A Clockwork Orange is a novel by Anthony Burgess, published in 1962. The novel is set in a dystopian England and follows the life of 14-year-old Alex, a juvenile delinquent who is sent to jail and subsequently undergoes a state-sponsored psychological rehabilitation programme aimed at curing his violent and deviant behaviour.

The novel explores the boundaries of human morality and freedom of choice under an extreme political system. Moreover, the novel is written almost fully in a futuristic slang, known as Nadsat, that gives further insight into Alex's psychology and his life.

The novel begins by describing a totalitarian society where extreme violence is ever-present among the youth. Alex, the protagonist, is a teenager who greatly enjoys classical music and is also a member of a violent teen gang. His gang frequently engages in acts of brutality against innocent and defenceless people.

When one of these escapades goes awry and Alex ends up murdering an elderly woman, he is sentenced to 14 years in prison. Eventually, Alex is chosen to undergo a form of aversion therapy, which results in him becoming physically sick whenever he encounters violence, whether simply thinking about it or attempting to commit a crime.

The novel raises important ethical questions, particularly whether it is better to choose to be bad rather than to be forced to be good. It explores the importance of free will and the ethical consequences of suppressing someone's freedom of choice for the sake of society's safety.

Ultimately, A Clockwork Orange forces us to question the role of morality in society, leading me to a quote that stuck with me from the book:

“Does God want goodness or the choice of goodness?”