A Clockwork Orange, Trainspotting and The Waste Land (essay help)

[jack]

I'm doing an essay on the breakdown of society with my title being; 'In the first section of 'The Waste Land', T.S. Elliot suggests society is 'A heap of broken images'. In light of this view explore this idea in your 3 texts. I've chosen this title and my texts. I just need help on general areas I should focus on, or a rough paragraph plan, or a good paragraph etc. Anything will be of great help. Thankyou for reading and hopefully commenting.

[Patito de Hule]

You need to do something yourself. Clockwork Orange and Trainstopper are built around the drug scene. What are the roots that grow, what branches clutch out of this stony rubbish?

I cannot say or guess for only you know the heap of broken images.

Let your stream of consciousness do the rest.

[Varenne Rodin]

It really sounds like you just need to brainstorm. Reread the texts, watch the films, decide which moments have the most impact in your mind. If you feel completely at a loss, make a venn diagram highlighting important issues in each text, noting the similarities and differences. Then flesh your work out by discussing social impact. Areas to focus on? I don't know, decay and corruption co-mingled with cruel and irresponsible good intentions?

[KCurtis]

It really sounds like you just need to brainstorm. Reread the texts, watch the films, decide which moments have the most impact in your mind. If you feel completely at a loss, make a venn diagram highlighting important issues in each text, noting the similarities and differences. Then flesh your work out by discussing social impact. Areas to focus on? I don't know, decay and corruption co-mingled with cruel and irresponsible good intentions?
Excellent. You should be a teacher.

[smerdyakov]

I think with respect to the two novels, you should write look at disenfranchised youth, poverty, boredom etc. There is no mention of drugs in A Clockwork Orange as far as I remember, but the protagonist is certainly disaffected, and, obviously, psychopathic.

All the characters in Trainspotting are disaffected. The character of Begbie is psychopathic, but the rest, especially the MC, Renton, come across as victims somehow of their circumstances/lack of opportunities etc. The novels are not similar in any way really, except that that both MCs are from working class/underclass backgrounds. Maybe try looking at the breakdown of community/lack of role models/intervention etc. There is a huge sense of apathy and escape into hedonism borne out of frustration.
Take each theme as a paragraph and relate how it ties in with your over-arching idea of "the breakdown of society."
Or at least "society" and what it is/means for a lot people.

[Varenne Rodin]

Excellent. You should be a teacher.

Thank you, K! I'm an art teacher. :)

That's a wonderful compliment. It makes my day!

[KCurtis]

Thank you, K! I'm an art teacher. :)

That's a wonderful compliment. It makes my day!

I'm glad I made someone's day. My mother was an art teacher, and my niece wants to be one. I hope schools keep their art programs.

[rtkeeling]

There is no mention of drugs in A Clockwork Orange as far as I remember

They drank milk-plus which had drugs in it:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Milk-plus

Roy