Fear, Loathing, By Hunter S. Thompson s Novel, Fear And...

The American Dream is the phrase and trademark of American society today that many hope to achieve in some point in their lives. In Hunter S. Thompson’s novel, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, readers follow Thompson depicted as Raoul Duke and his attorney Dr. Gonzo in hoping to find the American Dream. It uses Gonzo Journalism, a style that is an adaption of Picaresque narrative to document his drug-induced experiences traveling through 1970’s Las Vegas. The Picaresque novels are composed of first-person narrative that relates to the adventures of a picaro character or rogue hero with an episodic structure and romantic techniques to present the story as a realist. The novel presents various examples of picaresque genre and American journey narratives. Thompson uses picaresque narrative of a rogue hero’s desert journey for the American Dream in bars, casinos, hotels only to find that it is essentially unattainable. At the same time, Thompsons examines the generati on’s failure to achieve the American Dream by commenting on their cultural behavior in the 1960s and 1970s. The principles of Picaresque genre are revealed throughout the novel: first person narrative and episodic structure of a rogue hero. Thompson portrays an episodic plot in the novel where the rogue hero travels back and forth in search of the American Dream. Duke and his attorney drive their red convertible across the deserts of Las Vegas. As their drug consumption increases, they trash their hotel room andShow MoreRelatedFear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream by Hunter S. Thompson1064 Words   |  5 Pages Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream was originally written by Hunter S. Thompson in 1971. This classic novel showcases a stoned sportswriter, Raoul Duke, who also refers to his own ego as â€Å"Dr. Gonzo†. Duke travels to Las Vegas with his fellow Samoan â€Å"attorney† to cover a motorcycle race on the outskirts of Las Vegas called the Mint 400. After a series of reckless ev ents, Raoul and his companion finally make their way to the city. Once there, they findRead MoreFear And Loathing Of Las Vegas : Journalism With Acidic Twists By Hunter S. Thompson1789 Words   |  8 PagesFear and Loathing in Las Vegas: Journalism with Acidic Twists Hunter S. Thompson is the literary equivalent to the peyote shaman who document the world around them. Pioneering a genre called gonzo journalism, Thompson spliced nonfiction with fiction while simultaneously documenting an event in first-person. In the middle of the battlefield, up close and personal, gonzo journalism brings the main subject of the novel directly into the heart of all events, reporting in a way that is not entirely nonfictionRead MoreAnalysis of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson699 Words   |  3 Pagesenvironment to advance his/her views of the society and at the same time drive into the audience/readers important information that he/she wishes to pass. Hunter S. Thompson has used his creativity in the novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas written in the 1960s to reflect on American society with Las Vegas as the point of reference. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas describes the American society as hypocritical. This transcends from the leaders to citizens. The Duke and Gonzo attend a conference on NarcoticsRead MoreFear and Loathing vs. on the Road1595 Words   |  7 Pagescounter-culture movement of the 1950s and 1960s. This novel provides a first-hand account of the beginnings of the Beat movement and acts as a harbinger for the major societal changes that would occur in the United States throughout the next two decades. On the contrary, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, a Hunter S. Thompson novel written in 1971 provides a commentary on American society at the end of the counter-culture movement. Thompson reflects on the whirlwind of political and social activismRead MoreF. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby1730 Words   |  7 Pagesgone to tatters, with the novel ending with Nick left staring out at the green light and musing upon the ultimate lie that is the American Dream, â€Å"the orgastic future tha t year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther.... And one fine morning——So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.† (The Great Gatsby, 1925) In Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the pursuitRead More Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas Essay751 Words   |  4 PagesFear And Loathing In Las Vegas The story begins abruptly, as we find our mock heroes out in the desert en route to the savvy resort of Las Vegas. The author uses a tense hitchhiker as a mode, or an excuse, for a flashback that exposes the plot. An uncertain character picked up in the middle of the desert who Raoul Duke, the main character, feels the need to explain things to, to help him rest easy. They had two bags of grass, seventy-five pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high-powered blotterRead MoreFear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thomson730 Words   |  3 Pagesgained but a lot can be lost. Everything that happens there is based on luck. If you are feeling lucky Vegas might be the option for you. Vegas is a place for risk takers and gamblers and for people trying to achieve something. In Hunter S. Thompson’s novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Duke and Gonzo take a road trip to Vegas. Drugs and alcohol were prominent in the main characters’ journey and the substances were used to show Duke and Gonzo escape from life, their path to find the American DreamRead MoreResponse to Hunter S. Thompsons Ferar and Loathing in Las Vegas1180 Words   |  5 PagesHunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a travelogue of sorts, due to the blurred lines between fiction and non-fiction, which deeply explores the status of the American Dream during the early 70’s, specifically 1971. Thompson states this purpose within the first three chapters of the book in the line, â€Å"Because I want you to know that we’re on our way to Las Vegas to find the American Dream.† (Famp;L pg 6) Although Thompson states in the beginning of the book that, â€Å"Our trip was differentRead MoreWhat It Means To Be An American Essay1233 Words   |  5 Pagesstars as The Man with No Name. In each movie the other characters refer to him by different names. In The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly the character is called Blondie by Tuco, another main character. 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