Before starting the Being Bad module I read Burgess’ famous novel ‘A Clockwork Orange’. It raised questions for me about violence, free will and the motives behind violence. These issues were addressed in Thursday’s lecture on bandits. We learned that violence wasn’t a condemnable offense when it under the premise of politics in the case of the notoriously violent Jesse James. I have been puzzling as to why this is the case. Perceptions of criminals change when their apparent motives are taken into account. The main character (not quite ‘hero’) of ‘A Clockwork Orange’, Alex, takes part in what he calls “ultra violence” and has no real motive besides a passion for seeing blood and exercising control over his community. Jesse James however lived a similar way, showing control over his community and using violence to achieve what he wanted but is widely regarded as a hero because he claimed to have a political motive. What makes a villain? Is it their actions or the motives behind them?
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