belonging

In essence, an individual’s interaction with others, whether that interaction is positive or negative, can either enrich or limit their experience of belonging. The idea that negative interactions between an individual or others is directly related to their limited experience of belonging is extensively explored within Peter Skrzynecki’s St. Patrick’s College and Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, as the protagonists in each text have a limited experience of belonging due to their negative interactions within a group majority.
The idea that negative interactions within a group dynamic can lead to a limited experience of belonging is further explored in Stanley Kubrick’s film, A Clockwork Orange, through the rebellious protagonist Alexander de Large and his inability to belong to society as a whole as a result of the sadistic actions he inflicts on people. The audience is introduced to the protagonist in the opening scene through an intimate close-up shot of his smirking face and piercing blue eyes. He dons one fake eyelash and an elaborate top hat, symbolically the mockery of a civilised society, and it is through this intimate close-up that the audience realises that the character of Alex is i n fact an evil one. This is further reinforced in his character’s name, “A-lex”, which literally means ‘without law’, showcasing that Alex is a character with a “law unto himself”. This choice of character’s name, coupled with the intimate close-up, demonstrates that he does not care for positive interactions within society and this therefore limits his sense of belonging to the group, but enhances his sense of belonging to himself.
Alex’s psychological thirst to rebel is glorified and represented by the non-diegetic musical underscore of Ludwig van Beethoven’s ninth symphony, a piece which reiterates ironically throughout the entirety of the film as a recurring motif of violence. The symphony is heard primarily in the scenes in which Alex is deep in sadistic thought,