When attempting to figure out the links between A Clockwork Orange and The Chrysalids, I could not really think of many similarities. I found many differences, but even by reaching for abstract ideas and even after reading my partner’s blogs, I still didn’t really see any connection. The sole connection I truly saw was the prevalent theme of sex and violence mentioned by Rachel, although I don’t quite agree with her opinions. Although A Clockwork Orange did in fact have more violent tendancies towards sex which DO relate to the Spider-Man coveting Rosaline, if you were to read the end of the book, you would find that Alex, after reverting back to his violent tendancies, finally matures as he realizes he wants to be a dad. This would link to The Chrysalids through how Rosaline and David loved each other and were making love, as opposed to the violent sex associated with the Spider-Man. I also agree with Rachel’s view of violence being a predominant theme in both, however I think in both novels violence is used to oppress as opposed to in just The Chrysalids. While David is beaten by his father to instill the religious beliefs upon him, and the Spider-Man attempts to brutally rape Rosaline, in A Clockwork Orange the violence is used at the beginning as a manner of oppressing those normal society people, and in the end turns into something used to force Alex into submission. By causing the violence to make Alex physically ill, we are in fact just exacerbating a situation that could’ve been avoided through the actual reform of criminal minds as opposed to removing their choice between what is morally right and wrong.
I believe that there is a large difference between the two controlling parties in the novels. In The Chrysalids, the society is ruled by the church and therefore the ruling power is rather abstract and all-knowing. In A Clockwork Orange, the ruling party is the government who is not all-knowing and doesn’t even aid but rather make a situation worse for the people they are in charge of. While in both cases the ruling party is in the wrong, they both have different ways of ruling, one through officials who act upon their beliefs and the other through officials who act as a result of the rules set in place by society. Society does not decide a religion’s rules they only mold them to conform with that specific society. While, in the two stories the two protagonists both rebel, the only difference I believe that seperates their rebellion is the catalyst. For David, the catalyst in my opinion was Sophie and Petra. In the case of Alex, my only assumption could be his family life, or the dreariness of the society boring him to a point where he thinks he must act out. As a result of this, both rebel against their homes and people, but they do so in different ways that reflected the societies they lived in.
