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Re-watching this scene after many, many years. Had not remembered (or maybe never saw this version?) where Alex, in his underwear, is laying next to Deltoid on the bed. This is a very disturbing scene among disturbing scenes and at one point Deltoid actually grabs Alex's genitals.

Firstly, is this in the book? And what purpose does this strange scene serve, thematically?

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    You might want to move the question about the meaning of Mr Deltoid's name to a separate post - or this question might get closed as unfocused
    – HorusKol
    Commented Dec 14, 2019 at 14:39

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The purpose of the scene is to show that society is not able to prevent or help Alex. Mr. Deltoid is using bland platitudes and a "I'm not just your counselor, but your friend attitude" that's a stereotype for guidance counselors and the like. Further playing into stereotypes (and suggesting that the system is corrupt as well as ineffectual), Me. Deltoid is overly friendly, to the point of being a bit of a pederast. As noted by DannyMcG, the sexual assault was not in the book, but rather introduced in the film.

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    I guess I am trying to understand why the pedophilia thing, what Kubrick had in mind. I know that this was looked upon differently in 1970 or so: heterosexual pedophilia was joked about (SNL had Buck Henry playing a pedophile in a skit in 1975 or so); homosexual pedophilia was a huge taboo, not joked about on tv or even dealt with seriously in movies or tv that I am aware of.
    – releseabe
    Commented Dec 15, 2019 at 2:54
  • not really related but definitely similar: I just rewatched an old Boardwalk Empire episode where the devoted Eddie Kessler is arrested by the archvillain Tolliver (FBI agent based perhaps on the real Clyde Tolson?) and when Kessler suggest Tolliver is his friend, he rapidly disabuses Kessler of this by slugging him, and hard.
    – releseabe
    Commented Nov 2, 2023 at 3:42
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I have the ebook version of A Clockwork Orange and the scene isn't in the book.

Just a bit of conversation in the living room with Mr P R Deltoid (his Post-Corrective Adviser) asking why Alex isn't at school and was he involved in a fight the night before

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Isn't it's function more simply to show that Alex is on the radar of the authorities, and to quietly introduce Deltoid to us? It sets up what is shortly going to happen. It's the first time we see Alex interact with a middle class authority figure, for which he affects an unctuous unconvincing servile respect. P R and Alex may be intended as mirror images of each other... The next time we see P.R. Deltoid is after Alex has been arraigned. It's clear Deltoid hates Alex, there was never any liberal or Christian zeal to reform him, Deltoid knows Alex is a time bomb who will sooner or later kill, so what would be the point...?

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    – David Siegel
    Commented Jul 2, 2022 at 23:24

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