Novels are equipped to depict human psychology but are not equip to portray abstract concepts of institutional authority and agency.
Alex’s fare in AClockwork Orange is tied to the fate of the novel. It is a drama about the fate of the novel. Burgess failed to consider that institutions neutralise threats to them by deferring threats.
Alex believes he is a freedom fighter but the government sees him as a juvenile delinquent. They use this definition to introduce the Ludovico Technique. By acting this way Alex is indirectly facilitating the use of such techniques so the government lets him do what he wants to so they can implement such techniques. Therefore, they do not clean up the streets straight away.
Reason he acts bad it is the binary opposite to what government expects but they define what opposite is. They have a vested interested in his criminality.
Pg45: Alex commits crimes because he wants to.
His aesthetic tastes are socially/institutionally conditioned. He does not act. He reacts.
Alex’s aversion to strong smells and untidy appearances: pg16 he sees an untidy drunk and beats him. The old man’s lack of self respect is reflected in his untidy clothes and drunkenness.
Alex believes personal flaws are demonstrated by outward appearance.
Billyboy is smelly. Though his offence is different to the drunk he still denotes a character flaw. He literally stinks of poverty. He could steal the things needed to hide his poverty (deodorant/new cooking oil) but because he doesn’t this implies that he like the drunk has a lack of self respect.
LINK: between others aesthetic fault and Alex’s crimes/violence. Alex seeks to punish those that ruin his environment. Alex’s crimes are catalyzed by Alex’s sense of justice.
At the beginning when the gang rob the merchant, Dim returns to the milk bar looking like he has been in a fight. Alex is angry but not because Dim’s appearance give away their crime but because of Dim’s