A Clockwork Orange Is Not Obscene A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess describes a horrible world in an apathetic society that has allowed its youth to run amok. The novel describes the senseless violence perpetrated by teenagers, who rape women and terrorize the elderly. The second part of the novel describes how the protagonist, Alex, is "cured" by being drugged and then forced to watch atrocity films. The novel warns against both senseless violence and senseless goodness, against the danger of not being able to choose between good and evil. Although it was criticized as obscene in Orem, Utah, in 1973, the book does not meet the legal definition of obscenity. Although it contains possibly offensive language and violent images, these are not all that make up the novel. It's a powerful social commentary; a warning against laziness and the desire for a quick solution to society's problems. To be legally defined as obscene, a work must be completely devoid of redeeming social value. However, A Clockwork Orange has both social and literary value. It's a shocking warning of what t...