Clockwork Orange

It has been my opinion since starting this research that our society has few if any rituals, or rites of passage which is a big part of what is wrong with us, why we feel disconnected and why people seem to be increasingly desensitized to cruelty and violence. Its not the only reason, but it certainly seems to contribute. But where is it taking us and what would that look like? According to some, the cult film classic “A Clockwork Orange” gives us a fantastic cinematic representation of what happens to an individual in a society devoid of meaning, rituals and rites of Passage: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066921/

"In future Britain, charismatic delinquent Alex DeLarge is jailed and volunteers for an experimental aversion therapy developed by the government in an effort to solve society's crime problem... but not all goes according to plan. Director: Stanley Kubrick, Writers: Stanley Kubrick (screenplay), Anthony Burgess (novel) Stars: Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee and Michael Bates"

This is an ugly view but probably not far off the mark. According to Men's writer Robert Bly, a youth with no positive male mentor or rituals for Rites of Passage is very likely to become a violent, undirected thug without morals or any sense of belonging to his community. To fill this inner need and drive and lack of recognition and direction he may form or join street gangs with other unguided or misguided youth. -Left with a sense of connection only to his gang members and those he can intimidate or exert power over. He is an individual without hope of growth, improvement of his lot in life, or meaning in the present or the future. Power and violence are what make him feel strong. Possibly what make him feel anything at all.

According to Bly the solution lies in rebuilding community in the neighborhoods, of getting the elders to step up and mentor the youth, and to give them acknowledgment of what it means to be caring, gentle, strong, responsible men. Men must be with other, older responsible men to do this. What about women? -It seems to be a bit easier for them as in general they have more opportunities to be with older women in the extended family circle and activities that women share.


http://www.pbs.org/kued/nosafeplace/interv/bly.html

Robert Bly: "And we have to realize that the greatest danger to the culture is coming from these young unparented males all over the world. And if we want to do something about that, instead of pouring money in from Washington, one thing you would do is you would go to South Los Angeles and you would ask in the black communities who is a responsible older male here. And they would know. They only know that at the block level. Then you'd go to that older man and you'd say to him, “Listen, I'm gonna give you eighteen thousand dollars and I want you to keep two young men out of prison in that time.. It costs thirty-five thousand to keep a young man in prison. It costs more to keep a young man in prison than to send him to college.” And the older man then has something to do and the younger man has someone to talk to and be with. And it's astonishing the changes that come in young men when that happens."

So elders and mentors may help to create and recognize rites of passage, and are important for the safety, well being, and healthy development of community in our societies. We do have them, but they are often subtle, overlooked, or go unrecognized. Some mentors may come and go in our lives, some coming of age rites may include little to no pomp or circumstance but appear as mundane or secular activities to the participants: babysitting younger children, taking the city bus alone, learning to drive, menstruation, wet dreams, interest in sex, becoming sexually active, graduations, quinceanera, barmitzvah, batmitzvah, vision quests, college road trips, traveling to a foreign city or country alone, marriage, becoming a parent, and more. Robert Bly gives us the solution for creating mentors and community, but what can we do to increase the celebration factor of these important events and add to the ritual, sense of meaning and importance in identity development for the individual and their sense of place in community in the broad spectrum? and do we need to?