Alex and Patrick - Separated at birth Essay Example for Free

Alex and Patrick Separated at birth Essay For my project, I have chosen to compare and analyse the characterisation of two of literatures most psychotic characters, Alex from A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, and Patrick Bateman from American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis. Patrick and Alex are from, and live in two completely different worlds, but what I aim to prove is that if you look past the superficial differences of the stories, the base characteristics and emotions of the two characters are the same. The Books Both American Psycho and A Clockwork Orange are considered to be satires and black comedies. Ellis version of 80s New York and a Wall Street executive gone insane is considered a satire of the 80s obsession with greed, money, power, women, drugs and getting a reservation at Dorsia. It is about Patrick bateman, a successful stockbroker, who by day goes to work, discusses fashion tips with his friends and goes to the most expensive restaurants, and by night, is a psychopathic mass murder. It is derivative of, and has been praised as the darkest satire since A Clockwork Orange, Burgess vision of a future run by martial law with teenage criminals running amok is considered a satire on State Censorship, the government and free will. It is about Alex, a fifteen year old boy who goes out raping, stealing and murdering, until he is arrested. When in jail, the state tries to reform him, but end up turning him into nothing more than A Clockwork Orange, a person with no free will, no choice, and no life. Have the government gone too far? Both books have been viewed as misogynistic, discriminating against social classes, and in some parts racist, but regardless of this the books are still considered cult classics. Lifestyle and Friends Patrick and Alex are both given backgrounds, complete with friends and lifestyles. In American Psycho, Ellis depicts Patricks lifestyle as restaurants, designer clothes, attractive women, cocaine and martinis. In contrast, Burgess shows Alex as being from a poor family, a convict, and a victim of the system. Patricks lifestyle is written about much more than Alexs, as Ellis intersperses Patricks deeds with passages about work, the difficulty of getting a reservation at a good restaurant, and which tie he should wear to match his new Valentino suit. Burgess does write about Alexs life in some detail, such as the purchasing of a new record, what he is wearing The heighth (not a spelling mistake) of Nadsat fashion, and his favourite places (The Korova milk bar for some Moloko plus). The extract from American Psycho marked Friends describes the beginning of an evening out for Patrick. Notice how Ellis starts talking about what everyone is wearing as though it is relevant to the story line, however it is relevant to the theme, showing the 80s obsession with designer labels. It seems as though Patrick feels it is neccesary to identify where everyones clothes are from. The following page shows Patrick giving out fashion tips and everyone listening as though he is a fashion guru. In the extract, Ellis shows the banter between Patrick and his friends, McDermott, Van Patten and Price. Patrick doesnt mention any of his deeds to his friends, or as part of the narration at this point. There doesnt seem to be any kind of a hierarchy within the group, everyone seems to be equal, although we do tend to see Patrick as the main person in the group, due to the first person narration. In contrast, Alex is the leader of his little group, and this is apparent from the start, as Alex bosses around the other three, especially Dim, whom he bullies constantly (I think he came up with the name in reference to his intelligent). Alex also describes what he is wearing, but only three times when it is neccesary, and not in as much detail as Patrick goes into. Although Alex works with his friends, or droogs, they dont seem to discuss their crimes between them. Paradoxically, Patrick, who works alone, brings up his crimes in conversations with his friends and fianci e, but they are either not listening, take it as a joke, or are too drunk to understand or remember! Alexs lifestyle is reflective of the chronological setting of the book, as it is set in one possible future, where it seems martial law rules, and everyone who is old enough to work has to work. Alex is only 15, and is not old enough to work, so he goes out stealing to earn money. Although, when you strip away the superficial characteristics, you can see that Patrick is just an upscale, 80s yuppie version of Alex, as both of them are brash, arrogant, brutal, self-involved and obsessed with music, appearances, and violence. Music Both Patrick and Alex have an obsession with music. Patrick listens to more contemporary styles of music, such as Huey Lewis and the News, Whitney Houston and Genesis, whereas Alex favours the more classical music of Beethoven and Handel. Music seems to affect both Patrick and Alex in different ways. In American Psycho, Ellis has written entire chapters devoted to the above bands, so the inclusion of music in the novel may be something personal to Ellis, because hes done his research, although it does also add to the 1980s feel of the book. Apart from this, the chapters do seem somewhat irrelevant to the story, as the preceding and following chapters have nothing to do with the music. Both Patrick and Alex feel it necessary to list and describe their sound systems. Ellis uses two whole pages describing a consignment of top of the range technology that arrives at Patricks house. This is showing the reader Patricks wealth, rather than his love for music, whereas in A Clockwork Orange, Alex describes his stereo as The pride of my jeezny. Later on in the book, he criticises two girls stereos, then says Come with me and hear all proper, meaning that his stereo is far superior to theirs. Patrick merely reviews and talks about the music, whereas Alex becomes engulfed in it, which is why he describes listening to classical music is gorgeousness and gorgeosity made flesh. He also uses other words such as bliss, heaven, Wonder of Wonders, proving that music to him is not just music, but an emotional thing, and as though he physically feels something. Alex compares listening to music like being on drugs. Later in the book, after being treated with the Ludivico Technique, Alex is inadvertently conditioned against all emotional music, and after being forced to listen to Otto Skadeligs third symphony, he tries to kill himself. It is the ultimate irony that the one thing he loved so passionately is the thing that causes him to attempt suicide.