suspicion - n. a belief with little or no supporting evidence; a
very small amount of something; an inkling; mistrust, doubt.
In the films of Stanley Kubrick there are running motifs present. One
theme that is consistent is that of suspicion... Suspicion of others... Suspicion of
events. A Clockwork Orange is a brilliant statement supporting non-violence through
a violent society. The violence caused because of the environment our anti-hero Alex is
placed. There is a direct correlation between violence and suspicion in the movie.
One scene that shows this is with Mr. Deltoid, a
parole-officer/schoolmaster (Post Corrective Adviser in the novel) that looks after Alex.
He awaits Alex waking by hiding in the mother's bedroom, perhaps because if he woke Alex
up he would not see if Alex was truly sick (which he was not). His mistrust is apparently
clear. Almost the first few sentences that Deltoid speaks shows where is frame of mind is,
with such lines as, "Why should there be anything wrong? Have you been doing
something you shouldn't have, yes?" As he speaks to the boy he alludes to Billy Boy's
fight in which Alex was involved with, but states, "Of course nobody can prove
anything about anybody, as usual ..." This exchange sums up adults view of
ex-convicts, pre-determining their fate by removing all faith in those that have done
wrong before. Almost leaving the individual without choice; they must do wrong again.
"Once a fox, always a fox."
Another link between suspicion and violence in the picture is with the
guard inside the prison. He treats the convicts as if they were animals (which they are in
a sense) and he is completely suspicious of their acts. He scolds Alex for being over the
white line when Alex is admitted into the prison. He is wary of the prisoners' intentions
in several situations.
The victims themselves are mistrusting. The wife of the writer hesitates
when she hears Alex say there has been an accident. She, and all of the characters, lives
in a world where you must always be on guard. The woman with the cats is so mistrusting
she sends Alex with his "accident story" down the road to a bar where there is a
public phone.
When Alex signs up for the "Ludovico Treatment" we see the true
suspicion of the society. The government official picks Alex. He says, "No, no, he's
perfect. He is young, bold, vicious..." This view is determined in under one minute
of the man meeting Alex. The whole treatment doubts if Alex will commit crimes anymore.
This is just a microcosm of the way the entire society feels, that if your are guilty once
you are guilty forever herein. The official sums up this point in the movie when he says
that prison only teaches the criminal about crime more, that punishment has no effect on
the convict.
Alex's parents are even without hope when he returns home. They do not
want him in the house, neither does their "new son" Joe. They all are wary of
his "new leaf." Even Alex doubts his "droogs" Georgie and Dim about
their "new way."
In society, people follow the "looking-glass self" theory
hypothesized by Charles Cooley, that "... you are not what you think you are. You are
not what others think you are. You are what you think others think you are." Alex
thinks he is a "clockwork orange," a mechanical organism. He is influenced by
his environment to commit crime because he is suspected to.