Scrambled essay (we recommend this is printed out, cut up and laminated)

A) The answer to this question can be found in understanding this concept, ‘epiphany’.

B) Paradoxically, we often look to films and novels to understand human nature and the criminal mind work.

C) This brings us to the following point that criminals ultimately turn to good. Both writers, Tarantino and Burgess, have their protagonists witness an epiphany, where they see the error of their ways.

D) This is a message that we may want to keep in mind next time we read about the latest criminal in the newspaper and the state’s latest efforts to correct criminal behavior.

E) First let’s start with the premise that some people are inherently immoral. In both works we see that the perpetrators do not feel remorse for their crimes. In fact they enjoy criminal behavior.

F) In Pulp Fiction we see Jules, a hit man for Marcellus Wallace, who seems to enjoy killing Bret. Jules makes a kind of show out of this murder, as he comments on his wife’s eating habits, jokes around with rhetorical questions and recites a passage from the Bible before killing Bret.

G) This random change in attitude is in stark contrast to the intense treatment that Alex underwent at the corrections facilities, where we was brainwashed into doing good and punished for being bad. Jules’ response is also in stark contrast to that of his colleague, Vincent, who refuses to draw life-changing conclusions from their near death experience.

H) Jule’s epiphany is a near death experience. After he recites his Bible verse and prepares to murder Brett, a young man bursts on to the scene from behind the bathroom door. The young man fires multiple times at Jules from close range with a large handgun. Miraculously, Jules and his partner, Vincent, are not hit by a single bullet.

I) Similarly the main character of A Clockwork Orange, a fifteen-year-old boy named Alex, enjoys crime for the sake of crime.

J) We are fascinated by news stories about criminals such as Charles Manson, Osama bin Laden or Bernard Madoff.

K) As he explains in his slang, “Our pockets were full of deng, so there was no real need from the point of view of crasting any more pretty polly to tolchock some old veck in an alley and viddy him swim in his blood while we counted the takings and divided by four, nor to do the ultra-violent on some shivering starry grey-haired ptitsa in a shop and go smecking off with the till's guts. But, as they say, money isn’t everything.”

L) In light of both Alex’ and Jules’ experiences, we can conclude that both authors of A Clockworks Orange and Pulp Fiction comment on the importance of chance and random events in steering criminals towards better lifestyles.

M) With these words “money isn’t everything,” we understand that he enjoys the blood and violence that go along with crime.

N) Alex claims that he wants to settle down and have a wife and baby.

O) From a study of these two works we can say that some people are evil by nature, but people have the ability to change under the right circumstances.

P) Similar to the random nature of Jules’ epiphany is Alex’ epiphany. Alex decides to live a better life after a chance encounter with an old gang friend and his steady girlfriend. He wonders what his life would be like with such a steady girlfriend and perhaps even a little son of his own to raise.

Q) We see Alex’ love for violence further in the novel as he rapes a woman, while joking with his friends and singing a song.

R) Pulp Fiction, by Quentin Tarantino, and A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess, are two famous examples of works of fiction that shed light on why people commit crime.

S) Alex, in contrast to Jules, enjoys leading his gang, whereas Jules becomes frustrated with the role of being his boss’ servant.  Later in the film Pulp Fiction, Jules even comments on how he is tired of “doing his boss’ dirty laundry.”

T) Burgess and Tarantino suggest that we cannot force criminals to change their lives, but they must make their own conscious decisions to improve themselves.

U) Therefore they both seem very committed to cleaning up their act and living good lives.

V) Here is where we begin to see that Jules, despite his inherent immorality, wants to free himself from the criminal lifestyle.

W) Vincent brushes off this experience and says they simply got lucky. Jules, however, refuses to believe in such luck. Instead, he believes that it was a sign from God or a higher power, telling him to rethink his lifestyle. He contemplates this event deeply, as he eats his breakfast afterwards and vows to live a different lifestyle.

X) Jules claims that he wants to “walk the earth, like Kane in the great Kung Fu,” once he has delivered the briefcase to his boss and resigned.

Y) The question that remains is: ‘What makes these criminals see the errors of their ways?’

Z) He even begins to carry an image of a baby in his wallet and starts to fantasize about fathering it.