Post ww2 fiction and film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Post ww2 fiction and film - Essay Example In The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie similarly damaged people are considered, particularly the title character who draws a few to her but rejects many others. A Clockwork Orange portrays a nightmarish future world, taking several features of 1950’s/1960’s life to their logical conclusions. The title is suggestive of all these works: the people appear to be alive on the outside, but are â€Å"clockwork† (dead) within. The extent to which novels and films can reflect actual problems within society versus the fact that they are reflections of an individual author’s/filmmaker’s view of the world is one that can never be entirely resolved. In reality, novelists and directors live within societies and are thus influenced by them, yet at the same time they are portraying their individual perspectives. Three very distinct novels, such as The Prime of Miss Jean Brody, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning and A Clockwork Orange, reflect often nightmarish versions of society. A common theme among all three of them is the place of the individual within society. That is, how far can the individual act in a purely independent manner versus the need to conform? Each novel tackles this question in a different manner and comes to contrasting conclusions. The main characters in each novel are indeed â€Å"individualistic†, in the fact that they follow their own course (often counter to what â₠¬Ëœsociety’ wants for them), and their often difficult fates illustrate the dangers of being an individual. The issue of conformity versus eccentricity is as relevant today as it was in post-war British society, and thus can inform a discussion of problems that are being faced today. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is set in Scotland during the 1930’s. As such it represents a consideration of the interwar rather than the post-war period., but many of its themes resonate to the latter period. The teacher of the title is determined to actually teach the young women at her