# Would the Ludovico Technique have worked if Alex had had proper post-release support? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 30, 2008, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-ludovico-technique-have-worked-if-alex-had-had-proper-post-release-support/470182 "2008-10-30T01:13:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-ludovico-technique-have-worked-if-alex-had-had-proper-post-release-support/470182/1 "2008-10-30T01:13:48Z")
In the book and movie _A Clockwork Orange_, Alex is a teenage sociopathic and antisocial punk who engages in gratuitous acts of violence, rape, and murder. After several years in prison, he is selected for a new experimental technique designed to condition him into eschewing violence in all forms and being good. Once he is released, however, he runs into the people he has wronged in his life and they all extract their revenge on him. It seems that the Ludovico Institute and prison system released him with little to no support structure. He had no money, no place to live, and no assistance getting an education or finding a job. My question is, if he had these things, would the technique have worked and would he have lived a law-abiding life (albeit against his natural will)? It seems to me that the only reason he failed was because he ran into the wrong people who basically destroyed him before he even had a chance. Thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-ludovico-technique-have-worked-if-alex-had-had-proper-post-release-support/470182/2 "2008-10-30T01:20:40Z")
I would venture to say that yes, it would have worked with proper post-release support. But that’s kinda the point of the story. isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-ludovico-technique-have-worked-if-alex-had-had-proper-post-release-support/470182/3 "2008-10-30T01:26:49Z")
Seems to me that it worked just fine, if by working you mean “renders a person incapable of violence.” I suspect that the society in the film was unconcerned with making the prisoner a productive part of society, they just wanted him to be docile. As you may recall, the Chaplain was concerned with Alex’s free will, and his concerns were dismissed as being irrelevant. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-ludovico-technique-have-worked-if-alex-had-had-proper-post-release-support/470182/4 "2008-10-30T05:30:21Z")
Would have made for a crappy last half of a movie. ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df705f/32.png) [@Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Metal_Lotus)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-ludovico-technique-have-worked-if-alex-had-had-proper-post-release-support/470182/5 "2008-10-30T07:06:22Z")
The one other thing to consider is that while post release support would have probably resulted in more positive results in Alex`s case, it would have repesented a very heavy burdon on the system to ensure such facilities and resources were available to all who were treated with it. He was a test case after all… Regards FML PS - don`t go messin with one of my fave movies, or I`ll go all horror show on you! ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-ludovico-technique-have-worked-if-alex-had-had-proper-post-release-support/470182/6 "2008-10-30T12:04:38Z")
I have a minority view of the very end of the movie. (The MOVIE, not the book.) I believe Movie Alex is cured. His violent outbursts when looking at the pictures with the Dr. are forced and disjointed. And when slooshying the lovely lovely Ninth by Ludwig Van, he’s fantasizing himself on the bottom being ridden by an obviously-dominant girl while “society” applauds, nothing violent or harmful to anyone. Now, the same part in the book, as he’s hearing the Ninth again, he’s fantasizing slashing throats. Then comes the actual last chapter. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-ludovico-technique-have-worked-if-alex-had-had-proper-post-release-support/470182/7 "2008-10-30T13:22:04Z")
Have to agree with the above - the technique worked perfectly as designed. Alex was incapable of committing acts of violence, even in self-defense. If that turned out to be problematic for him, that’s not Government’s fault. Now perhaps using the Ludovico technique for some criminals while putting others into the Police Academy wasn’t the best combination.