Question: Having not read the book, can someone please explain to me what the phrase A Clockwork Orange actually means?
Charles Austin Miller
3rd Jun 2004
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
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Answer: According to the author, Anthony Burgess, the term "a clockwork orange" refers to a person who is full of life and juice, like an orange, but who is wound-up like a mechanical device with programmed responses. As the term pertains to the story's narrator and lead character, Alex, he is a prime example of humanity, brimming with life, lust, cruelty and violence. The system then reconditions Alex with predictable mechanical responses and behavior. Hence, Alex becomes a clockwork orange.
Charles Austin Miller