in society’s screen. We wait. We think we chose it. But we ask why. And that is enough.
Jankovsky A. 7-8*
In the novel “A Clockwork Orange” by Anthony Burgess, a story of a chaotic futuristic society filled with violence is told. Alex, the main character, has a constant crave for danger which ultimately his friends and he carry out. The theme through this novel is free will in a dystopian society. Alex is able to make the choices he pleases and eventually pays the price. However, he falls back into old habits as this is just a natural instinct. This highly relates to that of present day America. The American society is placed in a setting of hysteria and generally falls into natural habits and destruction instead of conforming to be different. The free will in the American society is very much present, however, like Alex, the natural habits and free will are those that cause havoc and damage. In the song “American Eulogy” by Green Day, connections of society and “A Clockwork Orange” can be made. In the song, the lyrics summarize present day America. One prominent line in the lyrics states: “Red Alert is the colour of panic / Elevated to the point of static / Beating into the hearts of the fanatics / and the neighborhood’s a loaded gun” (Lines 10-13). Green Day expresses their view on how neighborhoods are typically ran now. Neighborhoods and cities have fallen into this state of panic and chaos due to the actions of society. Comparing the neighborhood to a loaded gun shows that at any point, mass destruction can occur due to old habits of society. Anything can happen and it would be society’s free will that caused it. Alex’s free will in the novel is what led to murder and rape just as how America’s free will leads to the issues in our own society.
ReplyDeleteCika M 2
The play “Waiting for Godot” by Samuel L. Beckett deals with two characters, Vladimir and Estragon, constantly waiting for a strange entity called “Godot”. This Godot never comes and Vladimir and Estragon remain static characters, incapable of making change in their lives. They continually discuss leaving the place they are stuck in, but they never do. These characters are not capable of acting on their own volition and are essentially stuck living without a purpose.
ReplyDeleteThis play reminded me a lot of a Woody Allen movie that I thoroughly enjoyed called “Blue Jasmine”. The movie centers around a New York socialite, divorced from her elitist husband, forced to move to San Francisco and stay with her sister. She is not capable of independent thought or fixing her life. She was completely dependent upon her husband so his leaving throws her completely off balance. She is a pathological liar and has a pill addiction. She constantly talks about leaving her sister’s place and starting her own life, but she never actually works up the nerve to do so.
These two pieces reminded me of each other in that both contain entirely static characters. At the end of the play, Vladimir and Estragon are still stuck underneath the same tree, having the same conversation as they were at the beginning. In “Blue Jasmine” the woman makes no change in her life, she is still addicted to pills and still completely alone. Her sister eventually tosses her out and instead of taking action and pulling her life together, the movie ends with her sitting on a park bench, all her bags around her, completely lost. She has no ability to take care of herself or do something with her life much as Vladimir and Estragon cannot ever change their ways.
-Harris, S 2*
A piece that we have looked over, not in class, but within one of our blogs was "Mirrors" by Sylvia Plath. Within the poem, the expectations of women from society and obsession in physical appearance is explored. One of the points that the poem makes is of the flexibility of society's everchanging requirements of what women are supposed to look like. This idea can be supported by the lines,"Now I am a lake," and, "In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman..."(Plath). The purpose of these stanzas are to be used as commentary on how society's expectations of women are never concrete, they are constantly fluctuating, alike water in a lake.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the poem strongly connects with the Feministic issues facing our country today. A social issue that is strongly prominent in this area is the body positive movement, where young girls and women are encouraged to love the skin they're in, no matter what shape or size. Society does not follow this trend and seems to be inconsistent on what the "proper size" is for women, whether it be fat-shaming or skinny-shaming. The poem calls out on this hypocrisy as it compares the mirror to water like qualities, further proving how difficult it is for women to match what standard society has set for them, because there is no set standard at all. Vogue says that you can not be an attractive woman unless you are extremely thin while Nicki Minaj's "Anaconda" would say otherwise.
-Javorsky, R 2*
One of my favorite poems is titled “Who Has Seen the Wind?” by Christiana Rossetti. It is rather short so I will share the entire work with you here:
ReplyDeleteWho has seen the wind?
Neither I nor you:
But when the leaves hang trembling,
The wind is passing through.
Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I:
But when the trees bow down their heads,
The wind is passing by.
This poem is easy to relate to the existentialism packets/discussions/questions brought up in the first quarter of this year. One main question existentialists pose is “Why are we here?” Just because a purpose cannot be seen does not mean that it does not exist. The wind of the poem is not visible, but the trembling trees are. Some may argue that wind does not exist, or that there is no purpose to life, but there is obvious proof written in the trees that this is false.
-K. Brav 7/8*
In Waiting for Godot there is an overall uncertainty to every aspect, the characters some argue are in purgatory without any relative surroundings, are somewhat clueless and ignorant to what is really happening to them and around them. There is often forgetfulness and they only thing they know is they keep returning to do the same things every day, in turn just standing around waiting for Godot.
ReplyDeleteI somewhat relate this to my favorite movie, Dead Poets Society, though not structurally similar to Waiting for Godot at all. The ideas of not doing the same thing all the time, and not conforming go against Waiting for Godot. The teacher referred to as "Captain" in the movie played by Robin Williams is an inspirational and fresh breath to the students lives. They look with a new lens at the world around them and challenge ideas and principles that are generally accepted in societal terms. In Waiting for Godot, the characters just accept what is happening to them and what is going to happen to them the next day. I feel as if the connection between the two pieces contrasts. It may not be the popular opinion or the "right" explanation but it is my own opinion and thinking.
Westphal 2nd period
The book A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess focuses on violence committed by teenagers in a futuristic dystopian society. Specifically, it follows the life of a boy named Alex, who eventually gets caught for his misdeeds and, when the woman he assaulted dies, is sent to prison. Throughout the novel, the reader is able to see that Alex, like many of his teenage counterparts, has no remorse for the violence he commits and thoroughly enjoys beating, raping, and killing people. It gives him pleasure just to think about such things.
ReplyDeleteThe song “Ready to Die” by Andrew W.K. is an upbeat song with dismal lyrics. It talks mainly about violence and killing, with the chorus being, “You better get ready to die.” It is a fun song to sing along to in the car because of its upbeat tempo; in fact, when I saw him in concert three years ago, the floor of the venue was physically shaking with the sheer force of everyone jumping along to the beat.
However, when you actually listen to the lyrics, they are morbid and, upon analysis, perfectly reflect the major theme of violence in A Clockwork Orange. The lyrics, “We’ll take on anyone,” reflect how the teenagers in this society feel invincible and do not take any responsibility for their actions. The following lyrics are, “It’s really nothing new, it’s just a thing we like to do,” also display the feelings of these teenagers. The violence that they commit is nothing out of the ordinary because everyone was doing it. It was normal for teenagers, it was “just a thing [they] like to do,” and nothing more. They felt no personal responsibility for their actions because they were just having fun. Additionally, its upbeat tempo fits perfectly with the casual, fun mood of the teenagers when they were committing such heinous acts.
-Dushek, K 2˚
The poem “Mirror” by Sylvia Plath examines society’s view of women. The progression of a woman changing her appearance is told from the perspective of a mirror. Women are expected to look a certain way in order to be considered pretty and to give them self-worth. Plath states “The eye of a little god, four cornered” (5). So much power is given to a rectangular piece of glass. It is controlling and dictates the actions and feelings of women. The poem discusses the changes of the woman’s emotions as she views her reflection and how she transforms herself to fit the wants of the world around her.
ReplyDeleteIt’s 1963 and a group of young marines are in San Francisco before being deployed to Vietnam. The young men enjoy taking part in the “Dogfight.” This is a competition where the marine with the ugliest date to a party wins money. There are a whole slew of rules they must follow when choosing their dates. Eddie, while searching for his “ugly girl” to take to the party, meets Rose. He ends up asking her to the party and she is so excited to go on her first date. She tries to make herself look as pretty as possible, and she is happy with how she looks. All of that changes when she finds out why she was invited to the party. The rest of the musical follows the characters as Eddie tries to regain Rose’s trust, and as Rose tries to be confident in herself again.
Similar ideas about society’s view of women are seen in both the poem and the musical. Plath writes, “Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon” (12). Candlelight and moonlight are deceiving because they are dim and flicker. Society lies to women by convincing them that the only way they will be loved and appreciated is if they look a certain way. In Dogfight, Rose thought she looked beautiful but found out that Eddie had lied to her and really thought she was a joke. She begins to doubt herself and lose confidence. In the song after she discovers that she was just a part of the Dogfight, she sings, “Makeup won’t make any difference/it’s still the same old face” (7-8). She tried so hard to make herself look pretty, and now she believes that no one thinks she is beautiful, and nothing she does will change their opinion. She was not able to measure up to society. Instead of continuing to try to meet the world’s standards, Rose will not let Eddie change her. She stays true to herself. This is a difference seen between the woman in the poem and Rose. In the poem, the mirror shares “In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman/rises toward her day after day” (27-28). The woman begins each day by covering herself in makeup and hiding the girl her is inside and making an older woman appear on the outside, just to show the world that she can be what it wants her to be. Both pieces show that women are held to an unattainable standard and some women choose to be confident in themselves, while others spend their lives just trying to be good enough.
Woods, L 2
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ReplyDeleteBetween the layers of “A Clockwork Orange” are many different layers of violence, and rebellion. I believe that many too often only focus on the violence committed by Alex due to the book’s point of view. What I find debatably the scariest in the book is the violence, and corruption of the authority figures in the dystopian society. While over 20 years old, Rage against the Machine’s political anthem “Killing in the Name” is relatable to “A Clockwork Orange” and current events in present day America.
ReplyDeleteThe criminal acts of the police who interrogate Alex and the government who uses Alex as a prop do not invalidate Alex’s physical and sexual violence against others, but rather portray how violence can be disguised and have motives other than pure pleasure which is what we see from Alex. “Killing in the Name” is a simple, yet controversial song that accuses policeman as being Ku Klux Klan members in the repeated phrase: “Some of those that work forces are the same that burn crosses.” Lead singer Tom Morello also addresses the racism that fuels the police brutality in the second chorus stating: “You justify those that died by wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites.” While racism does not seem to be a prevalent issue in “A Clockwork Orange” we see two of Alex’s past droogs join the authority force which later beat and try to drown Alex. Motives are personal, and not to extent of the law in both the song and this novel. Dim and Georige believe they have found a loophole to commit violent acts without punishment, but really the corrupt government is using them for their own agenda. This is similar to the lyrics “And now you do what they told ya, now you're under control” because Dim and Georgie have actually conformed. I would not go as far to compare Alex to the singer of this song, but I will say that one could compare the line “I won't do what you tell me,” to Alex’s lack of conformity and his belief in free-will.
As previously stated both these aged pieces of work still apply to current events. Multiple killings, such as that of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, seem be the result of a racial bias against an unarmed black teenager from a white male cop with no court sentenced consequences. The violence of a handful of protestors is seemed as unnecessary violence that must be controlled, while the violence committed by the police is deemed acceptable. This hypocrisy is detailed in “Killing in the Name,” “A Clockwork Orange,” and unfortunately everyday life.
Grabowski, H. 7/8