Burgess's use of diction in A Clockwork Orange is, to say the least, unique. One cannot read the first page without failing to notice words that are not in any dictionary, bridged or unabridged: a dialect called Nadsat. In the book, this is described as "[odd] bits of rhyming slang... [a] bit of gipsy talk, too. But most of hte roots are Slav. Propaganda. Subliminal penetration" (129). Some words have familiar roots ["Biblio" (7) is library, and "malchicks" (22) are bad teenagers], but others, such as "horrorshow," "devotchka," and "malenky" have to be worked out during the course of the novel in context. The new vocabulary challenges the reader to read more closely, in an engaging manner that isn't excessively involved. The use of Nadsat also contributes to the theme of the generation gap between young and old, and its adverse affects. Adding even further depth to the dialect, Burgess added words of synonymous meaning (such as "bezoomny" and "razdraz," both meaning crazed), and used the same word for different purposes ("horrorshow" can be interpreted as pleasing, violent, exceptional, etc.), much as would be present in any other world language.
Nadsat develops the tone of the piece in a way that, had the novel been confined to only the standard English vocabulary, would not have been as effective and engrossing. This is because the author utilizes his freedom of language to express Alex's feelings and his comments on his surroundings in a distinctive, and oftentimes disturbing, manner. Alex's initial fondness for violence and sexual assault are paradoxically stated quite clearly and implicitly at the same time, when he describes the "red, red krovvy" or the "old in-out in-out." The rhetor's detached tone isn't entirely appreciated until the reader pauses for a moment to fully consider the rather alarming implications, recounted by their "Humble Narrator."
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