A Clockwork Orange

In the wake of World War II (1939-1945), Great Britain—and the rest of Europe—had much to rebuild. During the war, London was the target of numerous air raids conducted by the German Luftwaffe (air-weapons division). Many parts of the great city were destroyed, and these raids had a devastating impact on the psyche of the people. In addition, post-war Britain suffered under strict rationing of foodstuffs and other supplies. By all contemporary accounts, London was a dreary place in the two decades after the war. As the economy improved, however, there was an unleashing of pent-up, youthful energy that led to what social historians call the “Swinging 60s.” London was the epicenter of artistic production and free-wheeling hedonism. Anthony Burgess’s Alex is caught in between these two moments of post-war deprivation and economic and cultural revival.

It is also during this historical moment that the Cold War between the East, as represented by the Soviet Union, and the West, as represented by Western Europe and the US, took hold. This, in part, explains the Russian-language influence on Alex’s (and his droogs’) Nadsat slang. This slang is also the product of the younger generation’s desire to distance themselves from the old guard, who was responsible—at least in the eyes of subsequent generations—for the proliferation of war and worldwide destruction.