The Representation of the All-Seeing Eye in A Clockwork Orange

As an ancient symbol, the Eye has appeared in various distant regions and carried diverse meanings for different cultures throughout history. The all-seeing eye symbol, regarded as a representative of both good and evil, is associated with the concepts of control, authority, discipline, and surveillance in the modern period. Within visual arts and literature, the all-seeing eye functions as one of the crucial symbols conveying these concepts. In this context, Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange (1962) and Stanley Kubrick’s cinematic adaptation (1971) are exclusively significant for their sophisticated portrayal of the all-seeing eye’s modern representation. Therefore, this study explores the textual and visual representations of the all-seeing eye in A Clockwork Orange, exploring its function as a symbol of ideological manipulation, surveillance, and discipline. The analysis draws on Michel Foucault’s theoretical insights on power and discipline to examine the representation of the all-seeing eye. Additionally, Roland Barthes’ semiotic approach is incorporated to provide a more comprehensive interpretation of its representation in both works.