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Why couldn't they just turn off the background music during the experiment?

posted 3 years ago by TheMan18 (13055)
3 replies | jump to latest

In a scene where Alex was given the Ludovico treatment and being strapped in the chair, when he started panicking and complaining loudly about his favorite piece the Beethoven's 9th Symphony playing in the background, why couldn't those people just turn it off? Or was it done somehow intentionally to increase Alex's punishment or maybe they just didn't care?

And did they, he and others even realize or suspect that it might cause Alex not to ever listen to the tune again without feeling bad and later, when he visits that author's house again, even suicidal?

And because they may have also felt a sense of unease and maybe get a sense that it is somehow distracting Alex as it may not have even been intentionally a part of the experiment, why didn't they just turn the music off or give him headphones or ear plugs or something so he can concentrate better on what he is supposed to be watching and learning about the wrongs of crime, violence and hurting of innocent people?

[–] ElizabethJoestar (946) 3 years ago

Because they didn't care and did not seem to think it interfered with their experiment at all.

When they realize Alex is tormented by associating the music with his suffering, they shrug it off and say, "There's the punishment element, I suppose." In the book, this is explicitly linked with the head of the prison, who says he prefers the idea of an eye for an eye and not reformation. So, it can be assumed that A) the scientists don't care either way and B) they feel the opponents of the reformation angle (the eye for an eye bunch) can at least take some pleasure in Alex not getting off scot-free.

[–] TheMan18 (13055) 3 years ago

"Alex not getting off scot-free"
But he already didn't get off scot-free, he was punished, imprisoned and subjected to the Ludovico treatment in the first place, or was that not enough for them?

[–] Poozer91 (610) 3 years ago

The "treatment" he underwent did not and its purpose was not to ingrain the wrongs of his crimes. It was to make him unable to commit harmful an violent acts. So turning off the music would not allow him to focus on his crimes and realize how evil they were, even afterwards he did not essentially show any guilt; he was just repulsed by the crimes he use to enjoy (he could not get any pleasure out of them).