Non-Conformist Character in Postmodernist Dystopian Literature: Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange (1962) and Huxley’s Brave New World (1932)

Abstract

This research paper is dedicated to giving a presume of the presence of nonconformity in the form of the main character under the tone of postmodern dystopian novels. Indeed, the thesis comes to the conclusion that, through analysing Brave New World and A Clockwork Orange as samples, the protagonists of both works share intentions. That is to say, Alex and Bernard act against the conformity wave in the society in which they live. Though the environment is not the same, they both have the same personality traits, such as refusing to see logic in the social norms, they are both visuals enough to analyse their surroundings, which leads to question their existentialism, and despising mimicry. Both authors end up the stories by making the controller/government force the characters into withdrawing from their non-conformity.