Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
Introduction
In Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Thompson restages the road trip formula of Kerouac’s On the Road to present a new era of America. The American Dream has evolved into a term to describe the American way of life, in general but is far more complex. The American Dream always has a unique meaning for each individual, which is why even until today there is no universally accepted definition. Although this concept has no universal definition, nearly all in America are perpetually engaged in their own form of slavery to meet their perception of the American Dream. The first thing that touches one when reading Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas what a sad story it is. It is an accurate description of the struggle to meet the American Dream, which often leads to dead ends. Duke does not find what he is sent to Las Vegas to find, he never finds the American Dream, and by the end, when his plane out of Vegas lands in Colorado, he is so addled he literally doesn’t know where he is. Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas explores the counter-culture movement of the 60s (beat generation) and declares the American Dream dead as its modern day meaning has been altered. This is a very powerful statement to be made at the time it was in exposing the fictitious American Dream. The 1960s was a time where people believed in hard work and commitment to reach their perception of the dream. This book follows is the story of Thompson …show more content…
himself through the use of protagonist Raoul Duke, and Dr. Gonzo, his attorney on a drug induced journey throughout Las Vegas and their attempt to discover the American Dream. What is so intriguing about this novel is that every part of it represents the challenge of discovering the American Dream, it is in a sense like hunting for an imaginary animal.
The purpose of this paper will explore how the American Dream has become a deviation from what it originally was. This essay will explore how the America Dream has transformed to greedy and selfish ideal that all desire to want to achieve through any means. To explore Thompson’s experience through the novel, this paper will first analyze the American Dream and its significance. Secondly this paper will delve into the Las Vegas being a symbol of the American Dream. As Thompson aims discover what the American Dream looks like in modern society, this paper will close with a discussion on the existence of the American Dream today.
The American Dream
To explore the importance of the American Dream as a predominant theme in the novel, it is important to contextualize the concept itself.
For many, the American Dream is associated with becoming wealthy, and the ability to achieve anything if one works hard enough. The saying “from rags to riches” is a way to describe this association. For others, the American Dream extends beyond materialism, as it is journey of simplicity and fulfillment in life. The American Dream is also perceived as America being the
land
In Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Thompson restages the road trip formula of Kerouac’s On the Road to present a new era of America. The American Dream has evolved into a term to describe the American way of life, in general but is far more complex. The American Dream always has a unique meaning for each individual, which is why even until today there is no universally accepted definition. Although this concept has no universal definition, nearly all in America are perpetually engaged in their own form of slavery to meet their perception of the American Dream. The first thing that touches one when reading Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas what a sad story it is. It is an accurate description of the struggle to meet the American Dream, which often leads to dead ends. Duke does not find what he is sent to Las Vegas to find, he never finds the American Dream, and by the end, when his plane out of Vegas lands in Colorado, he is so addled he literally doesn’t know where he is. Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas explores the counter-culture movement of the 60s (beat generation) and declares the American Dream dead as its modern day meaning has been altered. This is a very powerful statement to be made at the time it was in exposing the fictitious American Dream. The 1960s was a time where people believed in hard work and commitment to reach their perception of the dream. This book follows is the story of Thompson …show more content…
himself through the use of protagonist Raoul Duke, and Dr. Gonzo, his attorney on a drug induced journey throughout Las Vegas and their attempt to discover the American Dream. What is so intriguing about this novel is that every part of it represents the challenge of discovering the American Dream, it is in a sense like hunting for an imaginary animal.
The purpose of this paper will explore how the American Dream has become a deviation from what it originally was. This essay will explore how the America Dream has transformed to greedy and selfish ideal that all desire to want to achieve through any means. To explore Thompson’s experience through the novel, this paper will first analyze the American Dream and its significance. Secondly this paper will delve into the Las Vegas being a symbol of the American Dream. As Thompson aims discover what the American Dream looks like in modern society, this paper will close with a discussion on the existence of the American Dream today.
The American Dream
To explore the importance of the American Dream as a predominant theme in the novel, it is important to contextualize the concept itself.
For many, the American Dream is associated with becoming wealthy, and the ability to achieve anything if one works hard enough. The saying “from rags to riches” is a way to describe this association. For others, the American Dream extends beyond materialism, as it is journey of simplicity and fulfillment in life. The American Dream is also perceived as America being the
land