In A Clockwork Orange did Alex actually want to be reformed

In A Clockwork Orange (1971), Alex DeLarge tries to convince the catholic priest in the story that he is a changed young citizen and wants desperately to be reformed no matter what the cost.

The question here: Did Alex actually seek to truly be reformed properly or was he just expecting it not to work so he could get released and go commit more crimes?

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Best Answer

It's not possible to be sure but I don't believe he had any serious desire to be "reformed" -- I think he was just looking for a way out of prison and wasn't expecting anything like what actually happened to him.

First, it is clear throughout from the narration, his actions, his expressions, that the ultra-violence is not motivated by anything except desire (any stolen money, etc., was just secondary), he truly gets off on it, and has no sense of guilt over it. If that is not convincing enough, look at his revelry at the end of the movie when they reverse the "treatment".

I don't think he ever had a "change of heart".

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Did Alex rehabilitate himself in A Clockwork Orange?

Locked in a room and forced to listen to Beethoven music, Alex jumps out off a window but survives. While he is hospitalized, the doctors undo his conditioning, and Alex ultimately reverts to his former behaviour.

Does Alex change at the end of Clockwork Orange?

Though he begins as a violent psychopath, his abuse at the hands of society via the experimental Ludovico Treatment is equally horrific. The final shot of Alex, finally cured of the Ludovico's effects, draws up many conflicting feelings and even more questions. Yes, Alex is cured, but he isn't a better person.

What was Alex forced to watch?

The first film Alex is forced to watch depicts an old man being attacked and stripped naked by two fashionably dressed boys.

Is Alex DeLarge evil?

His Evil Ranking In the book, he finally gets bored of being evil at the end and decides to live a normal life and start a family. However, he never shows remorse for his actions and this is him simply deciding to stop being evil because he finds it boring rather than actually redeeming himself.

A Clockwork Orange 1971 cast Then and Now 2022 How They Changed

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