Dangers of Society as Depicted

¶ … Dangers of Society as Depicted in the Daughters of the Late Colonel, by Katherine Mansfield and a Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

Art reflects life and, as a result, it represents human nature. Whether we are reading a realistic story in or a futuristic story, we come into contact with characters that make us think about the past, the present, and the future. Two stories that illustrate this point are "The Daughters of the Late Colonel," by Katherine Mansfield and a Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. These two stories reflect social concerns of the time in which they were written. "The Daughters of the Late Colonel" represents a patriarchal era when women were not allowed much freedom. Josephine and Constantia become victims of their late father and his overprotective ways. They are victims of their environment because the world in which they live encourage women to be dependent upon the men in their lives. They are so codependent on their father that when he dies, they cannot function normally. Their characters serve as warnings against a society that is overbearing toward women. In a Clockwork Orange, Alex is a victim of a lawless society. The novel was written at a time when violence and morality were significant social concerns and it looks into the future when morality has been left behind and law and order are something of the past. Alex is a victim of a lawless society and his character serves as a warning against a lack of morality. Both stories illustrate the dangers of extremes regarding individuality and encourage a healthy balance for a productive society.

In "The Daughters of the Late Colonel," we learn much about the patriarchal society of the early 1920s. Josephine and Constantia are very dependent upon their father - so much so that after he dies, they do not know exactly what to do with their lives. Early in the story, we read that that "neither of them could possible believe that father was never coming back" (Mansfield 2225). While their father may have thought he was doing well for his daughters, he was really harming them because they became so dependent upon him. They lived a sheltered life and did not come into contact with many people. We do not see any dreams or goals in their lives and the girls do not seem motivated to do much of anything. Their lives were so involved with their fathers that his death could very well have been theirs. We read that their lives were spent, "looking after father, and at the same time keeping out of father's way. But now? But Now? The thieving sun touched Josephine gently" (2235-6). In addition, we are told that Constantia "stayed before the Buddha wondering, but not as usual, but not vaguely. This time her wondering was like longing" (2236).

Here we see two women that have absolutely no idea what to do with their lives because they are victims of an oppressive society that binds women to men.

We see how human nature can be shaped by society - however small or large that society may be. Josephine and Constantia are unable to carry on a simple conversation because they have forgotten what they were going to say. Throughout the story, when the sisters should be thinking about the rest of their lives, they were concerned about petty matters such as Nurse Andrews and Kate. The fact that they could not get beyond their father's funeral was evidence that were victims of their environment. Their father had protected them so much to the point that they were not capable of thinking about their future. Their father and his decisions shaped their lives down to the minutest details. While he wanted to protect and provide for them, he really destroyed what chance they had for survival.

Similarly, a Clockwork Orange illustrates the dangers society presents for the delicate human nature. Because its setting takes place in a futuristic society, it examines a generation that has moved away from morality, law, and order. The punks can roam the streets, bust into homes and destroy other people's lives with out fear or retribution. Alex is a victim of this environment. He is an example of what can go wrong when society erases morality. The most noticeable aspect of this is the language that Alex adopts.

Both stories end with a bit of ambivalence. At the end of a Clockwork Orange, Alex understands that something has changed but he cannot process it entirely. When his friends want to know the plans for the evening, he tells them that he did not know and he needed to "be on like my own and sort things out" (Burgess 185). We think that maybe he has learned from his experiences but he later admits that his main problem is:

didn't like care much. It was like something soft getting into me and I could not pony why. What I wanted these days I did not know... There was something happening inside me, and I wondered if it was like some disease or if it was what they had done to me that time upsetting my gulliver and perhaps going to make me real bezoomny. (186)

Here we see that knows that something is different but he does not know what to do with the information. The story ends with us not knowing if Alex was ever really "cured" or if he was only saying what he was programmed to say. In addition, he begins to think that he might be too old to take part in and enjoy the same pranks he did before. He feels a, "bolshy big hollow inside my plott, feeling very surprised too at myself. I knew what was happening, O my brothers. I was like growing up" (190). Here we see the conflict that arises from human nature when one begins to consider another point-of-view. We never know if Alex is truly transformed because he never admits to wrongdoing and never seeks forgiveness. A Clockwork Orange closes with hope but no certainty. Alex is like Josephine and Constantia in that he does not know what to do with his life at this point.

Mansfield and Burgess are exploring the human psyche in their environment. Josephine and Constantia are products of their environment in that their father is the center of their lives. When their father dies, we assume from the story that their lives have ended as well. The women are left to bicker and think over mundane things. Alex's life appears to be over after his experience at the hospital. Both settings illustrate the delicate structure of the human psyche when all things familiar are removed. While these authors perceive the dangers of society as very different things, their messages are the same - beware of anything that takes too much away from man, a social creature.

While these two stories may not seem to have much in common at first glance, they have a great deal in common when it comes the environment and how it affects human nature. Without any self-awareness or individuality, we become victims of those whom we love too much. We become dependent creatures that cannot make a single decision on our own. When we are too self-confident, we become selfish creatures causing too many problems. Alex, Josephine, and Constantia are examples of both extremes. Josephine and Constantia represent what happens when we allow ourselves to be ruled by someone else. This rule does need to mean anything more than what it suggests. The girls were submissive and happy to have someone tell them what to do and when to do it. They are what we would term today as co-dependent. Alex, on the other hand, is just the opposite of Josephine and Constantia. He could not be tamed not did he want to be. His was a wild spirit and one that held no regard for human life or morality. What we learn from both authors is that there must be a balance in our lives. Josephine and Constantia were too dependent and therefore did not make any decisions on their own. This is fine until they have no one to make decisions for them. Then all things become difficult and dramatic. Alex was defective in that he did not depend on anyone's opinion at all. He was left to his own devices and, considering the fact that he was a wild young teenager, which is not such a good thing. Both stories illustrate how man is a social creature and depends upon human interaction to a certain point.