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“
There was me, that is Alex, and my three droogs, that is Pete, Georgie, and Dim, and we sat in the Korova Milkbar trying to make up our rassoodocks what to do with the evening. The Korova milkbar sold milk-plus, milk plus vellocet or synthemesc or drencrom, which is what we were drinking. This would sharpen you up and make you ready for a bit of the old ultra-violence.
„
~ Alex's opening monologue.
“
Viddy well, little brother. Viddy well.
„
~ Alex taunting Mr. Alexander as he prepared to rape his wife.
“
I was cured alright!
„
~ Alex expressing joy at the effects of the Ludovico technique wearing off (also his final line in the film).
Whilst he may have comedic moments, such as his pattern of speech or his hammy demeanour, they are only funny for the fans, and otherwise showcase his sadistic and wild nature.
Although he had neglectful parents and was brainwashed and tortured, the former didn't justify his actions because of how heinous they would be, and the latter two also didn't because he was already evil before that.
He and his gang beat an old beggar to a pulp on the streets.
Although he and his droogs saved a girl from being raped by a rival gang, that was likely never their intention, as they were perverts and only wanted to beat them down and steal their car.
He and his droogs broke into the house of a writer called Frank Alexander, brutally beating him and his wife before raping the latter. Frank was left crippled by the incident, and his wife died from the trauma.
What made it worse was the fact that he lied about his friend being injured so he could break in.
He beat Georgie and Dim, pushed them into the river, and cut the latter with a knife.
He beat a rich woman to death after trying to trick her into letting him in, like he did with the Alexanders, and breaking into her house after she turned him down.
While he never meant to kill her, he did not feel remorse about it after being told about her death.
In prison, he only used the Bible to fantasize about violent or sexual things and to make the Chaplain believe that he was getting reformed.
He only agreed to submit to the Ludovico technique as a way to get out of jail, instead of believing it would reform him.
He had sadistic pleasure in the graphic content shown in the Ludovico technique at first, until he became repulsed by it.
While he couldn't rape the naked woman when the Ludovico technique's effects on him were showcased, it was only because the technique made him repulsive to doing so rather than avoiding it out of his own accord.
Book exclusive[]
He and his droogs assaulted a scholar in a library and a couple in a store.
He intoxicated and raped two young girls.
He murdered a man in prison and attempted to molest him.
While he finally got bored of being evil at the end and decided to live a normal life and start a family, he never showed remorse for his actions, and this was him simply deciding to stop being evil because he found it boring rather than really redeeming himself.
Movie exclusive[]
Despite the film being a satire and having many instances of black comedy - such as Frank Alexander has very over-the-top facial expressions that are frankly utterly ridiculous - Alex is taken completely seriously all the time, with numerous characters reacting with disgust or horror upon noting his crimes or realising his true identity.
In the film, it's implied that he would go back to his evil ways by the end now that the effects of the Ludovico technique were reversed.
What Prevents Him from Being Pure Evil?[]
Both Versions[]
Despite his actions, the story was set in a dystopian future where nobody was truly good, and everybody did something bad. As a result, the whole theme of the story prevented him from standing out.
The brainwashing and torture he's put through were played for sympathy, especially since it went to show how far the government of the story was willing to go to punish crime even though Alex arguably deserved it for everything he did.
Book Exclusive[]
He had some care for his parents, wanted to be loved by them, and was genuinely upset when his parents didn't want him back home after he was released from prison.
There's an additional chapter in the book that revealed that years later, he had outgrown his psychopathy and his love for violence, instead thinking about starting a family.
Though he was a bit reluctant due to fearing his kids could inherit his psychopathy, this proved that he cared not only for the potential children he could father but also for the safety of the people by acknowledging how he was a threat to them.
Movie Exclusive[]
Whilst his care for his parents in the film is debatable, if inexistent, he loved his pet snake, Basil, keeping him safe in a room-temperature drawer and reacting heartbrokenly to hearing that it had passed away.
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